After his 11th hour cancellation of his title defense last Saturday night, WBC Super Lightweight champion Jose Ramirez will be back in action on September 14th in Fresno, California, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We’re booked up through August, so he’ll be going in September,” Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum said. “We’re going to do it the night before the Canelo Alvarez-[Gennady] Golovkin rematch. My guys are looking for an appropriate opponent and working on a couple of possibilities, but we’re going to Fresno.”

The fight last Saturday was cancelled after challenger Danny O’Conner fell ill while trying to lose the last couple pounds to make the 140-pound weight limit.

“I wish him a speedy recovery,” Ramirez said. “He is a father. He does have a wife. He is a husband. I hope he recovers from this. It’s a learning experience for me. I hope to bring another fight here in the near future. I’m going to take one week off and go back to another eight weeks of training.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former bantamweight belt holder Juan Carlos Payano has entered the World Boxing Super Series.

“I am very happy to join the tournament, ecstatic to be very honest,” Payano said. “Looking forward to regaining my championship. It is great to see the best fighting the best and in the end being recognized as truly the best in the division. I want to be recognized as the undisputed best. I want to prove that I am the best.”

“The bantamweight tournament will be nothing but exceptional,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland, the chief boxing officer for tournament organizer Comosa AG. “Payano is a former champion, an experienced fighter guaranteeing fast-paced action. He is another great addition to a star-studded Season II of the World Boxing Super Series.”

Egiidjus Kavaliauskas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Abreu in a welterweight bout at The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

In round one, Kavaliauskas with cut over the right eye while Abreu was cut over the left eye from a headbutt. In round four, the left eye of Kavaliauskas was cut from a punch.

Kavaliauskas, 146.8 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 to raise his perfect mark to 20-0. Abreu, 146.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 21-4-1.

Andy Vences remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Frank De Alba in a super featherweight bout.

In round nine, there was swelling under the left eye of De Alba.

Vences, 129.4 lbs of San Jose, CA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92, and is now 21-0-1. De Alba, 129.8 lbs of Reading, PA is 22-4-2.

Gabriel Flores, Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over James De Herrera in a lightweight bout.

In round one. Flores dropped De Herrera with a left hook.

Flores, 131.6 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 6-53 on all cards, and is now 9-0. De Herrera, 131.2 lbs of College Station, TEX is 4-4.

In a battle of former heavyweight title challengers, Andy Ruiz won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson.

Ruiz, 252.5 lbs of Las Vegas, NV won by scores of and is now 31-1. Johnson, 257.4 lbs of Neptune, CA is 32-10-1.

Santos Ortega won a 4-round unanimous decision over Ivan Martino in a super bantamweight bout.

Ortega, 122 lbs of Sacramento, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 2-0. Martino, 120.8 lbs of San Felipe, MEX is 2-2.

Ruben Rodriguez won a 4-round unanimous decision over Richard Howell in a super lightweight battle.

Rodriguez, 140.6 lbs of Indio, CA won by scores of 40-36 twice, and 39-37 and is now 3-0. Howell, 140.8 lbs of Dallas, TX is 2-2-2.

Joseph Adorno kept his perfect knockout streak in-tact by stopping Guadalupe De Leon in round three of their scheduled six-round super featherweight bout.

In round three, Adorno landed a left hook that he followed with a hard two-punch combination that sent De Leon to the canvas. Adorno was all over De Leon, and the bout was stopped at 2:32.

Adorno, 131.8 lbs of Allentown, PA is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts. De Leon, 130.8 lbs of Mission, Texas is 9-16-1.

Harold “King” Calderon Beats Crosstown Miami Rival JD “Pretty Boy” Martinez in a Battle of Undefeated Welterweights

There was a packed house of delighted boxing fans tonight at the Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida for Heavyweight Factory Boxing promoter Kris Lawrence’s “Hometown Throwdown.”

In the 10-round main event, undefeated Miami-based welterweight prospect turning contender Harold “King” Calderon 17-0(10 KO) outboxed former undefeated crosstown rival John David “Pretty Boy” Martinez 10-1(8 KO) while picking him apart with straight left hands and body shots. Calderon was superior tonight and his confidence was evident from the opening of round one. Martinez who had great crowd support was able to offer a challenge and occasional nice counter punches, however unable to catch a stride of momentum anywhere in the bout. As the fight wore on, the southpaw Calderon and his bigger boisterous crowd support carried the momentum and the energy of the arena. As the announcer announced the final round, the crowd went into a bleacher stomping frenzy cheering on the both Miami boxers. The final scorecards came in at 99-91, 100-90 and 100-90.

In the 10 round co-main event, promising 19-year-old Logan Yoon 12-0(10KO), the WBO-NABO Youth Super Lightweight Champion and WBO #13-rated contender earned himself a unanimous decision win over Colombian veteran Luis E Flores 24-10(20KO). Yoon chipped away at a blue-collar workman’s pace each minute of each round and stuck behind his jab and straight left hand, landing his power punch occasionally. A stern test and cautious battle for the Hawaiian who walked away with a unanimous decision victory in an otherwise uneventful but meaningful test. Official scorecards came in at 99-91 and 97-93 twice.

Towering 6? 9? Kazakhstani heavyweight Ivan Dychko (7-0, 7 KOs), the two-time Olympic super-heavyweight bronze medallist, stepped in the squared circle with long-time heavyweight gatekeeper Maurice “Mo Bettah” Harris (26-22-3, 11 KOs). Just 1:39 into round number one Dychko hit Harris with a simple left hook that toppled and dispensed the New Jersey native to the canvas where Mo felt it was better to stay down as looked very comfortable for the next 10 seconds. Unfortunately, we were not able to see what the Kaz had tonight.

To the crowds’ delight, Raul Chirino 11-9(6KO) knocked down Jessy Cruz 13-7-1(5KO) with a beautiful straight right hand at the end of round two. Cruz popped Chirino with a straight left hand and put him down in the fourth. The two combatants displayed alike pugilistic enthusiasm during this pleasurable face smashing body crushing matchup. There were no jabs in this scrap, just a fun throwdown between two warriors right to the final bell which had both guys swinging for glory! After six rounds of boxing, we go to the scorecards: 58-54, and 57-55 twice with the win going to Jessy Cruz.

Livan “Machine Gun Kid” Navarro from Havana Cuba got a big KO win over Julio C Reynoson 12-2(7KO). Navarro, now fighting out of Miami 8-0(6KO) dug a body shot into Reynonoson that put the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic fighter down and out 2:47 of just the first round.

