They threw a CompuBox record 3353 punches. they landed over 1100, but it was Jesus Soto Karass closed out his career with a 10-round majority decision over previously undefeated Neeco Macias in a junior middleweight bout at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

In round two, Macias was cu over his right eye. the two fighters threw non-stop punches with Soto Karass landing the more meaningful blows.

Soto Karass, 152.4 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95 and he finishes his career out at 29-13-4. Macias, 153.4 lbs of Palm Desert, CA is 17-1.

“I feel happy. I fought against a great warrior,” said Jesus Soto Karass. “I always say that whether it’s a win, a loss or a draw, the fans always win when they see one of my fights. I will speak with my team to see if this will be my last bout.”

“I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be in the ring with this great warrior,” said Neeco Macias. “I want to thank all of the fans for coming out tonight. We do this for you!”

Manny Robles III won a 10-round split decision over Jose Gonzalez in a featherweight fight.

Robles, 125.4 lbs of Paramount, CA won two cards 97-93 and 96-94. Gonzalez took a card 96-94.

Robles is 17-0. Gonzalez, 125.4 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 23-7.

“I could have done better tonight,” said Manny Robles III. “He was very awkward and hard to hit. I don’t agree with the decision. I felt I won by unanimous decision, but I’m happy we got the win.”

Emilio Sanchez won a 10-round technical unanimous decision over Enrique Bernache in a super featherweight bout.

Bernache was cut over his left eye and the bout was stopped in the final frame.

Sanchez, 127.2 lbs of Pacoima, CA won by scores of 100-91, 99-92 and 97-94, and is now 17-1. Bernanche, 127.8 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 24-12.

“It was tough fight and I could have done better,” said Emilio Sanchez. “When he came at me at the beginning of the fight, I decided to keep my composure and stick to the game plan.

D’Mitrius Ballard won an eight-round unanimous decision over Alan Campa in a super middleweight bout.

Ballard, 166.8 lbs of Temple Hills, MD won by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 to remain perfect at 19-0. Campa, 166.8 lbs of Guaymas, MEX is 17-4.

“This was my first fight in 15 months,” said D’Mitrius Ballard. “I was off due to some outside issues, but I’m back. I was shaking off some ring rust, and after a layoff like that, I want to come back as soon as possible.”

Floyd Mayweather has pulled out of his proposed New Year’s eve bout with Japanese kickboxing phenom Tenshin Nasukawa, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Now that I am back on U.S. soil after a long and disappointing trip to Tokyo, I now have the time to address you, my fans and the media in regard to the upcoming event on December 31st that was recently announced,” Mayweather wrote in his Instagram account. “First and foremost, I want it to be clear that I, Floyd Mayweather, never agreed to an official bout with Tenshin Nasukawa. In fact (with all due respect) I have never heard of him until this recent trip to Japan.”

“Ultimately, I was asked to participate in a 9 minute exhibition of 3 rounds with an opponent selected by the Rizen Fighting Federation,” Mayweather wrote. “What I was originally informed of (it) by Brent Johnson of One Entertainment was that this was to be an exhibition put on for a small group of wealthy spectators for a very large fee. This exhibition was previously arranged as a ‘Special Bout’ purely for entertainment purposes with no intentions of being represented as an official fight card nor televised worldwide.”

“Once I arrived to the press conference, my team and I were completely derailed by the new direction this event was going and we should have put a stop to it immediately,” he said. “I want to sincerely apologize to my fans for the very misleading information that was announced during this press conference and I can assure you that I too was completely blindsided by the arrangements that were being made without my consent nor approval.

“For the sake of the several fans and attendees that flew in from all parts of the world to attend this past press conference, I was hesitant to create a huge disturbance by combating what was being said and for that I am truly sorry. I am a retired boxer that earns an unprecedented amount of money, globally, for appearances, speaking engagements and occasional small exhibitions.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former world title challenger Yoshihiro Kamegai has announced his retirement.

“I’ll be retiring from boxing,” he wrote. “My last 2 bouts, I’ve been losing power in my arms in the early rounds. Unlike before when I could throw more power punches throughout the whole fight, now I can’t. Back when I fought (Robert Guerrero) and (Jesus Soto Karass), those were the fights when my performance was at best but the last 2 was far from it. I didn’t feel like I was in my body.

“But still I was more humbled and appreciative than ever to see the fans all around the world crossing different countries to cheer me on! That was my PRIDE and MOTIVATION! To all the fans that supported me throughout my boxing career my biggest appreciation goes out to all of you! Thank you very much!!”

Former welterweight champion Kell Brook will take on Michael Zerafa on December 8th in Sheffield, England, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Brook is aiming to eventually fight at 147 pounds for a much-anticipated showdown with British rival Amir Khan in 2019, but he needs to take care of business against Zerafa for that fight to be finalized.

“We know that the Khan fight is on the horizon, but this is all part of Kell’s preparation for being razor-sharp and bringing his weight down to 147 pounds. Zerafa aims to spoil the party,” promoter Eddie Hearn said.

“I’m delighted to be back at Sheffield Arena in front of my people,” Brook said. “‘The Special One’ is back, and all of my focus and attention is on getting myself ready to put on a spectacular performance for my loyal fans. I want to close the year in special fashion and set up some blockbuster fights in 2019. I was ringside for Amir Khan’s last fight [on Sept. 8], so let’s see if he’ll be there on Dec. 8, or will he be too shook for Brook?”

“This is the biggest opportunity of Zerafa’s career, and he will be coming over here to take my scalp, but there’s levels in this game, and I need to put him away to get the big fights that I desire,” Brook said. “Meticulous work, dedication, preparation and focus has gone into this camp and I will continue to grind until fight week.”

“I thrive from being the underdog, and I believe that Kell Brook’s team have made the mistake of overlooking me,” Zerafa said. “I’m a completely different fighter to the man that lost to Peter Quillin, and on Dec. 8 I will prove that.

“I’ve already dreamt of beating Kell and replayed the fight over and over in my head. I was born for greatness, and Dec. 8 is the beginning of my rise to the top of the sport. Kell is a true warrior and a great champion, but he’s been in some tough fights and put a lot of miles on the clock. I see a ship with a lot of holes ,and too many holes leads to a sunken ship. On Dec. 8 there will be a huge upset, and I will make a lot of people eat their words.”

Floyd Mayweather will return on New years eve to square off against Tenshin Nasukawa in a combat sport to be announced.

Mayweather and Nasukawa appeared at a news conference in Tokyo on Monday (Sunday night United States time) that was streamed worldwide on YouTube to announce the fight with officials from the Rizin Fighting Federation, a Japanese promotional company founded in 2015 that puts on MMA and kickboxing events.

“As far as the weight class and the rules, we’ll talk about that,” said Mayweather, who was dressed in a red, white and blue sweat suit and flanked by One Entertainment’s Brent Johnson, who represented him in making the deal with Rizin. “We’ll get that situated within the next couple of weeks. This particular bout is a special bout as far as we’re giving the people something they’ve never seen before. The world has never seen Mayweather compete live in Tokyo. Throughout the years, I’ve seen a lot of fans from Japan come to Las Vegas and come to the U.S., but me and my team said let’s do something different. Let’s go over to Japan.

“As far as the weight class, we’re not really worried about that. It’s all about me going out there and displaying my skills against another skillful fighter. So we both want to go out there and display our skills and give people excitement. I just want to entertain. I will speak with my team and I will let my team get with Rizin and I’m pretty sure they’ll come up with a great idea, but it’s all about entertainment and that’s what we want to do for the people.”

Rizin chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara, who used to run the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships promotional company, said they were still working out some of the details.

“We still have more work cut out for us, but we think it will be a great fight everyone will be excited to see,” Sakakibara said through a translator.

“When I was offered this, I accepted right away without any delay whatsoever,” he said through a translator. “I would probably say this is my biggest event in life so far, and I’m very happy this is going to materialize. I’m a little surprised myself. Nobody has defeated my opponent in the past, and I’d like to be the man who makes history. My punch can change history. I will show that to you, so please stay tuned.”

“I’m not particular about the rules, with or without kicks,” he said. “Boxing rules I wouldn’t mind. My opponent looks taller than he actually is, but I think I could hit him.”

