A deal for a fight that would pit WBO Featherweight champion Oscar Valdez and former beltholder Scott Quigg for March 10 in Carson, California is close to being finalized according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Shortly after ESPN’s story was initially published, Quigg Promoter Eddie Hearn acknowledged that the deal was close, writing on his Twitter account, “I see the news (is) breaking. Correct — we are close to finalizing a deal for Scott Quigg to face Oscar Valdez for the world title. Hopefully (we will) get it over the line. Will be an unbelievable fight!”

Representatives for junior lightweight Tevin Farmer are appealing the decision that was rendered for his fight against Kenichi Ogawa in an IBF title fight that took place on December 9th in Las Vegas.

“The basis for this request is the objectively inaccurate judging in the bout and the precedent the IBF has set, having granted immediate rematches in similar circumstances in which doing so was in the interest of fairness,” DiBella Entertainment attorney Alex Dombroff wrote. “At its request, the IBF was provided a high definition copy of the Farmer vs. Ogawa bout on December 13.”

“Of course, the damage done to both Mr. Farmer and (DiBella Entertainment) as a result of the poor judging extends well beyond the bout itself,” Dombroff wrote. “HBO had already begun discussions of defenses for Mr. Farmer and discussions of a potential bout between Mr. Farmer and former champion Gervonta Davis (had) gained traction. Those opportunities are presently off the table as a result of the bout. No matter what Mr. Farmer does next, his earning ability has no doubt been negatively impacted due to not being named IBF champion, which he so rightfully earned in the ring.

“DBE is requesting that the IBF rely on the principles of fairness that have before, in similar circumstances, led it to order an immediate rematch. We gently remind the IBF that recently it ordered a rematch of the Milan Melindo vs. Hekkie Budler junior flyweight championship bout, in which bad judging called into question the fairness and correctness of the result.”

According to Dan Rafael former three0division world champion Kazuto Ioka has retired at the age of 28.

“I’m satisfied with myself because I could win (world titles) in three classes, which is also the reason why I started boxing,” Ioka said at the news conference in translated remarks.

Michal Oleksiejczuk won a unanimous decision over Khalil Rountree in a light heavyweight bout.

Both fighters were cut around their right eye’s in round one.

Oleksiejczuk, 203.5 lbs of Leczna, POl won by scores of 30-27 on all cards, and is now 13-2. Rountree, 205 lbs of Las Vegas is 6-3.

Myles Jury won a unanimous decision over Rick Glenn in a featherweight bout.

Jury, 146 lbs of San Diego, CA won by scores of 30-27 on all cards, and is now 17-2. Glenn, 145.5 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 20-5-1.

Marvin Vettori and Omari Akemedov fought to a majority draw in a middleweight bout.

In round two, Akhmedov began to bleed from his nose.

Vettori, 185.5 lbs of Mezzocorona, ITA won on a card 29-28, but that was overruled by two cards that were even at 28-28. Vettori is now 12-3-1. Akhmedov, 185.5 lbs of Mackhackaria, RUS is 17-4-1.

Matheus Nicolau won a unanimous decision over Louis Smolka in a flyweight bout.

In round one, Nicolau dropped Smolka three times with left hooks. Smolka began to bleed heavily over his right eye.

Nicolau, 125.5 lbs of Rio De Janieiro, BRA won by scores of 30-26, 30-26 and 30-25, and is now 13-1-1. Smolka, 126 lbs of Kapolei, HI is now 11-5.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, a unification bout between heavyweight champion’s Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker is close to being finalized.

“The fight has never been closer. We’re a lot closer now to a deal because we’ve had a major breakthrough, which is that the two camps have formally agreed on the split,” Parker’s co-promoter David Higgins told ESPN in a phone interview from his home country of New Zealand. “The Joshua side made a small concession, and the Parker side has made a small concession.”

“It’s between 30 and 35-ish percent for the Parker side,” Higgins said. “I’ll leave it at that for now, but it’s somewhere close to the middle of that. Maybe after Eddie and I talk about it, we will make the figure public.”

“My gut feeling is there will be a deal. We’re only haggling over officials,” he said. “We’ll have to have a discussion with the British Boxing Board of Control [which regulates the sport in the U.K.]. I’m also happy to have the sanctioning bodies nominate a pool of officials. But even with that, we’re very close to a deal.”