Light Heavyweights Ulysses Diaz 6-0(5KO) and Israel Echevarria form Chicago 3-5(2KO) gave the crowd an entertaining match with Diaz coming out with the win with the scorecards reading 39-37 40-36. The Chicagoan was not too happy with the decision and he was visibly upset in the ring after Diaz looked to swipe a kick at him. Echevarria was sure to let the crowd know he was not happy with either; the after fight antics, nor the decision, on the way out of the ring and arena.

Super Middleweight Irosvani Duvergel originally from Guantanamo, Cuba now fighting out of Miami improved to 3-0(2KO) with a unanimous decision win over tough as nails Elie Agustama 6-9(3KO)

In a spirited crowd-pleasing lightweight tussle Dustin “Godson” Arnold 5-1(1KO) fought his way to a strong unanimous decision win over the previously unbeaten Daniel Placeres 6-1(5KO). Arnold pressed the action early connecting with a strong left hook right-hand combination in round two and the counterpunching southpaw returned the points later in the round which was a forecast of the final four excellent rounds. After 6 exciting rounds, the judge’s cards came in at 60-54 58-56 59-55.

Super Bantamweight Lawrence Newton kept his perfect record intact at 10-0(6KO) but not without a stern test from journeyman Pedro Melo 17-19-2(8KO) from Tijuana Mexico.

Sporting beautiful silver and blue trunks BT Newton worked behind a sharp and commanding jab from the opening bell, but the tenacious Melo insisted on paying the tax of eating heavy leather from Newton to get inside. Melo kept constant pressure on the slick Newton while creating competitive infight battles throughout the tilt. Judges scorecards read 60-54 and 59-55 twice for Newton for the unanimous decision win.

2-time Olympic Gold medal winner Robeisy Ramirez from Cuba has left his team, and maybe defecting, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Ramirez abandoned the Cuban national team during a training camp this week in Aguascalientes, Mexico, a possible step toward his defection in pursuit of a professional career.

Ramirez, 24, won the 2012 flyweight Olympic gold medal in London and the 2016 bantamweight Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, defeating American Shakur Stevenson, a fellow southpaw, in the closely contested final.

Promoter Yvon Michel officially won the purse bid to stage the Adonis Stevenson – Oleksandr Gvozdyk light heavyweight title bout, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Michel told ESPN on Thursday that Bob Yalen, the WBC supervisor of the purse bid, called him and Arum to confirm that Michel had done nothing wrong related to the purse bid, and to confirm that his bid would stand as the winner.

“[Yalen] did add the WBC will tighten up its rules regarding a bid,” Michel said. “Top Rank reiterated their commitment to give us a close collaboration in every aspect of the organization of the fight.

“We lobbied for that result because I think that was the only fair thing,” Arum said. “Carl believed Yvon was taken by surprise by the other bid and Yvon outbid us, so he’s entitled to do the fight.

“My view of the ruling is, I support it completely and I advocated for it. But I would like the WBC to tighten up the rules to the extent that they exact a punishment from somebody like Haymon or Brown who did what they did — to put a bid in and then immediately withdraw it. I realize you can’t make the penalty retroactive but certainly going forward they can do something to prevent this from happening.”

“I told Yvon that we would be as cooperative and supportive to him as we could,” Arum said. “I told Yvon that if he had any problem with Showtime (which puts on Haymon’s major fights) buying the fight that I would arrange for ESPN to buy the fight.”

“I’m really looking forward to the tournament,” Donaire said. “Entering the tournament gives me an opportunity to showcase my capabilities against the best in this division. This division is stacked with talent and that’s really exciting! I believe my size, experience and most of all my power will give me the edge over my opponents.”

“Donaire is a legend in the game and an amazing addition to the Muhammad Ali Trophy action,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland, chief boxing officer for tournament organizer Comosa AG. “He has fought in various divisions, but will look at his very best in the 118-pound lineup because of exceptionally fast hand speed and terrific punching power.”

“People always asked about my goal and I said to be undisputed (world champion). With this tournament, that goal is now attainable,” Donaire said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the July 14 WBC junior welterweight title bout between Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco will see the winner enter the upcoming World Boxing Super Series.

“My biggest asset is my hunger to be the best,” said Prograis, a southpaw, who claimed a vacant interim title by second-round knockout of former unified titleholder Julius Indongo on March 9. “I have a chip on my shoulder and I want to prove to everybody I am the best at 140 pounds. I’m definitely excited to enter into the tournament. This is great for boxing. The best fighting the best.”

“It’s a great honor and I look forward to competing for the Muhammad Ali Trophy and winning the whole thing,” Velasco said. “I think the format is set up well. The best fight the best in the World Boxing Super Series to determine one champ. Great!”

Kiryl Relikh (22-2, 19 KOs), 28, of Belarus, will defend his version of the 140-pound title for the first time when he faces mandatory challenger and former world titlist Eduard Troyanovsky (27-1, 24 KOs), 38, of Russia, in one of the quarterfinal bouts.

“The World Boxing Super Series is getting the best facing the best, which is precisely what is needed in our sport,” Relikh said. “I am focused on preparing the best that I can to achieve the dream of winning the Muhammad Ali Trophy. The holder of the trophy will be a superstar in the game.”

“I am very happy to take part in the tournament,” Troyanovsky said. “The Muhammad Ali Trophy is something really special for any boxer in the world. Maybe it could be more prestigious than championship belts because not everyone can get this trophy.”

One of the other quarterfinals is another mandatory fight. It will match Russia’s Ivan Baranchyk (18-0, 11 KOs), 25, and Anthony Yigit (21-0-1, 7 KOs), 26, of Sweden, who will meet for a vacant world title.

“I am really happy to be a part of the tournament because there are chances to take all the titles and show everyone that I am the best in the division,” Baranchyk said. “My nature, effort and my love of boxing will help me to get the Ali Trophy.”

Said Yigit: “It’s a great opportunity, and I’m honored to have been chosen to fight among the best in the division. This Ali Trophy tournament is a great example of how boxing should be promoted: the best fighting the best. That’s where I want to be and these are the fighters I want to face.”

Also in the field will be Josh Taylor (13-0, 11 KOs), a 27-year-old southpaw from Scotland. He scored a hard-fought unanimous decision over former titlist Viktor Postol on June 23.

“I am delighted to have had to the opportunity to join the competition,” Taylor said. “It’s a great chance for me to become world champion with multiple organizations. It is also a great honor to fight for the Ali Trophy in honor of the greatest boxer of all time.”

The second season tournaments now also have an American broadcaster after going without for most of the first season. The Perform Group’s DAZN all-sports streaming service, which launches soon in the United States, announced on Monday that it has secured the rights for all three tournaments. DAZN said it will stream all 15 cards and 21 tournament fights.

“As a platform built for the fans, DAZN has been mining boxing chats and forums to see how we can bring immediate value to the community,” DAZN CEO James Rushton said. “It became obvious that Americans felt left out of the terrific action and thrilling competition on display in the World Boxing Super Series. To that end, we’re happy to announce that we’ll stream every fight of all three tournaments. This is just the beginning.”