“He’s undefeated, so it’s obvious he’s been doing something right to be where he’s at,” Mayweather said. “He’s young, fast, [has] youth, undefeated like myself, and what the people want is excitement, and that’s why I chose Japan. You guys know about boxing, you guys know about fighting. I’m not really worried about the rules. I’m pretty sure that will get sorted out in the next couple weeks. My thing is just coming over here to display my talent and put on a show for the people.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to go outside the U.S. and go into another arena and display talent as a professional because I did it as an amateur.”

It was billed to be a toe-to-toe action fight, and it lived up to it as Miguel Berchelt beatdown a game Miguel Roman to retain the WBC Super Featherweight title via 9th round stoppage at The Don Haskins Cinvention Center in El Paso, Texas.

The two landed heavy punches over the 1st part of the fight that saw several phone booth exchanges, with Brerchelt getting the better of the action.

In round six, Berchelt finally cracked Roman as he landed a hard right hand that sent Roman to the canvas.  Seconds later it was a quick left-right combination that sent Roman down for a 2nd time.

Berchelt continued to pound away on Roman.  The fight could have been stopped several times if not for Roman showing a tremendous heart and landing a right hand to keep him in the fight.

Roman finally broke for good in round nine as he was dropped by a barrage of punches.  Seconds later, it was another nasty head combination that had referee Jon Schorle stop the bout at 2:58.

Berchelt, 129.6 lbs of Merida,  MEX is 35-1 with 31 knockouts.  Roman, 129.6 lbs of Ciudad Juarez, MEX is 60-13.

“This was the toughest of my four world title defenses,” Berchelt said. “I give my respect to Mickey as an opponent. The key was my body work. He kept getting up and fighting with all of his heart. He’s a valiant Mexican warrior.”

Said Roman: “I feel fine. I gave it 100 percent. I’ll be back.”

Three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga stopped Jose Estrella in round four of their scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.

In round three, Marriaga landed a perfect left to the face that sent Estrella to the canvas.  In round four, it was a hard left to the body that sent Estrella riving in pain on the canvas for the 1-count at 2:43.

Marriaga, 126.5 lbs of Cartagena, COL is 27-3 with 23 knockouts.  Estrella, 126 1/4 lbs of Tijuana. MEX is 20-15-1.

“He was a very tough and strong opponent,” Marriaga said. “I know he trained hard for this fight, but I trained harder. In the end, my experience was key in getting the victory. The plan was to attack the body and that’s exactly what I did. I knocked him out with a huge left hook to the body.

“I know that I have what it takes to become a world champion. I want to challenge for another world title!”

Robson Conceicao won an eight-round unanimous decision over Joey Laviolette in a super featherweight bout.

Conceicao, 130 1/4 lbs of Bahia, BRA won by scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 10-0.  Laviolette, 129.5 lbs of Sackville, CAN is 9-2.

Conceicao said: “This is my second bout fighting eight rounds and I felt great. I always train hard and I am always in great physical condition. I feel like I’m prepared to go the 12-round distance. I want to face the best. I’m ready to battle against the champions of the junior lightweight division. I want Tevin Farmer, Miguel Berchelt, Alberto Machado, or Gervonta Davis. I don’t care who it is. I want a title!”

Saul Rodriguez remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Claudio Tapia in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Rodriguez landed a left to the body that put Tapia on a knee.  Tapia’s left eye began to swell really badly.  In round two, it was a left hook that sent Tapia to canvas.  Seconds later a right hand ended things when Rodriguez scored a 3rd knockdown at 1:57.

Rodriguez, 135 3/4 lbs of Riverside, CA is 22-0-1 with 16 knockouts.  Tapia, 137 lbs of Ciudad Mendoza, ARG is 28-19-4.

Rodriguez said: “I was anxious and excited to get back in there after such a long time out of the ring. It was a long time coming, but I did what I had to do and got the job done.”

Nicklaus Flaz took an exciting eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sagadat Rakhmankul in a welterweight bout.

In round four, Flaz landed a hard right that sent Rakhmankul to the canvas.  Rakhmankul came back in round five to land some crushing shots that rocked Flaz all over the ring, and even open a cut over Flaz’s right eye.

The two pounded it out in the last round with Flaz hammerimg Rakhmankul and almost scoring a knockdown.

Flaz, 147 1/2 lbs of Vaga Alta, PR won by scores of 78-73, 77073 and 76-75 and is now 6-1.  Rakhmankul, 147.25 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 3-1.

Janibek Alimkhanuly took a eight-round split decision over Vaughn Alexander in a super middleweight bout.

Alimkhanunly, 163 1/4 lbs of Almaty, KAZ is 4-0.  Alexander, 162.25 lbs of St. Louis, MO 12-2.

Zach Prieto needed just 45 seconds to dispose of Michael Andrews in their scheduled four round middleweight bout.

Prieto, 158 lbs of El Paso, TX is 4-0 with three knockouts.  Andrews, 157 lbs of Pontiac, MI is 1-3.

In a battle of undefeated junior welterweights, Josh Taylor dominated and stopped Ryan Martin to advance to the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland.

Taylor dominated the fight by focusing on the body with both hands.  Martin did not offer much resistance as he continued to take a pounding round after round.   In round four, Martin began to have swelling around the right eye.  He began to bleed from around the left eye in round six.

In round seven, Taylor landed a hard left that froze Martin into the ropes.  Taylor followed with a hard combination and the fight was stopped as Martin fell to the canvas at 2:21.

Taylor of Scotland is 14-0 with 12 knockouts.  Martin of Tennessee is 22-1.

Nonito Donaire stopped Ryan Burnett after round four after Burnett hurt his back to win the WBA Bantamweight title.

In round four, Burnett threw a right hurt and grabbed his back before taking a knee.  Donaire was all over Burnett for the final 30 seconds of the round.  After the round, Burnett could not continue.

The official time was one second of round five. Burnett left ringside on a stretcher.

Donaire, who will now face Zolani Tete in the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series is now 39-5 with 25 stoppages.  Burnett is 19-1.

Zach Parker won a 12-round split decision over Daryll Williams in a super middleweight bout.

Williams appeared to outwork Parker, but it was Parker who took cards 117-112 and 115-114. Williams won a card 115-113.

Parker, 167.9 lbs is 17-0. Williams, 167.6 is 17-1.

Former bantamweight champion Paul Butler decisioned Yoan Boyeaux over 10-rounds.

Butler, 118 lbs of England won by a 99-91 score and is now 27-2. Boyeaux, 117.9 lbs of France is 41-6.

Mikey Garcia vacated his IBF Lightweight title as he closes in on a fight with welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Yes, I vacated,” Garcia told ESPN on Tuesday afternoon. “I just didn’t have enough time to negotiate the Commey fight in the time the IBF required so I needed to vacate. I have a lot of options but the fight with Spence is the fight I want.”

“The IBF was pushing for the Commey fight ASAP but with the WBC I have more time to decide what I want to do,” Garcia said. “But I’m looking for bigger fights. We have options and I just couldn’t get excited for the Richard Commey fight and the timing [the IBF] required to get it done was not enough time to negotiate considering the other options I have.”

“I met with Mikey and the fact is Mikey is not the kind of guy to say something for the heck of it,” promoter Richard Schaefer said. “When he said he wanted to fight Spence and that it was the fight that motivated him and excited him, he was serious. He takes pride in winning these world titles, but if you are one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world you want these big events and big challenges. For Mikey to get motivated after already having achieved so much, he really wants to test himself. He wants to dare to be great and the fight with Spence is the fight he told me he wants to pursue and that’s the fight we are pursuing.

“I will be sitting down with Mikey and Al and see if we can get it done. I know both fighters want it and hopefully it’s the fight we will see. It will be a big, big event. You have two guys on top of their game, two guys in the top five pound-for-pound in the prime of their careers. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.”

“The fight is being discussed but there are a lot of things that need to be addressed,” he said. “There are ongoing conversations, but Mikey’s statement in vacating the IBF belt is, ‘Hey, I want that big challenge, I want Spence.’ That’s the statement. And so now it’s a matter to see if in fact it can be done. But it’s not like it’s going to be announced next week.

“Mikey realizes if he goes and beats Errol Spence he will be the new pay-per-view star and he would be No. 1 pound-for-pound and for Spence to beat Garcia would be a tremendous start to establish himself as a pay-per-view fighter.”

“It was not unexpected,” DiBella said of Garcia’s decision to vacate. “Now I will be working out a deal for Richard to fight Isa Chaniev. Richard wants to fight the biggest and best fights at 135 pounds. We made a deal with Mikey but we knew there were other fights being discussed so we’re not shocked. I think Richard beats Chaniev. I will look to make that deal and get him in the ring as soon as possible.”

NEW YORK CITY — Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (35-2, 29KO) earned a twelve-round split decision victory over Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (12-1, 10KO) to capture the vacant IBF Middleweight Championship, capping a night a boxing in front of 4,691 paying fans at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater.  At the end of the contest, judge Julie Lederman (114-113) scored the fight for the Ukrainian, Derevyanchenko, while Tom Schreck (115-112) and Steve Weisfeld (115-112) both had it for the Brooklyn native, Jacobs.

It was a thirty-six minute violent chess match between two familiar adversaries who have sparred an estimated 300-plus rounds together.

Before the fight, both fighters shared trainers, Andre Rozier.  Rozier and Gary Stark, Sr. co-trained Derevyanchenko, while Rozier served as Jacob’s sole trainer.

When the opportunity arose for the two stablemates to square off for the vacant IBF Middleweight Title, decisions had to be made, and Derevyanchenko’s co-training duo would fracture.  Stark, Sr. took over as the lone trainer for Derevyanchenko, who now lives in Brooklyn, while Rozier stuck with Jacobs, who he has been training since he was 14.

Each fighter left their Brooklyn homes and flew out west for training camp.  Jacobs in San Carlos, CA and Derevyanchenko, in Colorado Springs, CO.

When the bell sounded tonight, under the bright lights of Broadway, both fighters knew they had a huge opportunity in front of them, and both fought like they had nothing to lose.

It didn’t take long for fireworks to explode, as late in the first round Jacobs, 31, dropped Derevyanchenko, 32, with a looping right hand that found a home behind the Ukrainian’s left ear.

The smaller Derevyanchenko, who as an amateur compiled a record of 320-90, continually worked his way inside Jacobs reach and fired off loaded shots that, at times, tested Jacob’s twin.  In an effort to keep Derevyanchenko at bay and off balance, Jacobs continually switched from orthodox to southpaw, but the machine-like former 2008 Olympian continually pressed forward, not content to be kept on the outside.

In the sixth round, Jacobs delivered a huge right uppercut as the Ukrainian fighter tried to march his way to the inside.  Although thrown with every ounce of body weight behind it, Derevyanchenko ate it well, stopping only momentarily before continuing forward, hunting for action.

“The Technician” operated in machine-like fashion, forward, forward, forward.  But when the two fighters engaged, Jacobs seemingly bested Derevyanchenko during most of their exchanges.  If he didn’t land the most punches, he landed the cleaner, more powerful ones.

The result marks the third straight victory via the scorecards for Jacobs, a osteosarcoma survivor.  During that stretch, Jacobs’ other wins have come against Luis Arias and Maciej Sulecki.

For Jacobs, this was also the first fight back inside the walls of Madison Square Garden since losing a closely contested decision to Gennady Golovkin in March 2017.  Jacobs’ only other professional defeat came via one punch KO in the fifth round of a bout with Dmitry Pirog in 2010.

This was the first fight at the Garden, first attempt at a world title, and first taste of defeat for Derevyanchenko.

After the fight, Jacobs called out fellow middleweight title holder, Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34KO).  Alvarez is fresh off signing a record $365 million 5-year, 11-fight deal with DAZN, which also has a deal with Matchroom Boxing, the promoter of Jacobs.

Explosive! Machado Blasts Evans Wins Inside 1

It took only 2:25 for Puerto Rico’s Alberto “Explosivo” Machado (21-0, 17KO) to drop Yuandale “Money Shot” Evans (20-2, 14KO) three times and retain his WBA super featherweight title.  The fight was almost over as soon as it began, as the southpaw Machado, 28, caught and dropped Evans, 29, for the first time with a crisp left cross. Cleveland’s Evans never fully recovered, and Machado, smelling blood in the water, quickly met Evans with a flurry of punches.  The Freddie Roach trained Machado then threw a left cross that opened up Evan’s guard, and then shot a nose-crushing right straight down Broadway that rocked Evans and sent him to the mat for the second time. Referee Ricky Gonzalez was generous with his ten count, trying to buy Evans all the time he could.  But the few extra seconds Evans was gifted made no difference, as Machado once again fired off vicious shots on an already groggy Evans, and then ended the fight in explosive fashion, rocketing one more right straight through Evans’ shotty guard, sending him violently to the mat for the third and final time.

It was the second fight at Madison Square Garden for Machado, and his second successful title defense.  Machado won his belt with an 8th round KO of Jezreel Corrales in October 2017.

Evans’ only other loss also came via first round stoppage in 2012 courtesy of Javier Fortuna.

Hardy Defeats Vincent Again, Claims WBO World Female Featherweight Title

In a rematch of their hotly contested 2016 bout, Heather “The Heat” Hardy (22-0, 4 KO) once again outpointed Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (23-2, 1KO) to win the vacant WBO World Female Featherweight Title.

Fists came fast and furious throughout all ten rounds as both fighters immediately met in the center of the ring in the opening round and let their hands fly. For the most part, it was a jabless affair; a fight full of power punches thrown at a furious pace. And from the start, neither fighter was able to impose their will on the other. The longer, leaner Hardy, 37, tried her best to throw her shots from a distance, but Vincent, 39, revenge on her mind, continually bull-rushed past Hardy’s defense and landed clean blows of her own.

By the early-middle rounds, both fighter’s faces began to show evidence of being tagged repeatedly. Vincent’s face was beginning to match the color of her mostly-red trunks, while Brooklyn’s Hardy’s face began to puff and swell, and turn light pink.

The action failed to cease as the two fighter’s continued to go toe-to-toe round after round. It wasn’t until the late-middle rounds that Hardy finally gained some separation and clearly won rounds. At the end of ten, judges Glenn Feldman and Kevin Morgan scored it 97-93, while Alan Rubenstein saw it 99-91, all in favor for the new champion, Hardy.

In their previous bout, a 2016 contest in Coney Island, NY, Hardy, a former Former WBC super bantamweight and featherweight champion, eked out a majority decision, as judges turned in cards of 95-95, and 99-91 and 97-93, for “The Heat.”

It was the first fight at Madison Square Garden for Hardy, and her second fight back inside the squared circle since stepping into the octagon for a three-fight stretch from June 2017 to February 2018, amassing a 2-1 record fighting in Bellator.

For Vincent, the loss is the second of her career, both coming courtesy of Hardy.

Mati Outpoints Freeman For Second Career Win

Reshat “The Albanian Bear” Mati (2-0, 1KO) easily outpointed fellow welterweight Keasen Freeman (4-5, 2KO) to earn a unanimous decision victory.  This was the first win via the scorecards for Mati, who made his professional debut earlier this month, stopping Adan Ahumada inside 3. Mati scored a knockdown via a beautifully thrown right uppercut in round 3.  At the end of the bout, all three judges agreed on a score of 40-35 for Mati. The loss marks the fifth straight defeat for Freeman, who has also been defeated by notable names, Tyrone James and Gary Antoine Russell.

Butaev Demolishes Cosio, Jr., Retires Him In 3

Russian-born Brooklyn-transplant, Radzhab “Python” Butaev (10-8, KO) made quick work Panama’s Azael Cosio, Jr. (21-8-2, 18KO), retiring him after three rounds of their welterweight contest, originally slated to go ten.  Butaev, 24, who turned pro in 2016 after compiling an amateur record of 453-9, used his superior skill set and power to blast through Cosio’s guard and brutally batter his 37 year-old counterpart to the body and head. After the third round commenced, Cosio, Jr.’s corner decided it wasn’t their night asked referee Gary Rosato to call a halt to the contest.

The result marked the seventh time out ten career fights for the Joel Diaz-trained Butaev that ended before the fourth round.