Top Rank won the purse bod to stage the WBO lightweight title bout between Ray Beltran and Roman Andreev. The fight will take place on August 25th in Phoenix, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s probably a very tough and competitive fight,” Top Rank Vice-President Carl Moretti said. “It’s probably the kind of all-action fight Ray Beltran is usually in. I don’t see this fight being much different than the usual fights Ray is in. Andreev is a strong, come-forward fighter with full intentions of winning the title and taking it back to Russia, which would not please [Top Rank chairman] Mr. [Bob] Arum.”

Featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson was arrested for battery after getting into a scuffle on Saturday night in Miami, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Later that night, Stevenson and David Grayton (15-2-1, 11 KOs), 31, a Washington welterweight, allegedly got into a fight with a group of people in the parking garage.

According to Miami police, the boxers made comments to the group in the garage, including two women to whom they directed sexual innuendo, which precipitated the incident.

According to the police report, a male and female were treated by medical personnel at the scene and had visible injuries, though Stevenson and Grayton had left by the time the police showed up.

Police found them about an hour later at a South Beach hotel, where Stevenson had a cut on his lip and Grayton had cuts on his knuckles. Police said they would check the garage cameras for footage of the incident.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, all financial requirements have been satisfied for the July 14 (In the US–July 15 in Malaysia) for the Manny Pacquiao – Lucas Matthysse fight to go forward.

“The fight’s a go. There were some bumps in the road but everything is now in order and we’re excited. It’s a great opportunity for Lucas,” said Matthysse Promoter Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions said. “This is his dream fight. It’s the fight he’s been talking about for five years now. Anytime you can fight a legend like Manny Pacquiao it’s a win.

“The money is in place. The money was supposed to be in an escrow account in the U.S. and now everything is good. It’s customary practice when you are fighting overseas to have the money in an escrow account and now the money is there. We’re excited to be working with Manny and his company, MP Promotions, and commend him for putting this fight together and making sure it comes off.”

“I didn’t really pay attention to it, but I saw the headlines (of the fight being in jeopardy),” Matthysse told ESPN, through a translator, about the money issues. “I read a little bit about it, but I just kept training with the same desire I always have. I knew the fight would happen so I didn’t really pay attention to what was going on. I feel good and I am happy to be heading out there to Malaysia to defend my title.”

Bob Arum of Top Rank, who is handling the American distribution of the fight said, “That money paid last week to Top Rank, anywhere between $350,000 and $500,000,” he said. “We then immediately [went] to contract with Manny’s company, which would enable the fight to push forward in the U.S. for the telecast.”

“Our card in New Orleans will be over by 9 p.m. ET and ESPN could go with Manny’s undercard like it would be a normal telecast at that time and make it a night of boxing,” Arum said.

Yvon Michel’s GYM Promotions won the purse bid to stage the WBC Light Heavyweight title fight between Adonis Stevenson and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, according to Dan Rafael.

The Purse bid did not run smoothly though.

There were three bidders: attorney Phil Weiss on behalf of Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions, which offered $3.102 million; Stevenson promoter Yvon Michel, who bid $2.101 million; and Gvozdyk promoter Top Rank, represented by vice president Carl Moretti, which bid $1.675 million for a fight in which Stevenson is entitled to 65 percent of the winning bid and Gvozdyk 35 percent.

The issue arose when seconds after the bids were unsealed and TGB Promotions was declared the winner, Weiss withdrew the winning bid.

At that point, Michel was declared the winner and told Top Rank he would put the fight on Nov. 3 in Quebec City. However, Top Rank was not happy with how things went down, nor was the WBC supervisor of the purse bid, Bob Yalen. He reported what had occurred to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, who said the organization would rule on the situation by Thursday.

Top Rank believes Tom Brown and Michel were in cahoots on behalf of adviser Al Haymon.

“What happened was outrageous on Haymon’s part,” TOP Rank CEO Bob Arum told ESPN. “When Tom Brown wins and then he pulls his bid so Yvon gets it with the lower bid? That’s dirty pool. You win the purse bid and immediately say I’m passing? You can’t do that.”

Said Top Rank Vice-President Carl Moretti: “Yalen, who was supervising the purse bid, said, ‘You can’t do that.’ And then all hell breaks loose with everyone voicing an opinion. Yalen called Mauricio but they were not happy.

“The WBC said they would rule by Thursday on the outcome of the purse bid and I believe they will do the right thing.”

“I talked with Yvon and I told him we are prepared not only to go to Quebec City but to give him full and complete support in promoting the event because I think that’s a great fight and Quebec City is a lovely place,” Arum said. “I told him that if Showtime (which puts on most of Haymon’s major fights) doesn’t step up and do the fight we’ll talk to ESPN about doing the fight on one of our cards. But I talked to (Gvozdyk manager) Egis (Klimas) and we are not averse to fighting in Quebec City.”

“I learned only shortly before the bid Phil Weiss was there representing TGB,” Michel told ESPN. “I had never met him before the purse bid. I also had no idea how much he was going to bid.

“I spoke to Arum after and I was very happy and impressed by his cordiality, the collaboration he has offered, his personnel and his team’s participation, to make this event a huge success as the quality of the fight deserves. I am convinced the event has all the ingredients to be a blockbuster.”

“The WBC should make every promoter put up 10 percent of their purse bid and if they default then that money should go to the fighters in proportion to the purse split,” Arum said. “In this case, TGB should have had to put up $310,000 and then when they withdrew their bid that money goes to the fighters and they’re out of luck. They should make that a rule to prevent this s—. That said, Michel came up with a realistic bid and we’re all in.”

“We will wait until the official WBC ruling but since (Groupe Yvon Michel) has done nothing wrong, the promoters of the champion and the contender are ready to work in close collaboration,” Michel said. “Our bid has been logically calculated and is realistic in the current market so we should be allowed to proceed.”

Jason Maloney will be a part of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) Bantamweight tournament, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Moloney is the mandatory challenger for the 118-pound world title held by Emmanuel Rodriguez, who was introduced as one of the participants during a May news conference in London that unveiled three of the fighters who would compete.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the World Boxing Super Series. For me, this is a dream come true,” Moloney said. “It has been my dream for many years now to become world champion. It is something which myself and my team have been working very hard towards. Now I will have the opportunity to achieve this dream and much more. We now have the opportunity to become a unified world champion, win the glorious Muhammad Ali Trophy and become the undisputed No. 1 bantamweight in the world.”

“I am going to grab this opportunity with both hands, and I truly believe that we have what it takes to go all the way and win this tournament and become Australia’s next world champion,” Moloney said. “We are not in this competition to make up the numbers. We are here to shock the world.”