Day Wins Hard-Earned Decision Over Veteran Ayala

Patrick Day (16-2-1, 6KO) scored a gutsy ten round unanimous decision victory, claiming the WBC Continental Americas Super-Welterweight Championship over 37 year-old former world title challenger Elvin Ayala (29-12-1, 13KO).  Early on in the bought, Ayala, a veteran with 260 professional rounds in his rear view, was able to go blow for blow with Day, occasionally catching his 26 year-old counterpart with clean punches. It didn’t take long for that to change, however, and by the third round, the younger and physically bigger Day, began began to impose his will on the aging veteran.

Round after round, Day was able to walk down Ayala and unload shots, while barely having to deflect any return fire.  In the seventh, Ayala mounted a bit of a rally, letting his hands fly more freely. The New Haven, CT native began walking forward and meeting Day halfway, gaining back some of the real estate he was willing to concede during the middle rounds.  Eventually, though, Day regained control of the contest and continued to best his foe until the final bell. When the ten rounds concluded, all judges scored the contest in favor of Day, 100-90, twice, and 99-91.

The two blemishes on Day’s record both came in 2015.  The first loss, a shocking one, came courtesy of Carlos Garcia Hernandez who stopped Day inside one.  The other loss, a UD, was to the long and lanky Alantez Fox later that year.

For Ayala, tonight’s result makes it four straight losses and six in his last seven contests.  In fairness to the tough veteran, he continually shares the ring with top-level opposition. Some fighters who have defeated Ayala during the course of his fifteen year career include Vaughn Alexander, Alantez Fox, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Curtis Stevens, David Lemieux, and Arthur Abraham.  Perhaps Ayala’s biggest professional accomplishment remains his 2007 draw with former world champion Sergio Mora.

Joyce Earns Decision In Lightweight Slugfest

In his US debut, Irish native David Oliver Joyce (9-0, 7KO) earned a hardfought unanimous decision victory over Mexico’s Jorge Rojas Zacazontetl (4-5-1, 2KO) in a six round scrap.  The two lightweights traded knockdowns early courtesy of left hooks, with Joyce dropping Zacazontetl in the first and Zacazontetl returning the favor the following round. Both fighters were willing to forego defense in favor of landing their own shots, left hooks in particular, but as the bought went on it was Joyce who continually got the better of Zacazontetl.  Toward the end of the fifth, the 30 year-old Irishman began to punish Zacazontetl, landing at will and snapping his counterpart’s head in all directions. Zacazontetl was able to survive the onslaught, the round, and the fight, but ultimately lost the decision. Judges Larry Hazzard Jr. and Kevin Morgan scored it 58-53, while Alan Rubenstein scored it 58-54, all for Joyce.

Heavyweight Prospect Jalolov Batters Wright, Retires Him In 4

DiBella Entertainment heavyweight prospect, Bakhodir Jalolov (3-0, 3KO), delivered a thorough beating to Tyrell Wright (9-3-2, 6KO), retiring him after the fourth of a scheduled six rounds.  The 6’6” southpaw used his height and reach advantage to keep Jersey City’s Wright out of range, all the while delivering violent one-two’s round after round. Jalolov, who is trained by Joel Diaz and who represented Uzbekistan at the 2016 Rio Olympics, dropped Wright midway through the fourth with a straight left hand.  Wright was able to beat referee Harvey Dock’s count, but seconds later, Jalolov opened up a huge gash over the right eye of Wright courtesy of another left. That would be the final punch of significance, as Wright’s corner informed Dock that they are stopping at the fight at the end of the fourth.

Donnelly Easily Outpoints Cervera In US Debut

Former 2016 Irish Olympian Steve Donnelly (4-0, 1KO) cruised to an easy decision against fellow super welterweight Ray Cervera (0-3) to kick off a night of fights live from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.  The 30 year-old Northern Irishman, who sported USA-themed trunks, dropped his 27 year-old counterpart three times en route to a 40-33 win on all three official scorecards.

Regis Prograis won a 12-round unanimous decision over former lightweight champion Terry Flanagan to defend the WBC Interim Syoer Lightweight championship and advance to the semifinals of the World Boxing Super series junior welterweight tournament at the UNO Lakefront Arena in Prograis hometown of New Orleans

In round eight, Prograis dropped Flanagan with a straight left. later in the a round, a cut was opened up outside of Flanagan’s left eye.

Prograis, 139.8 lbs of New Orleans won by scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 117-110 to remain perfect at 23-0. Flanagan, 139.3 lbs of Manchester, UK is 33-2.

Ivan Baranchyk won the IBF Junior Welterweight title and advanced to the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series with a 7th round stoppage over Anthony Yigit.

In round two, Yigit began to form a mouse around his left eye from the heavy blows of Baranchyk.

By round six, Yigit. eye was almost closed and looking a lot worse for wear. Baranchyk continued to land hard shots on the iron-chinned Yigit and Yigit’s eye was a mess and completely shut when the bout was stopped at 3:00

Baranchyk 140 lbs of Miami, FL is 19-0 with 12 knockouts. Yigit, 139.7 lbs of Stickholm, SWE is 21-1-1.

Jonathan Guidry stopped Quincy Palmer in the first round of their scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

Guidry landed a hard power combination that was ounctuated by a straight right that put Palmer down, and the bout was stopped.

Guidry is 12-0-2 with six knockouts. Palmer is 10-10.

Jonathan Montrel won a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Wattell in a lightweight bout.

Montrel won by scores of 40-36 twice, and 39-37 and is now 2-0.  Wattell is 1-5-1.

Subriel Matias remained undefeated by winning via 1st round disqualification over Fernando Saucedo.

In round one, Matias dropped Saucedo twice.  On the second knockdown, Matias was docked a point while hitting Saucedo while he was down.  During the round, the corner of Saucedo stepped on the ring apron, and the fight was waved off.

Matias is now 12-0.  Saucedo is 62-9-3.

Jeremy Hill won a four-round unanimous decision over Brandon Arvie in a lightweight bout.

Hill scored knockdowns in rounds one, two and four and went on to win by scores of 40-33 on all cards.

Hill is now 5-0.  Arvie is 3-2.

Illyan Kolev made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Louis Hernandez in a super welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-35 and 39-36 for Kolev who is now 1-0.  Hernandez is 1-5.

Kubrat Pulev will once again fight for a heavyweight title. Pulev won a 12-round unanimous decision over Hughie Fury in Sofia, Bulgaria to earn the IBF Mandatory heavyweight title.

In round two, Fury was cut over the left eye. Each guy landed some good shots, but it was Pulev who was more active and landed more power shots to win by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 115-113.

Pulev of Bulgaria is 26-1. Fury of England is 21-2.

John Ryder stopped Andrey Sirotkin in round seven of their scheduled 12-round super middleweight bout at The Copper Box Arena in London.

In round six, Ryder was cut over his left eye.

In round seven, Ryder landed a right to the body that sent Sirotkin down for the count at 2:54.

Ryder is now 27-4 with 15 knockouts. Sirotkin of Russia is 15-1.

Jordan Gill stopped Ryan Doyle in round seven of their 12-round featherweight bout.

In round four, Gill landed a couple thunderous shots that hurt Doyle and made him start to bleed form his nostrils. In round six, Gill landed a big left hook that put Doyle on the canvas.

In round seven, Gill landed a big barrage of punches, and the bout was stopped 1:32.

Gill is 22-0 with six stoppages. Doyle is 17-3-1.

Ted Cheeseman won a 12-round unanimous decision over Asinia Byfield in a super welterweight clash.

In round five, Cheeseman dropped Byfield with a shirt right hand.

In round seven, Cheeseman started to bleed from his nose and also from around his left eye.

It was an exciting fight down the stretch, and Cheeseman won by scores of 117-110 and 117-111 twice.

Cheeseman is 15-0. Byfield is 14-2.

Isaac Chamberlain won a decision over Luke Watkins in a cruiserweight bout.

A huge combination from Chamberlain put Watkins down on his knee.

That was the difference as Chamberlain won by a 95-94 score, and is now 10-1. Watkins is 13-2.

Felix Cash won a 10-round unanimous decision over Stephen Danyo in a super middleweihght bout

In round three, Cash was cut over his right eye, but Cash was the more active fighter throughout the contest.

Cash won on all cards by 100-90 scores, and is now 10-0. Danyo is 14-2-3.