“Moloney is yet another exciting addition to season II,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland, Comosa AG’s chief boxing officer. “He is one of the biggest prospects in Australian boxing and enters the world stage and Ali Trophy action full of confidence. He is clearly a very determined, power-punching fighter eager to impress.”

PHOENIX, AZ – They are two super-middleweights from the same town with equal amounts of power and similar skillsets. Only a right hand seemed to separate Andrew Hernandez and Roberto Yong.

Hernandez had more of them.

From round to round, Hernandez (20-7-1, 9 KOs) landed them in a back-and-forth bout for a 79-73, 80-72, 79-73 decision over Yong Saturday night on an Iron Boy Promotions card.

Hernandez’ right hand set the tone, dictated the pace and – in the end — ruled what was a closer bout than margins on the scorecards might indicate. Just when it looked as if Yong were finished, the Phoenix fighter adjusted with quick feet and resiliency that indicated he might be able to spring an upset despite his record (5-15-2, 4 KOs).

Yong took the fight to Hernandez in the fifth and again in the seventh. He adjusted, yet never enough to elude that difference-making right in front of a lively crowd on a night that included a heartfelt tribute for late boxing journalist Don Smith from ring announcer Ralph Velez Jr.

Smith became a beloved figure in the Phoenix boxing community, which had come to rely on consistent internet reports he provided on Arizona boxing over the last decade. Smith was killed when he was run over by an automobile in a west Phoenix neighborhood in May.

Best of the Undercard

Lightweight Trini Ochoa (2-0, 1 KOs) got a crowd filled with his fans from nearby Mesa rocking with a head-rocking first-round stoppage of Marcus Rodriguez (0-2), an El Paso fighter who two minutes after opening bell appeared to be exhausted by Ochoa’s ferocious pursuit.

The Rest

It was a return and a rematch. Phoenix bantamweight Alexis Zazueta (10-0, 5 KOs) was back for his first fight since a knockout of Mexican Leonardo Reyes in March, 2016. This time, Zazueta scored a unanimous decision over Reyes (7-17, 3 KOs)

Chicago welterweight Vernon Brown had more punches, but lacked enough power for stoppage of a bout begging for one. Instead, Brown 18-0 5 KOs) settled for a majority decision over Greg Jackson (18-7) of Philadelphia.

Abdul Ibrahim, a UK middleweight, got his first victory after a loss in his debut, getting up from two first-round knockdowns for a second-round TKO of Brandon Trujillo (0-4) of Albuquerque, NM.

Frank Sanchez (8-0, 7 KOs), a Cuban heavyweight living in Las Vegas, was flat on his face in the first round after wildly missing a punch that knocked him off balance and onto the canvas. It was scored a knockdown. It wasn’t. In the second, Sanchez finished Francois Russell, a Chicago fighter whose only introduction was his 30-fight record. Twenty-seven were losses. Nothing to advertise there. Nothing to advertise about his 28th loss — a second-round TKO – either.

Phoenix middleweight Eduardo Ayala 1-2, 1 KO) celebrated a pro victory for the first time, a first TKO of Derrick Beroit (-4) of Houston.

Heavyweight Andrey Fedosov (30-3, 25 KOs) was looking to get in a little work in his first fight in more than two years. A little was what he got. Very little. Mexican Francisco Mireles (19-15, 8 KOs) surrendered, going down quickly and almost willingly in a first-round embarrassment.

Gilberto Ramirez defended the WBO super middleweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over Alexis Angulo at The Chesapeake Energy Center in Oklahoma City.

Ramirez was more consistent throughout the affair as he boxed nicely, while the challenger seemed to be looking for one shot that would turn the tide. Angulo got in a few decent power shots, but it was not enough as Ramirez took the bout 120-108 and 119-109 twice.

Ramirez of Mazaltan, MEX is now 38-0. Angulo of Bogota, COL is 23-1.

Alex Saucedo stopped Lenny Zappavigna in a seven furious round in a junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Zappavigna was cut around the right eye.  In round three, Saucedo landed a big right that dropped Zappavigna to a knee.  In round four, Zappavigna landed about 10 hard and flush right hand that opened up a bad cut around the right eye of Saucedo.  Saucedo showed a tremendous chin in order to survive the round.

Zappavigna was bleeding very badly around both eyes, tried but kept getting drilled with overhand rights and finally bowed out of the fight at 2:31 of round seven.

Saucedo of Oklahoma City is 28-0 with 18 knockouts.  Zappavigna of Leppington, AUS is 37-4.

Said Saucedo, “Tonight I proved it. That was a very tough 4th round, but I got through it because I’m mentally strong. It was a very long training camp and I thought of all the sacrifices I made to prepare for this fight. I did it. I got a big win against a great fighter and in front of my fans. We gave them an exciting fight. Now I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things. I want to become a world champion”

Robson Conceicao registered five knockdowns en-route to a 3rd round stoppage over Gavino Guaman in a scheduled six-round super featherweight bout. 

The end came at 53 seconds for Conceicao of Bahia, BRA, who is now 8-0 with 5 knockouts.  Guaman of River Falls, WI is 5-3.

Conceicao dropped Guaman twice in round one.  Conceicao dropped Guaman twice more in round two

Mikaela Mayer scored a 2nd round knockdown en-route to a six-round unanimous decision over Sheena Kaine in a lightweight bout

In round two, Mayer dropped Kaine with a perfect right to the jaw

Mayer of Los Angeles won by scores of 60-53 on all cards to raise her mark to 6-0.  Kaine of Edmonton, CAN is 5-1.

“It was definitely a different fight than I’ve ever had. She was taller than me and had more strength than most of the girls I’ve fought. She’s not technically sound, but when she did throw her shots, it was a good things my hands were up because I could definitely feel them. This was a great learning experience,” said Mayer

Trey Lippe Morrison kept his perfect knockout record intact by dropping five inside of three rounds of their heavyweight bout.

In round one, Morrison dropped Polley with a right hand.  Morrison dropped Polley with a perfect straight right to the head which caused a cut over his left eye.  Morrison sent Polley to the canvas in round two with another right hand.  In round three, it was a left that sent Polley down for a 4th time.  Morrison finished the deal with a leaping left hook that was reminiscent of his father, Tommy Morrison that left Polley flat on his back, and the fight was stopped at 1:39.

Morrison of Tulsa, Oklahoma is 15-0 with 15 knockouts.  Polley of St. Joseph, MO is 30-23-1.

“I was looking for some big shots in the first round that I shouldn’t have been. I saw that right hand was really hurting him, so I tried to throw that a little more than I probably should have. In the third round, I tried to pace myself and box a little more, rely on my jab. When the jab started hitting him, I started seeing other openings off my jab,” said Morrison.  “This was the most amazing experience of my life. Not only was it in front of my home crowd, but it was in the {Oklahoma City} Thunder arena. I grew up being a big sports fan, basketball, football. Just to be able to know I stood in the ring where Russell Westbrook and everyone runs down, that’s amazing to me.”

Former world champion Mike Alvarado stopped Martin Angel Martinez after round nine of their scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

Alvarado was cut on the forehead, while Martinez was cut over the left eye.

The cut on Martinez was dripping badly as the 9th round came to a close and the bout was stopped after the round.

Alvarado of Denver, CO is 39-4 with 27 knockouts. Martinez of Empalme, MEX is 17-15-1.

“I felt like I did good. I was strong. It’s just that he was real awkward. I had been off for a long time, and I know what adjustments I have to make. I know what I got to do when I get back in the gym. I’m fine. I’ll be good. I’ll redeem myself. Time to get back to business,” said Alvarado

Christopher Zavala made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous deicison over Tyler Pacheco in a super featherweight bout.

Zavala of Los Angeles won on two cards by 40-35 scores while a 3rd card was 39-36. Pacheco of Abilene, Texas is 1-2.

“This was my first experience as a pro fighter. The atmosphere is different. I’m ready and hungry to keep improving with each fight that passes. I’m happy with my performance, but I know that I can do better. It was a good learning experience and it will help me to continue to grow as a fighter,” said Zavala

Aaron Morales remained undefeated by winning a four-round unanimous decision over David Martino in a bantamweight bout.

Morales, 118 1/4 lbs of Oklahoma City won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 3-0. Martino, 118 1/2 lbs of San Felipe, MEX is 5-5

Rashidi Ellis remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Alberto Mosquera in a welterweight bout in Cancun, Mexico.

Mosquera was cut on both sides of his face. In round nine, Mosquera was deducted a point for a low blow.

Ellis, 147 lbs of Boston, MA won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 to raise his mark to 20-0, Osquera, 147 lbs of Panama City, PAN is 25-4-2.

“Thanks to the support of Golden Boy Promotions and Cancun Boxing, I got my 20th victory,” said Rashidi Ellis. “It was an awkward fight, and Mosquera is a tricky fighter who knows how to fight body-to-body. I had no doubts about my victory, and I also credit my speed for getting me the win. Now it’s time to rest and to see the good decisions my promoter has to make regarding my future.”

Francisco Horta won a 8-round unanimous decision over David Reyes in a featherweight bout.

Horta, 122 lbs of Cancun, MEX won by scores of 80-72, 79-72 and 78-73 to go to 17-3-1. Reyes, 122.8 lbs of Ciudad Obregon, MEX is 17-5-1.

Hiram Gallardo upset Eduardo Nunez by pounding out a six-round unanimous decision in a super featherweight bout

In round three, Nunez was deducted a point for low blows.

Gallardo, 125.6 lbs of Chetumal, MEX won by scores of 58-55 and 57-56 twice ans is now 7-2-1. Nunuez, 127.6 lbs of Los Mochis, MEX is 11-0.

Carlos Licona won a split decision over Jose Ramirez in a flyweight bout.

Licona, 110.6 lbs of Westminster, CA is now 13-0. Ramirez, 110.6 lbs of Tlaichapa, MEX is 9-4.

Licona had a little blood on the right eyebrow as the fight finished.

Eric Gamboa won a eight-round unanimous decision over Jose Lopez in a super bantamweight bout.

Gamboa, 118.8 lbs of Cancun. MEX won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 to improve to 15-1. Lopez, 116.2 lbs of Irapuatop, MEX is 9-4-2.

Vldadimir Nikitin signed with Top Rank, which will pave the way for a rematch with amateur rival Michael Conlan, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Nikitin defeated Conlan in the 2016 Olympics which participated Conlan infamously sticking up his middle finger at the judges.

Nikitin, 28, will make his professional debut in a six-round featherweight fight against an opponent to be determined on July 14 at the Lakefront Arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans.

“A showdown with Conlan is eventually going to happen,” Top Rank Vice-President Carl Moretti said. “To put it in New York or Ireland would be incredible because of the history between the two. Nikitin is fully aware that the goal is to get to a Conlan rematch in the pro ranks. It’s probably a year or so away.”

Moretti said Top Rank also signed him because Nikitin “fits in with the other featherweights we have. While the main goal is to fight Conlan, it doesn’t rule out fighting Shakur or anyone else for that matter.”

“I think he’s a very talented and also a very exciting fighter in the ring and we could have signed with other promoters,” manager Egis Klimas said. “But the No. 1 reason we signed with Top Rank was to make sure he can fight Conlan and erase the doubts people have from the Olympics. Let them meet in the professional ranks and bring a big fight for the fans. Both guys want that fight and it will be an easy fight to make.”

According to Dan Rafel of espn.com, talks have hit a roadblock in an effort to make a heavyweight unification mega fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
Wilder took to Twitter early Thursday morning to express frustrations with the Joshua camp’s move to fight Povetkin, calling the British heavyweight boxer “not a stand up guy.”

“We’re disappointed, but we’re not surprised,” said Wilder co-manager Shelly Finkel, who turned 74 on Wednesday, said about the deal falling apart. “Deontay and I thought about this, that they weren’t going to do the fight. We’re disappointed. We wasted a lot of time.”

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn never responded but then raised the Wilder offer to $15 million. Wilder agreed to the money and to fighting Joshua in the UK. Finkel received a contract late last week that said he would return it to Hearn with comments Friday, which drew Hearn’s ire.

“I immediately thought what a load of bulls—. I spoke to my dad [Matchroom boss Barry Hearn]. He said, ‘They’re playing games.’ When Finkel said, ‘We’ll get it back to you on Friday — six days later — the WBA said enough’s enough. Shelly knew the WBA was calling me every day. Tuesday, I spoke to Joshua and he said, ‘We’re not getting into any purse bids, losing any belts, we’ll fight Povetkin and then Wilder.’ … If you have a so-called manager that received a contract and you want the fight so bad for $15 million and the undisputed title, and you don’t read that within 24 hours and have it back within 48 hours, you’re doing your fighter a disservice.”

“Forget the fact that six days later they haven’t come back with any comments,” Hearn said. “When Finkel sent the email on Sunday he knows the points they want to raise, yet they tell us they’ll send us the comments on Friday. On what planet does that make sense to anybody? Shelly says, ‘They made a bulls— offer and we decided to accept. He didn’t want to do the deal. This deal is not expired, though. This deal is available to sign today, tomorrow, next week, probably in a month. So for all the bulls— about how we’re running, why don’t you call our bluff and sign a contract, and I will sign quicker than your ink will dry [for an April fight].”