Undefeated lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia will now train with Eddy Reynoso, who is best known for being the trainer of Canelo Alvarez, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I have followed him and I know he has a lot of talent and potential,” said Reynoso, speaking to ESPN through an interpreter from Alvarez’s training camp in San Diego. “We will start training together [on Thursday].”

“When I see a fighter, I analyze him and his fights, and that’s where I see what I can work on with a fighter,” Reynoso said. “I’ve had a few meetings with Ryan, and he comes off as very disciplined, very happy and dedicated. But he’s a fighter who needs to work on how to go forward, how to go backward, his defense and counterpunching. He has some boxing bad habits we need to take away. We are going to work hard and do as best as we can.”

“He is the best option to help me get to the next level,” Garcia told ESPN. “Reynoso has loads of experience. He has Canelo, and he knows how to handle big fights. He can bring everything we were missing. I said why not pick one of the best trainers in boxing?”

“I’m ready to get better,” Garcia said. “I want to be the best so I am ready to do anything. I’m up for it, and I definitely will be paying attention to everything and listening to everything he says.”

“We watched the first Canelo-GGG fight and we saw what he improved on in the rematch,” Garcia said. “It made sense to go forward with Reynoso. I like his style. Canelo is a counterpuncher, a boxer, and that’s what I am. I felt like Reynoso is the perfect fit for me.”

Undefeated heavyweight Jarrell Miller may take on undefeated Bogdan Dinu for the WBA regular heavyweight championship on November 17th in Atlantic City, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Dinu got the call after Fres Oquendo turned the fight and a reported $500,000 due to not having enough time to have the VADA Drug testing implemented.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The fury was uninterrupted. Unrelenting from beginning to end. It lasted six rounds. It felt like 12.

Twelve rounds jammed into half that many left a mark on the bruised, bloodied faces of Adrian Servin and Edgar Ortiz, a couple of super-flyweights and Phoenix rivals whose punches created heavyweight echoes Saturday night throughout Celebrity Theatre.

There were bruises, blood, counters and courage enough for a title. In the end, there was one – Arizona’s 115-pound state title — and it went to Servin (7-0-1, 2 KOs), whose power appeared to pound out an edge in the fifth and sixth rounds of a 59-55, 60-54, 59-55 decision over Ortiz (7-2-1, 4 KOs). Ortiz drew first blood, opening up cuts near Servin’s eyes and nose in the third and fourth rounds.

In the fifth, however, Servin’s power and precision cut Ortiz near his left eye. In the sixth, a wild crowd could see in a way that Ortiz couldn’t. Clearly. But Ortiz wouldn’t blame the cut for the loss. He didn’t have to, not after unabbreviated drama in a match-making gem by Iron Boy Promotions.

The Servin-Ortiz bout was supposed to be the co-main event. But the super-flyweights took the co out of it, stealing the show from Phoenix light-heavyweights Fidel Hernandez (19-5-1, 10 KOs) and Andrew Hernandez (20-7-2, 9 KOs). They fought to a majority draw in a 10-round bout for an International Boxing Federation version of a vacant USBA title.

Best of the Undercard: Phoenix super-featherweight Alexis Zazueta (11-0, 5 KOs) relied on superior reach and power against a gritty Giovanni Norriega (2-3-1, 2 KOs), a Bakersfield, Calif., fighter who battled back in the fifth round and yet was knocked to his knees in the final round of a six-rounder he lost by unanimous decision.

After it was all over, it almost looked as if Zazueta would have to fight a double-header. He called out Phoenix rival Ryan Rydell, who climbed through the ropes as though he wanted to fight then and there. Rydell was ordered to leave the ring by the Arizona Commission. He’ll have to wait for his day with Zazueta, probably until the next Iron Boy card at Celebrity.

Second Best: Mesa lightweight Trini Ochoa (4-0, 1 KOs) and Mexican Hugo Padilla got the old Phoenix concert hall rocking and rolling in a wild fourth round full of moments when both fighters were in danger of suffering a knockout. After the last punch in wild succession of them, Ochoa prevailed, winning a unanimous decision.

The Rest: Jesus Ibarra (6-0, 3 KOs), a featherweight from Mesa, Ariz., chased, chased and chased and finally scored a six-round unanimous decision over Raymond Chacon, a Los Angeles fighter who lost for the 35th time on a record that includes 43 fights, including seven victories and a draw.

Attachments area

Demetrius Andrade became a three-time, and now two-division world champion as he won the WBO Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated and unheralded Walter Kautondokwa at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

In round one, Andrade landed a grazing left at the same time the feet got tangled and Kautondokwa fell to the canvas. Andrade landed a left while Kautondowkwa was on the ground but it was ruled a clean knockdown by referee Steve Willis. n round three, Andrade drilled Kautondokwa with a perfect left hand that sent him to the canvas for a 2nd time. In round four, both fighters landed hard shots, but it was Kautondokwa who hit the canvas. Moments later it was an inside right hook that put Kautondokwa down again.

Andrade cruised home to the victory by scores of 120-104 twice and 119-105 to raise his mark to 26-0. Kautondokwa of Namibia is 17-1.

Katie Taylor remained undefeated as she defended the IBF/WBA Lightweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Cindy Serrano.

Taylor of Ireland won by scores of 100-90 on all cards, and is now 11-0. Serrano of Brooklyn, NY is 27-6-3.

Tevin Farmer retained the IBF Junior Lightweight title with a dominating 5th round stoppage over James Tennyson.

In round four, Farmer dropped Tennyson with a hard left to the body. Farmer ended things in the next round when he landed a hard left that sent Tennyson to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 1:44.

Farmer of Philadelphia is now 27-4-1 with six knockouts. Tennyson of Ireland is 22-3.

Kid Galahad won a 12-round unanimous decision over Toka Khan Clary in a featherweight bout.

Galahad of Sheffield, England won by scores of 118-110 twice and 115-113 to raise his perfect mark to 26-0. Clary of Providence, RI is 25-2.

Tommy Coyle won a 10-round unanimous decision over Ryan Kielczewski in a lightweight bout.

In round five, Kielczewski started to bleed from his nostrils.

In round seven, Coyle scored a knockdown with a right hand.

Coyle, 136.4 lbs of Hull, UK won by scores of 99-90 98-91 and 96-93, and is now 25-4. Kielczewski, 138 lbs of Quincy MA is 29-4.

Former world champion Scott Quigg stopped Mario Briones in round two of their scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

Quigg unloaded with a hard combination on the ropes and the fight was stopped at 1:12 of round two.

Quigg, 129.4 lbs of Bury, UK 35-2-2 with 26 knockouts. Briones, 130 lbs of Mexico 29-8-2.

Mark DeLuca avenged his only professional defeat by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Walter Wright in a junior middleweight fight.

DeLuca, 153 3/4 lbs of Whittam, MA won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice.

DeLuca is 22-1. Wright, 154 lbs of Seattle is 17-4.

Daniyar Yeleussinov stopped Matt Doherty in the 1st round of their scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

Yeleussinov landed several hard body shots that was followed by an explosive combination to the head and referee Arthur Mercante stopped the bout at 2:33

Yeleussinov, 148 lbs of Kazakhstan is 4-0 with two knockouts. Doherty, 146.8 lbs of Salem, MA is 8-6-1.

Niall Kennedy remained undfeated with a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Brendan Barrett in a heavyweight bout.

In round four, Kennedy was cut around the left eye. In round five, Kennedy landed a hard right that staggered Barrett into the ropes and then to the canvas fir a knockdown. Barrett got to his feet with a mouse under his right eye.

Kennedy, 221 lbs of Ireland won by scores of 60-53 twice and 58-55, and is now 12-0-1. Barrett, 238 lbs of Little Egg Harbor, NJ is 7-1-2.

Rob Brant won the WBA Middleweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over reigning champion Ryota Murata at the Park Theatre in Las Vegas.

In round one, Murata had swelling around the left eye. Brant out worked and Murata and continued to bust Murata up with hard combinations. Murata fought back, but it seemed every time Murata would land two shots, Brant would coe back with four. Brant took just about every round as he took the fight 119-109 twice and 118-110.

Brant, 158.4 lbs of St. Paul, MN is 24-1. Murata, 159.2 lbs of Nura, JAP is 14-2.