Said Finkel: “If he said I have to have it back by Wednesday he would have had it back.”

Hearn said, “I sent a personal email to Deontay and I said to him I’m very disappointed your team did not come back to me with comments on the contract. We hope we can get this fight over the line and we look forward to receiving a signed contract or comments as soon as possible [to fight in April].”

“I said I will give you $5 million to make a defense of your title in America in September or October on DAZN before entering the Joshua fight in April. Therefore, it was a two-fight deal for $20 million,” Hearn said. “But I told him you don’t have to take two fights. You can do your own thing in the fall and then go right into the Joshua fight in April.”

“I have never heard of a rematch clause one way for this kind of fight,” Finkel said. “This is a monster fight and we expected the contract to be like the Klitschko contract [which had mutual rematch considerations]. If Eddie wanted to make the fight he would not have put a one-way rematch clause in there. And to send a contract without a date and site? When I asked on Sunday, he never gave it to us. To me, that’s how you do things if you don’t want to fight. There was no deadline [stated for the Povetkin fight], otherwise we would have gotten back to him sooner.

“I’m not talking about what I said or he said. I have the paperwork, the emails to show what he said. He makes up whatever he wants at the time because he has Joshua and he thinks it gives him credibility and people want to believe him.”

Said Hearn: “Only if Anthony Joshua loses is there a rematch, and it would be in America with a 50-50 split. That was in the written terms.”

Hearn said even though Joshua will be favored, he’s worried about the fight with Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs), 38, a 2004 Russian Olympic gold medalist. Povetkin, twice caught using performance-enhancing drugs, only lost by decision to Klitschko in 2013.

“Massive danger. I don’t like the fight,” Hearn said. “I think it’s a mad fight to take with the Wilder fight at the door, but that’s AJ. He thinks him and Povetkin is a great fight, a great statement and he’s one of the best heavyweights. He’s not taking easy touches waiting for Wilder. By fighting these guys, Wilder can’t say he’s afraid to fight him.

“It’s in the hands of Deontay Wilder. So every Instagram video he posts saying Joshua doesn’t want the fight, shut up. Come back with the comments on the contract and we’ll work it out [for April].”

Said Finkel: “Eventually, Joshua’s going to have to fight us.”

Former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal’s bout with former UFC fighter Steve Bosse will now take place on July 20th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

We have a new partner in Olivier Primeau, owner of the Beachclub. We already talked about doing business together a short while ago when he hosted us and Floyd Mayweather at this venue. We considered it was the perfect occasion to do it,” said promoter Yvon Michel said. “He asked us a little more time to maximize the promotion of the event and we agreed.”

“We are not here to do miracles, but to make sure boxing will be known by more people, to develop a younger crowd and a new clientele,” Primeau said.

IBF Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev will defend his crown against Callum Johnson on October 6th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said the bout could take place in Chicago.

Beterbiev-Johnson will be on the undercard of a show that Hearn told ESPN will be part of his new series of fights in the United States that will stream on Perform Group’s DAZN sports streaming service, which is due to launch in the U.S. this fall.

Beterbiev will be fighting for the 1st time since losing litigation to get out of his contract with promoter Yvon Michel.

“I have not met with Beterbiev but we are communicating through his management’s team,” Michel told ESPN. “After the court decision I had an excellent and cordial meeting with them. Our contract has been declared valid. We both have obligations and responsibilities and we will continue to honor it. You can expect the IBF light heavyweight champion to be very active defending his title or in unifications.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the World Boxing Super Series added the junior welterweight division for their 2nd season of tournaments.

“We are very delighted to announce [junior welterweight] as our second weight class of the upcoming season,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland, the chief boxing officer for tournament organizer Comosa AG. “[Junior welterweight] is without a doubt one of the most action-packed weight divisions in boxing and we have a sensational lineup to be announced.”

The field for the 140-pound tournament has not yet been announced, but it is an open secret throughout the industry that it is expected to include Regis Prograis (21-0, 18 KOs), 29, a Houston southpaw, as long as he defeats Juan Jose Velasco on July 14 in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card; Cleveland contender Ryan Martin (22-0, 12 KOs), 25; world titleholder Kiryl Relikh (22-2, 19 KOs), 28, of Belarus, who likely will take on former titlist and mandatory challenger Eduard Troyanovsky (27-1, 24 KOs), 37, of Russia, in the quarterfinals; and Russia’s Ivan Baranchyk (18-0, 11 KOs), 25, and Anthony Yigit (21-0-1, 7 KOs), 26, of Sweden, who would meet for a vacant world title in another quarterfinal.

Two other fighters who have been prominently mentioned as possible entrants:

• Maurice Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs), 28, of Dallas, who won a vacant world title by split decision over Terry Flanagan on June 9. His team told ESPN it is considering an invitation to join the tournament.

• Josh Taylor (13-0, 11 KOs), 27, a southpaw from Scotland, who on Saturday won a hard-fought unanimous decision against former world titleholder Viktor Postol in a title elimination fight.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will take on Young Gil Bae in a non-title bout on July 21st in his native Thailand, rather then headline Superfly 3 in September in Los Angeles, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Miguel Berchelt defended the WBC Junior Lightweight title with a 3rd round stoppage over Jonathan Barros in Mexico.

In round two, Berchelt dropped Barros with a left hook to the jaw. In round three, it was an overhand right that put Barros down. Berchelt put Barros down for a 3rd time and Barros’ cornerman walked in the ring and stopped the bout at 1:53.

Berchelt of Meridia, MEX is 34-1 with 30 knockouts. Barros, who was a former featherweight champion from Argentina is now 41-6-1.

Vergil Ortiz, Jr. remained unblemished with a 3rd round stoppage over former two-time world champion Juan Carlos Salgado in a junior welterweight at The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles.

Ortiz battered Salgado and then landed a perfect left to the liver that sent Salgado down, amd the bout was stopped at 1:51.

Ortiz, 139.4 lbs of Dallas, TX is 10-0 with all wins coming by knockout. Salgado, 139.8 lbs of Mexico City is 27-9-1.

“I felt I was posed in there,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. “Salgado has a lot of experience, and he showed it. He got me a few times, but I learned from this fight, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. I want to continue facing experienced fighters like Salgado. Obviously, I’m not ready for a world title fight yet, but in two years I will be. The left hook to the body is definitely my best punch. I’ve been working on it since I was a kid. It’s not common for an amateur to be dropping his opponents at only nine years old, but that’s what I was doing and what I’m still doing today.”

Hector Tanajara, Jr. won an eight-round unanimous decision over Roger Gutierrez in a lightweight bout.

In round eight, Gutierrez was cut around the left eye.

Tanajara, 135 lbs of San Antonio, TX won by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 to raise his mark to 14-0. Gutierrez, 134.2 lbs of Maracaibo, VEN is 18-2-1.

“He came out swinging, so I had to stay composed in there,” said Hector Tanajara Jr. “I had to listen to my corner and stay tight. Every time a round ended, my corner would tell me to not take any risks early in the fight, so I stuck to the game plan in order to win.”

Ferdinand Kerobyan stopped Edgar Garcia in round two of a scheduled six-round super welterweight bout.

Kerobyan landed a hard flurry of punches that sent Garcia to the canvas in round two, and the bout was stopped at 2:48.

Kerobyan, 154 lbs of North Hollywood, CA is 9-0 with 5 knockouts. Garcia, 150.4 lbs of Sonora, MEX is 7-17-1.

“I wanted to show that not only am I powerful, but I’m also very fast,” said Ferdinand Kerobyan. “I never consider any opponent easy, especially since anyone in the ring can hurt you if you’re not careful. I want a world title in the future, and I’m ready to do what’s necessary to get that.”

Martin Murray won a 12-round unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in a middleweight bout at the O2 Arena in London.

In round two, Garcia was deducted a point for a low blow.

In round nine, Garcia was deducted another point for hitting on top of the head.

Murray, 159.9 lbs won by scores of 118-108, 118-109 and 116-111 t raise his record to 37-4-1. Garcia, 158 lbs is 41-4.

Anthony Yarde remained undefeated by stopping Dariusz Sek in round seven of their scheduled ten-round light heavyweight bout.

Yrade scored a knockdown in round one from a body punch.

In round seven. Yarde was all over Sek, and wobbled him throughout the round, and the bout was stopped at 2:17.

Yarde, 174.7 lbs of Elford, UK is 16-0 with 15 knockouts. Sek, 174.7 lbs of Poland is 27-4-3.

Daniel DuBois remained undefeated by stopping Tom Little in round five of their ten-round heavyweight bout.

In round four, DuBois dropped Little with a perfect left to the body. In found five, DuBois was all over Little, and after a flurry the bout was stopped at 58 seconds.

DuBois, 236.8 lbs of Greenwich, UK is 8-0 with 8 knockouts. Little, 250.3 lbs of Hattfield, UK is 10-6.

Ohara Davies stopped Paul Kamanga in round two of their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Davies landed a booming right hand that sent Kamanga down for the ten-count at 2:41 of round two.

Davies, 139.5 lbs of Hackney, UK is 18-1 with 14 knockouts. Kamanga, 139 lbs of Congo is 21-2.

James Branch, Jr. made a successful pro debut with a 4-round decision over Kevin Williams in a light heavyweight bout.

Branch won on the referee scorecard by a 40-36 total. Williams is 0-3.

Umar Sadiq remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Kamil El Temimi in a super middleweight fight.

In round three, Sadiq landed a perfect left hook to the body and El Temimi fell for the ten-count at 1:07.

Sadiq, 172 lbs of Elford, UK is 3-0 with 1 knockout. El Temimi, 172 lbs of Poland is 1-3-1.

Claressa Shields survived a 1st round knockdown to comeback and win a 10-round unanimous decision over Hanna Gabriels to win the IBF and WBA Middleweight titles at The Masonic Temple in Detroit.

In round one, Gabriels dropped Shields with a counter uppercut.

From there on out, it was all Shields as she wore down Gabriels and cause a cut in the 10th round on the left cheek that was originally caused by a headbutt in the 1st round.

Shields, 159 1/2 lbs of Flint, MI won by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice, and is now 6-0. Gabriels, 159 1/2 lbs of Costa Rica is 18-2-1.

After the bout, Christina Hammer entered the ring and a near melee ensued.

“I’m just tired of Hammer disrespecting me all the time,” Shields (6-0, 2 KOs) said. “She comes into the ring after all my rights, talks trash, and then she goes in there and looks like [crap] against Nelson. I’m sick of it. But I let her know I’m more than ready for a fight against her. She wanted me to lose tonight, but I wanted her to win because I want to fight her. We have to unify now.”

“Once I went down, I took a deep breath and I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m about to whip this girl’ ” Shields said. “I just remember thinking let’s use the jab and be smart.”

“I trained to go the distance but my heart betrayed me, because after that first knock down, I was looking for another one,” said Gabriels, the reigning WBA and WBO champion who was fighting in her 12th straight world title fight since winning the welterweight title in 2009. “I wanted to show everyone I had a warrior’s heart.

“I didn’t feel I had an advantage after the knockdown. I felt I had to work round after round to even have a possibility to win.”

Added Gabriels: “She has a lot of power. It was a great fight and you have to accept the judges’ decision. She’s powerful and for the fans I think it went well.

Shields – in her first fight with new trainer John David Jackson – said she learned something about herself after the fight. “I can get put on my ass, get up and come back and win,” she said. “Tonight was my night and I have to show the world I’m the greatest of all-time. I showed who I am. Now, I’m really dangerous because you can even put me down, and I’ll still come back to win.”

Hammer retained the WBC/WBO Middleweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Tori Nelson.

Hammer, 159 1/2 lbs of Dortlund, GER won by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 twice and is now 23-0-1. Nelson, 157 1/2 lbs of Ashburn, VA is 17-2-3.

“It would have been better to get a KO,” said Hammer, who is 27 years old and from Dortmund, Germany. “I tried everything I could to get the knockout. She was tough. I hope the USA is good with this and I’m still the champ.”

“I’m really looking forward to fighting Claressa. She will try and fight me on the inside but my footwork and my reach will make the difference. The fight with Claressa will be a game-changer. It will be the biggest women’s fight ever. I would like to fight her at a neutral site.”

“I’m very disappointed in my performance tonight,” said an emotional Nelson after the fight. “It’s a loss, of course it’s disappointing. I wasn’t busy enough, I guess.”

In her last fight, Nelson lost a unanimous decision to Shields back in January. “Claressa is better,” Nelson said. “Shields has a jab and uses the ring. Claressa stands there and wants to fight. She has all the punches. Hammer only has one

Umar Salmov stopped Brian Howard in round nine of their scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout.

In round nine, Salamov landed a right hand that stunned and eventually dropped Howard to a knee for the 10-count at 53 seconds.

Salamov, 174 1/2 lbs of Russia is 21-1 with 16 knockouts. Howard, 174 1/2 lbs of Lambertville, GA is 13-2.

“I was hurt a little bit in the second round from one of his shots, but I didn’t let it bother me because this is my U.S. debut,” said Salamov, a six-year pro who is 24 years old. “I just kept fighting. After I got hit with that punch, I started coming forward and as soon as I did that, the fight changed.”