“This is one of the best moments of my life,” Brant said. “I wasn’t thinking about punch output. I was thinking about winning,

“This was a great middleweight championship fight,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “Both fighters showed tremendous heart. Congratulations to the new champion. He deserved the win.”

Maxim Dadashev won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Antonio DeMarco in a junior welterweight bout.

Dadashev, 138.6 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94, and is now 12-0. DeMarco, 139.6 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 33-7-1.

“This was a great learning experience for me,” Dadashev said. “DeMarco is a true champion, and he fought with great heart and determination.”

Esquiva Falcao remained perfect by winning a 10 round unanimous decision over Guido Pitto in a middleweight bout.

Falcao, 160.4 lbs of Vitoria, BRA won by scores of 100-90 on all cards, and is now 22-0. Pitto, 158.6 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 25-6-2.

Michael Conlan stopped Nicola Cipoletta in round seven of a scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

Conland landed a flurry of punches, and the bout was stopped at 1:55.

Conlan, 126.4 lbs of Dublin, IRE is 7-0 with six knockouts. Cipoletta, 125.4 lbs of Napoli, ITA is 14-7-2.

“When you fight a guy who is negative and trying to survive, those guys are the hardest guys to look good against,” Conlan said. “He was just negative. Now, I want real opponents. I want top 10, top 15 opponents. These are the guys who are going to make me look good. These are the guys who are going to bring out the best of my technical ability. When you see guys trying to survive, it’s a lot easier to survive than fight it out.”

Vladimir Nikitin won a six-round unanimous decision over Clay Burns in a featherweight bout.

Scores were 59-55 on all cards for Nikitin, 126.6 lbs of Oxnard, CA and is now 2-0. Burns, 1256 lbs of Alexandra, LA is 5-5-2.

Good looking prospect Joseph Adorno won a six-round unanimous decision over Kevin Cruz in a lightweight bout.

Adorno scored a knockdown with a left hand in the final round, and he went on to win by scores of 59-53 twice and 58-54.

Adorno, 132.8 lbs of Allentown, PA went the distance for the 1st time and is 10-0. Cruz, 132.2 lbs of Waterloo, IA is 8-1.

Adorno said: “I felt great going the distance for the first time. I wasn’t tired at all and got the job done. I am very happy with my performance.”

Adam Lopez stopped Hector Ambriz in the eighth and final round of their featherweight bout.

The time of the finish was 1:29 for Lopez, 126.4 lbs of Glendale, CA who is now 11-1 with five knockouts. Ambriz, 126.4 lbs of Mexico is 12-8-2.

David Kaminsky stopped Noah LaCoste in round two of their scheduled four-round middleweight bout.

Kaminsky dropped LaCoste in each round, and referee Kenny Bayless stopped the bout 40 seconds into round two.

Kaminsky, 159 lbs of Los Angles, CA is 3-0 with two knockouts. LaCoste, 158.5 lbs of Houma, LA is 2-1.

* Kaminsky scored knockdown with uppercut in round 1. LaCoste stopped on his feet in the second.

Anthony Yarde stopped Walter Sequeira in round four of their scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout.

Yarde scored three knockdowns, and the nout was stopped at 2:14 of round four.

Yarde, 173 1/2 lbs is 17-0 with 16 knockouts. Sequieira, 174 1/4 lbs is 20-5.

Joe Mullender stopped Ben Capps in round seven of their scheduled ten-round super middleweight fight.

Mullender dropped Capps with a right hand in round seven. Moments later, it was a body shot that sent Capps down, and the fight was over at 1:36.

Mullender, 160 lbs is now 11-2 with five knockouts. Capps is 15-5-2.

Johnny Garton stopped former world title challenger Gary Corocoran in round 11 of a scheduled 12 round welterweight bout.

The fight had plenty of back and forth action throughout the bout.

In round three, Garton was cut under the right eye. The cut got worse and blood streamed down and covered the face of Garton.

In round 11, Garton landed a hard right hand that staggered Corocoan back to the ropes. Garton leveled Corocoan with hard shots, and the fight was stopped at 42 seconds.

Garton 146 lbs is now 23-1-1 with 10 knockouts. Corcoran, 146 lbs is now 18-3.

In a battle of undefeated super middlewights, Zak Chelli won a eight-round decision over Umar Sadiq

In round six, Cehlli dropped Sadiq with a hard right hand. Sadiq made a furious rally in the final round, and bloodied the nose of Chelli.

Chelli won by a score of 77-74, and is now 5-0. Sadiq is 3-1.

Nathan Gorman decisioned Kamil Sokolowski in a heavyweight bout.

Gorman, 255 lbs won by a score of 79-73 and is now 14-0. Sokolowski is 5-13-2.

Hamzah Sheerez won a four-round decision over Zygimantas Butkevicius in a super welterweight bout.

Sheerez won by a score of 40-36, and is now 5-0. Butkevicius is 1-14.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Old-school Phoenix is the theme. Old-school Arizona is at stake.

Iron Boy Promotions will stage card a Saturday at Celebrity Theatre that will neighborhood rivalries and the first state title since 2002.

Fidel Hernandez (19-5, 10 KOs) and Andrew Hernandez (20-7, 9 KOs) are scheduled for the main event. Both light-heavyweights are from Phoenix. The card also is includes the first Arizona state title since 2002. Adrian Servin (6-0-1, 2 KOs) and Edgar Ortiz (7-1-1, 4 KOs), both also from Phoenix, will fight for a flyweight belt.

Six fights are scheduled for the Iron Boy card. Doors will open at 5 p.m. (PST).

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao is close to a deal to face Adrien Broner on January 19th in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao made the announcement Thursday during an appearance at a news conference in Manila for the non-profit International Sports Promotion Society, which named him an ambassador.

Pacquiao said he would be fighting Broner next, either on Jan. 12 or Jan. 19. The fight, which Pacquiao termed “90 percent” done, would likely take place in Las Vegas. However, a source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN the fight would be Jan. 19, not Jan. 12, though a fight likely wouldn’t be formalized until he settled his tax issues with the U.S. government.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez signed a 5-year. 11-fight, $365 million dollar deal with stream service DAZN.

The contract will kick off on December 15th with Canelo’s fight with super middleweight beltholder Rocky Fielding.

Alvarez’s deal is the richest athlete contract in sports history, eclipsing the 13-year, $325 million agreement that New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton signed in 2014 when he was with the Miami Marlins.

“Canelo is the highest-paid athlete in the world. He’s extremely happy,” Alvarez promoter Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN after Alvarez signed.

“This is only from my hard work,” Alvarez told ESPN shortly after he signed the paperwork. “The most important thing to me was being able to give the fans the opportunity to see me fight without having to pay the $70 or $80 for my fights on pay-per-view. That was the most important thing, more important than what I am making.

“It’s very important for me to give the fans the biggest fights and the most important fights, and I promise you I will always do that. The December fight with Fielding is a dangerous fight. I am moving up in weight, and I don’t know how my body will feel. But I always want to take on challenges, and I am very happy my fans will be able to see me fight for a small cost.”

“Never. I was never worried because I’m very confident in myself,” he said. “I know how important I am to any platform I go to. I am very grateful to HBO and to Showtime for what they did for my career, but I am happy we’re moving forward and that I will be able to fight on a platform that is the future. I’ve always liked a challenge, and this is yet another challenger in my career.

“Being part of this historic deal will require me to prepare myself even more and offer fans even better performances. At the same time, I am humbled to be selected to lead this new vision for the sport of boxing, which will without a doubt be for the benefit of the fans.”

Although Alvarez is the centerpiece of the deal, De La Hoya had leverage to use Alvarez to secure dates and license fees from DAZN for his company’s non-Alvarez events. The deal, for which financial terms were not disclosed, calls for Golden Boy to put on up to 10 “high-caliber fight nights” per year that will stream live on DAZN beginning in early 2019.

Those fights would include Golden Boy’s other top fighters, including junior welterweight and former three-division world titlist Jorge Linares, junior featherweight titlist Rey Vargas, middleweight contender David Lemieux, featherweight contender Joseph Diaz Jr. and junior featherweight contender Diego De La Hoya, as well as junior lightweight Ryan Garcia and junior welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr., two of boxing’s top prospects.