Salamov said he knew once he connected on the first right that Howard was hurt. “I knew as soon as I landed the punch that he would be very hurt,” he said. “I felt it up to my elbow. I didn’t want to hit him after that because I knew he was finished.”

“I would say I did fair, I did OK,” said Howard, a former minor league football player who lives outside of Atlanta and was making his SHOWTIME debut. “I was fortunate to get the call by Salamov’s team and by SHOWTIME. I’ll be back.

Former middleweight contender Avtandil Khurtsidze was convicted of multiple crimes of racketeering, wire fraud and other charges. He faces up to 40 years in prison, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Khurtsidze was found guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of wire fraud conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

“As a unanimous jury found, Razhden Shulaya and his chief enforcer, Avtandil Khurtsidze, engaged in an array of criminal schemes that included violence, extortion, theft, trafficking in stolen goods and fraud,” said Geoffrey S. Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office prosecuted the case.

“He’s gotten due process. F— him for squandering his championship-caliber skills and career,” said Khurtsidzi’s promoter Lou DiBella. “He let many people down who believed in him, but no one more than himself. Just a waste, and it’s all on him for choosing the dark side.”

Unified junior middleweight world champion Jarrett Hurd is recovering from Rotator Cuff surgery, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Preparing for the Lara fight I had a slightly torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder,” Hurd said. “I was receiving cortisone shots to numb the pain but that was only temporary. Now the issue is taken care of. Thank you to everyone that wished me luck on my procedure (Monday). Be back soon.”

“Obviously, the injury became intolerable and (the surgery) had to be done,” trainer Ernesto Rodriguez said. “He expects to have physical therapy. As of now, no actual date (for his return is known) since (surgery) was just performed (on Monday).”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the IBF has canceled two pursed bids and postponed 2 others.

The sanctioning organization notified its registered promoters that the purse bid scheduled to determine the promotional rights for the vacant junior welterweight title bout between Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk and Anthony Yigit has been canceled because the sides have come to an agreement.

Another purse bid was also canceled, for the bantamweight final elimination bout between Jason Moloney (17-0, 14 KOs), 27, of Australia, and Kenny Demecillo (14-4-2, 8 KOs), 25, of the Philippines. Their representatives told the IBF that they have reached a deal, but the date and the location of the fight were not announced.

Two other purse bids scheduled for Tuesday were postponed.

One was for the fight between light heavyweight world titleholder Artur Beterbiev and mandatory challenger Callum Johnson. The date for the purse bid, assuming the sides do not make a deal, is June 26 at noon at the IBF offices in Springfield, New Jersey. The camps can still make a deal until 15 minutes before the bids are unsealed.

The other postponed purse bid was for the final junior middleweight title eliminator between Julian “J Rock” Williams (25-1, 15 KOs), 28, of Philadelphia, and Takeshi Inoue (13-0-1, 7 KOs), 28, of Japan.

The sanctioning body notified its registered promoters that it has also been delayed until June 26 at noon, also at the IBF offices. The camps can still make a deal until 15 minutes before the bids are unsealed. The winner will become one of the mandatory challengers for unified 154-pound titlist Jarrett Hurd (22-0, 15 KOs).

Errol Spence Jr. gave his hometown what they wanted.  That was a 1st round stoppage over Carlos Ocampo to retain the IBF Welterweight title at The Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.

Spence landed a perfect left to the body that sent Ocampo down on all-fours, and he did not beat the count at 3:00.

Spence, 146 3/4 lbs of Dallas, TX is 24-0 with 21 knockouts.  Ocampo, 146 3/4 lbs of Ensenada, MEX is 22-1.

“I was a little disappointed. I wanted to give the crowd their money’s worth,” Spence said. “I wanted him to sustain a bit and give him some punishment, but the body shot got him and I dropped him.”

“I knew if I hit him again he would probably drop,” Spence said. “That was my game plan. I’m the body snatcher. If he reacts weirdly, I just keep going to the body and I keep breaking him down.”

After the fight, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined Spence in the ring to congratulate him on the victory.

“This moment is a dream,” Spence said. “I wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys and now I’m fighting in front of the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones. Thank you to the whole Dallas Cowboys organization.

“We’ll definitely be back after I unify some titles. We’ll make this an annual thing where I fight here.”

“This room was full of Dallas Cowboys football players supporting you,” Jones said. “They share your passion. I saw a guy in this ring who knew what he wanted. When you knock a guy out by hitting him once on the side of his back, you’re bad to the bone.

“I love his awareness. He had a plan from the beginning. He is exceptionally gifted. He has family that is behind him and our family, the Cowboys, want to be behind him as well.”

“I want to fight the best,” Spence promised. “Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter are fighting each other (for the WBC title) and I definitely want to make that a unifying fight. We both have the same management, we both fight on SHOWTIME. Why not make that happen? I definitely want that fight whenever it’s available.

Danny Roman made the 2nd defense of the WBA Super Bantamweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Moises Flores.

Roman beat down the body of Flores as he focused on the rib area with both hands.  He landed 175 body shots and 174 head shots and was very consistent throughout the bout.

Roman, 121 3/4 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112 to raise his record to 24-2-1.  Flores who missed the weighed at 123 lbs is now 25-1.

“I was trying to box him. We tried to do a smart fight,” Roman said. “We tried to take him out, but unfortunately we couldn’t.

“I would like to unify. I would like to challenge any of the champions. I’d love to face Rey Vargas or Isaac Dogboe. I don’t mind going back to Japan either.”

“I know I messed up in training,” Flores said. “I didn’t make the weight, but I still wanted to perform and give it everything I have.

“We both hit each other a lot. I hit (Roman) with some good shots, I just couldn’t finish him. I was probably around 60 percent energy-wise. From the fifth round on I had to just fight with pure heart.

“(Roman) put on a great show for the fans, and that’s what makes me feel great. That’s all I wanted was to put on a good fight.”

Javier Fortuna and Adrian Granados fought to a no-contest when Fortuna could not continue in round four of their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

The fight got ugly in round four when Fortuna was docked points for using his head and holding.  Seconds later, Granados pushed Fortuna out of the ring, and Fortuna’s head smashed into the cameraman post.  Fortuna was immediately put in a neckbrace and taken out on s stretcher.

The bout was ruled a no-contest at 2:50.  Fortuna, 139 3/4 lbs of La Romana, DR is 33-2-1-1.  Granados, 139 3/4 lbs of Chicago, IL is 18-6-2-1.

“I didn’t push him. I think he fell with his own,” Granados said. “I think he was looking for an excuse on his way out. We were both battling, but I knew he could feel I was getting stronger. He caught me with a shot and it just turned me up.

“First and foremost I just want to pray that he’s OK. Let’s do the rematch. I’ve been dying for a fight at 140.”