“This is huge for boxing, huge for Canelo and huge for Golden Boy,” De La Hoya said. “Golden Boy is at the forefront of something very monumental for the sport of boxing.”

“This is easily one of the best days in the growing history of Golden Boy Promotions,” De La Hoya said. “We are committed to making this sport as accessible as possible and at an affordable price for all the fans. My dream has been to make boxing a sport for all. DAZN has the perfect platform to make this dream come true, and with the biggest star in the sport at the helm of this journey, I have no doubts that we will succeed in unimaginable ways.”

“We were able to reach a conclusion of what Canelo is worth today and what he is worth tomorrow, and we worked out this deal,” De La Hoya said.

Said DAZN’s John Skipper: “We are thrilled to be exclusive partners with Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya. By bringing Canelo’s fights to DAZN, we will turn his pay-per-view success into a growth engine for subscribers — a truly transformational moment for our business and the entire industry.”

Cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev and Super Flyweight beltholder Kal Yafai will defend their titles on on November 24th in Monte Carlo, and streamed on DAZN, according to Dan rafael of espn.com.

Headlining the card, which will stream live on DAZN in the United States, will be cruiserweight Denis Lebedev, a longtime titlist who had been named “champion in recess” during a 14-month layoff but is back for his second fight since returning. Lebedev (31-2, 23 KOs), 39, of Russia, will defend his version of the title against 35-year-old American Mike Wilson (19-0, 8 KOs), who will be taking a monumental step up in the level of his opposition.

In another world title bout on the card, junior bantamweight Khalid Yafai (24-0, 15 KOs), 29, of England, will defend his belt for the fourth time when he takes on Israel Gonzalez (23-2, 10 KOs), who has won two bouts in a row since losing a world title fight to Jerwin Ancajas by 10th-round knockout in February.

Heavyweight Zhang Zhilei (20-0, 16 KOs), 35, a two-time Chinese Olympian, who claimed a super heavyweight silver medal in 2008 and lost to reigning unified titleholder Anthony Joshua in the 2012 Games, will square off with Alexander Ustinov (34-2, 25 KOs), 41, a Belarus native, in a scheduled 12-round fight. In facing Ustinov, Zhang will be taking a big step up in opposition after facing a series of journeymen thus far.

In a 10-round bout on the card, light heavyweight Frank Buglioni (22-3-1, 16 KOs), 29, a former super middleweight world title challenger from of England, will fight Fanlong Meng (13-0, 8 KOs), 30, of China. Welterweight Daniyar Yeleussinov (3-0, 1 KO), 27, a southpaw who won a 2016 Olympic gold medal for Kazakhstan, will face an opponent to be determined in a six-round fight.

“I’m delighted to be back in Monaco for the third time for another fantastic night of world championship boxing,” Hearn said. “It’s always special to return to the Casino de Monte-Carlo. It’s a stunning setting that’s unique within boxing and will be broadcast and enjoyed by fight fans throughout the world.”

IBF Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev will defend his title against hard-punching Joe Smith, Jr. in December and streamed on DAZN, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

There were rumors that Smith would face WBA champion Dmitry Bivol, but Smith promoter Joe DeGuardia went in a new direction.

“We were in discussions for the Bivol fight, but we didn’t have a signed deal and there were still some loose ends,” DeGuardia said. “And then we got a tremendous offer for something different. I ended those Bivol talks as soon as this deal came into the fold, and I called up Main Events [which would have promoted the Nov. 24 card] and HBO to tell them.”

The fight with Beterbiev almost took place in November, but logistics pushed it to December.

“It was possible for November, but that’s slipping away, so it’s going to be in December. We are ready to roll,” said DeGuardia, who added that they have signed their paperwork.

Beterbiev co-promoter Eddie Hearn is excited about the fight.

“It’s a great, explosive fight,” Hearn, who co-promotes Beterbiev with Yvon Michel, told ESPN. “I really feel like Artur is going to make a strong charge now and he is fantastic to watch. Joe will have plenty of support as always and you mustn’t blink!”

DeGuardia is happy to have Smith involved in a world title fight be it against either of the Russian champions.

“Both are very, very difficult fights because they are both top, top fighters,” he said. “But you’re fighting for a championship. So it’s not an easy fight. You look at it and say Beterbiev, as a fan, I’d love to see. [They are like] smashing robots, two bangers who can punch. But it’s a tough fight and a good fight. I think it will resonate with the fans.”

OMAHA. Neb. – A lot was said. Terence Crawford’s answer took some time. Almost 12 complete rounds of time. But it was definitive.

Crawford delivered a thorough break down, then a beat down and finally some concussive punctuation in another performance that says there is nobody better in the pound-for-pound debate.

“I did what I said I would do,’’ said Crawford (34-0, 24 KOs), who narrowly missed Benavidez’ chin with a righthand Friday in a scuffle that began when Benavidez shoved him after both fighters stepped off the scale at the official weigh-in.

Jose Benavidez Jr. only happened to be in the way Saturday night at CHI Health Center in an ESPN televised bout. Benavidez talked his way into the fight, perhaps believing that his advantages in size would give him a chance at taking Crawford’s WBO welterweight title.

In the later rounds, however, it often looked as if Benavidez might have regretted all that talk. In the end, there wasn’t much he could say it all.

“I gave a hell of a fight against the best fighter in the world,’’ he said. “This is boxing. It happens.’’

What happened, however, ended with 18 seconds left in the fight and Benavidez slumped, speechless and beaten in almost every possible way. That’s when Crawford was declared a TKO winner. The stoppage was inevitable. Crawford made sure of it moments before the referee interceded with a right uppercut and right hook that dropped Benavidez. The Phoenix welterweight fell as though he never know what hit him. He was down, on one side ad then rolling over onto his back. His feet were tangled up. He looked helpless.

That was the idea, of course, from a Crawford whose mean streak is potent complement to all of the power he has in both hands.

“I told Benavidez that Terence would kick his ass,’’ Crawford trainer Brian McIntyre said. “That’s what he did.’’

He kept a few other promises, too.

Crawford, who is hoping for a welterweight showdown with Errol Spence Jr., promised not to shake hands with Benavidez after it was over.

“I didn’t,’’ he said.

He then was asked if Benavidez had anything to say to him.

“He didn’t,’’ he said.

Did he gain any respect for Benavidez?

“Not at all,’’ he said.

The succinct Crawford keeps it short and blunt in every place but the ring, where he can make things long and painful.

A Prospect No More: Shakur Stevenson steps up with dazzling TKO win

A prospect began to look like a contender, all within one dazzling round.

Alvarado delivers crushing KO blow

It was a huge punch and maybe a statement. Former junior-welterweight champion Mike Alvarado (40-4, 28 KOs) delivered it with a huge right hook that put Robbie Cannon (16-14-3, 7 KOs) of Fetus, Mo., flat on his back and finished at 2:15 of the second round. Cannon, who was knocked down earlier in the same round, had to be helped up onto a stool where concerned ring-side physicians watched him until he was fully able to walk under his own power.

Carlos Adames (15-0, 12 KO), a super-welterweight from The Dominican Republic,  knocked down Josh Conley (14-3-1, 9 KOs) San Bernardino, Calif., once. Then twice. Adames could have knocked Conley down as often as he wanted. But twice was enough to know that even a third would have been too much. It was over, Adames a TKO winner at 2:15 of the second round.

Omaha light-heavyweight Steve Nelson stays unbeaten with powerful TKO

Omaha light-heavyweight Steve Nelson (12-0, 10 KOs) came into the ring wearing a mask. But there is no disguise power for his power. No way to elude it either. Oscar Rojas (17-11-1, 6 KOs) of Mexico couldn’t (17-11-1, 6 KOs). Nelson, who had Terence Crawford trainer Brian McIntyre in his corner, dropped with thunderclap of left in the fourth. Somehow, Rojas got back up and onto his feet. But he was finished. It was over moments later, a TKO at 2:50 of the the fourth round.

Former Olympian Mikaela Mayer (8-0 4 KOs) of Los Angeles scored a powerful knockdown in the seventh round. A dazed Vanessa Bradford (4-1-2) of Canadian from Edmonton, looked up and got up, but a loss had to look like an inevitability. A round later, it was. Mayer won a unanimous decision.

Lightweight Muwendo wins No. 20 with a unanimous decision

Ismail Muwendo (20-1, 12 KOs), a Minneapolis lightweight training in Omaha, scored one for a handful of local fans, scoring a unanimous decision over Andre Wilson (15-12-1, 12 KOs) of St. Jospeh, Mo., with superior reach and a measure of toughness. Muwendo was staggered by straight left hand in the third, then recovered for a 59-55 decision on all three cards.

Benavidez Sr.-trained Jose Valenzuela wins one-sided decision

Seattle super-featherweight Jose Valenzuela (2-0) helped warm up the ring for Jose Benavidez Jr. with a head-rocking, one-sided decision over a shorter Hugo Rodriguez (1-1, 1 KO) of Mexico. Benavidez’ father and trainer, Jose Sr., worked Valenzuela’s corner, the second bout on an undercard streamed by ESPN+.

Calm Before The Storm: Crawford-Benavidez card opens with Keeshawn Williams’ victory

Call it the calm before the storm.

Washington welterweight Keeshawn Williams (4-0-1, 1 KOs) opened the show with a solid, if not spectacular, unanimous decision over Ramel Snegur (2-3-1, 1 KO) of Portland, Ore., Saturday on a card that is forecast to end in a building storm between Terence Crawford and Jose Benavidez Jr.

Williams employed some well-executed body-head shots that staggered Snegur, especially in the third and fourth rounds of a 40-36, 39-37, 40-36 decision

Francsco Patera took a 12-round split decision from previously undefeated Lewis Ritson in a lightweight bout in Newcastle, England.

It was a tough fight that saw Patera come on strong and win most of the rounds in the second half of the fight.

Patera won two cards by 116-112 scores. Ritson took a card 116-112.

Patera of Belgium is now 20-3. Ritson is 17-1.

Zolani Tete retained the WBO Bantamweight title and advanced into the 2nd round of The World Boxing Super series with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mikhail Aloyan.

In round one, Tete landed a left hook that stumbled Aloyan back and his glove touched the canvas for a knockdown.

In round ten, Tete was was docked a point for holding. Later in the round, Aloyan was cut over his right eye for which the ringside doctor took a brief look. In round eleven, Aloyan was deducted a point for holding.

Tete, 116.4 lbs of South Africa, won by scores of 114-110 and 114-111 twice, and is now 28-3. Aloyan, 117.2 lbs of Russia is 4-1.

Andrew Tabiti moved to the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Seres with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ruslan Fayfer in a fight that featured undefeated fighter.

Fayfer was deducted one point in the final round for holding.

Tabiti, 199.4 lbs of Las Vegas won by score of 116-111, 115-112 and 114-113, and is now 17-0. Fayfer, 197.4 lbs of Russia is 23-1.

By Norm Frauenheim-

OMAHA, Neb. – Terence Crawford and Jose Benavidez Jr. did more than exchange insults Friday as escalating tensions led to a weigh-in scuffle that included a shove from Benavidez and a missed punch from Crawford, who threw a long right that could have knocked out ESPN’s main event Saturday had it landed.

Both welterweights face possible penalties, likely a fine that the Nebraska Commission could take directly out of their respective paychecks.

“We’re going to discuss it,’’ Brian Dunn, a Nebraska deputy commissioner, said after the wild weigh-in.

According to documents filed with the Nebraska Commission, Benavidez’s purse is $450,000. Crawford’s paycheck is $2 million, although he is expected to wind up with more $3 million after he collects a bonus from Top Rank, which signed him to a contract extension last summer.

“If this were Las Vegas, the Nevada Commission would levy significant fines,’’ said Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who warned both fighters Thursday that they would not get paid if they scuffled during the traditional nose-to-nose pose after a news conference. “This is boxing. You have to keep your emotions in check.’’

Benavidez pushed Crawford with both hands when the two were asked to face each other after both came in under the 147- pound limit – Benavidez at 145 and Crawford 145.4. Crawford then followed with right that missed as Benavidez stepped back.

Benavidez (27-0, 18 KOs) denied he started the incident at the CNI Health Center in a crowded ball room near the arena where the bitter rivals will finally face each other in a fight governed by rules, instead of chaos. The televised card is scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT).

“He got in my face,’’ said Benavidez (27-0, 18 KOs), a Phoenix fighter and big underdog against Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs), the World Boxing Organization’s champion and an Omaha fighter ranked among the top two in the pound-for-pound debate. “It looked like he was trying to kiss me.’’

Crawford was not available for comment in the scuffle’s immediate aftermath. However, Crawford trainer Brian McIntyre said he would ask the Nebraska Commission to fine Benavidez. Crawford, he said, should not be penalized.

“He pushed him, Jose Benavidez pushed him,’’ McIntyre said. “I’m sorry, but if a man pushes me, I’m going to respond. He shouldn’t have touched him. Terence didn’t start it, didn’t do anything but respond. He shouldn’t be penalized. I’m going to ask the Commission to take a piece of Benavidez’ purse.’’

The scuffle was another moment in a week full of escalating tensions. The fighters exchanged words at a public workout Wednesday at an Omaha gym. The insults continued Thursday at a contentious news conference.

Friday, things went off the scale.

WBO Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders vacated his world title after being denied a license in Massachusetts to defend against Demetrius Andrade on October 20th.

“B.J. Saunders has voluntarily vacated the WBO middleweight title and publicly apologized for his violation of the Massachusetts Athletic Commission’s anti-doping regulations,” WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel said. “Therefore, the clash between Demetrius Andrade and Walter Kautondonkwa scheduled for Oct. 20 will now be for the vacant world crown.

“Also, I will recommend to the WBO executive committee that Saunders receives a six-month suspension for his transgression. But he has to do more. He has to work with the kids there [in England] at the boys’ club, do community service, and then he has to be tested randomly and be negative all of the time. He needs a recommendation from the British Boxing Board of Control [to have the suspension lifted], and if he does all that, we are willing to put him back in the rankings after his suspension.”

Valcarcel said Saunders sent the WBO a letter to vacate the title and said that “he doesn’t have time to appeal and for that reason he relinquished the title.” Saunders could have gone through the WBO’s appeals process, but based on the sanctioning body’s typical response to similar incidents, he likely would have been stripped.

“He had the right to present all the evidence, but at the end he had to face the positive test,” Valcarcel said.

“The MSAC, in their decision to deny a license to Billy Joe, have willfully refused to properly apply the code of [the World Anti-Doping Association] to their ruling,” Frank Warren, Saunders’ promoter, said in a statement. “Further, the MSAC refused to properly consider submissions from Billy Joe’s representative despite him being present at the hearing.

“Unlike the British Boxing Board of Control, the MSAC is a state appointed governing body and therefore the decision will be appealed and challenged in the superior court at the earliest opportunity. Because of the mental anguish brought about by this case and out of respect for the WBO, Billy Joe will with a heavy heart relinquish his world title, whilst this issue is in the process of being resolved.”

IBF 115-lb world champion Jerwin Ancajas is looking for a unification bout with WBC champ Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, accroding to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I came to Thailand Saturday night to watch with my own eyes the champion from Thailand fight,” Ancajas said. “I liked what I saw. He is my style. I would be the matador versus the bull. He comes right at you and wants to trade big punches. I do not like fighters that move a lot so Sor Rungvisai is the perfect fight for me.

“I have been waiting a long time for a fight like this. I spoke to my promoters Joven Sports, Manny Pacquiao and Mr. Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing and told them please get me this fight next.”

Sean Gibbons, Ancajas’ agent, said the whole Ancajas team is game for the unification bout.

“Jerwin is looking to fight the best,” Gibbons said. “He wants a signature fight. He watched the champ from ringside Saturday night and loves the fight. I love the battle of champion versus champion. Boxing is about styles and this fight is perfect for Jerwin. Someone is getting knocked out.”

“I think it would be a great fight,” he said. “As of right now we do not know the future on what would be the next fight for Srisaket. (Ancajas) would be a great fight for sure. We would like to have lots of great fights to create history for Thailand but it would be very interesting. I’d like to thank them for flying all the way from the Philippines. Mr. Sean Gibbons flew from the U.S. to be here with us. It’s a great honor for us to see them and to have them with us at the event.”