“I think that’s fair,” Higgins said of the rematch clause. “Should Parker win, there’d be a rematch, and I think that’s fair because, commercially, Joshua is the A-side of the fight.”

“Eddie and I get on well,” Higgins said. “I found him to be smart, and we have a banter and humor between us. He doesn’t have an ego problem. I like working with people like Eddie Hearn. Both sides have given concessions. We respect them.”

“The goal is to get it done as soon as possible,” Higgins said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, 115 pound champion Jerwin Ancajas has signed with Top Rank.

Ancajas, who will be making the fourth defense of his 115-pound belt, will face Israel Gonzalez in the co-feature of super middleweight world titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defending against Habib “Wild Hurricane” Ahmed on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (10:30 p.m. ET) at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“He’s a very, very exciting fighter. He’s all action,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum said. “He could really become an attraction. Am I definite about that? No, but there’s potential for him to become a major attraction, at least at the level or even higher of a Nonito Donaire — that type of attraction.”

“So it’s a potential six-fight deal. His fights will either be co-features on our ESPN cards or on big pay-per-view cards as one of the televised fights,” said Arum, who signed Ancajas after he became the first fighter promoted by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions to win a world title.

Two world title fights are being negotiated for the Spring at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The first card would take place on March 3 and pit heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder against Luis “King Kong” Ortiz, with another penciled in for April 14 — though it could move to another date that month — featuring unified welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman in a defense against former two-division world titlist Jessie Vargas, multiple sources involved in the events told ESPN.

Kovalev promoter Main Events and HBO had hoped to match Kovalev with top contender Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs), who is also with Main Events, in the March 3 main event. On the Kovalev-Barrera undercard, Barrera rallied from a first-round knockdown to win a wide unanimous 10-round decision against Felix Valera, to set up the obvious fight.

However, Barrera, 35, a Cuban defector fighting out Miami, is also the mandatory challenger for the light heavyweight belt held by Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs), 27, of Russia, and though he was offered the fight with Kovalev, Barrera instead elected to fight Bivol for less money on HBO in the Kovalev-Mikhalkin co-feature, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN.

“We are very interested in fighting the top fighters in the light heavyweight division. Barrera has been named the mandatory (challenger) for Bivol by the WBA and we would be glad to do that fight next,” Vadim Kornilov, Bivol’s manager, told ESPN recently.

Billy Joe Saunders defended his WBO Middleweight title with an easy 12-round unanimous decision over David Lemeiex in Lemieux’s hometown of Laval, Quebec, Canada

Saunders was masterful with his boxing and defense throughout the fight.  In round seven, Lemieux began to bleed from his nose.  Saunders was never threatened at all down the stretch and cruised home to the victory 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111.

Saunders of England is now 26-0.  Lemieux is 38-4.

Saunders outlanded Lemieux 165-67.

“I knew what sort of fighter David Lemieux is, and I knew what sort of coach he’s got,” said Saunders. “I knew what he was coming for. I look easy to hurt, but you can’t hit me. I like going to somebody’s backyard because I perform better. I’m a whole different animal now. When I hurt David, I wanted to put it on him. I really did, but that’s what I pay my trainer Dominic Ingle to do. I went to put it on him, but he told me to take my time, and that was the best advice.”

“I wasn’t at my best. Hats off to Billy Joe [Saunders],” said Lemieux. “From the second round on, I could not use my left hand the way I wanted, and he was on the run, so I had a hard time throwing my shots. It wasn’t my best night. A lot of this was because of me, because I couldn’t use my left hand the way I wanted to. He was running from the first round to the end, and I guess that’s his strategy to win. If this is the way you want to win, then congratulations.”

Douglas boxed well over the first three rounds but O’Sullivan came back to take the next three rounds with hard right hands.

In round seven, O’Sullivan landed a huge left hook that stopped Douglas on the ropes.  O’Sullivan followed up with five unanswered blows that dropped Douglas.  Douglas got up but the fight was stopped at 1:03.

O’Sullivan is 27-2 with 19 knockouts.  Douglas is 22-2-1.

O’Sullivan Outlanded Douglas 130-108.

“I was sick for 2 weeks with a chest infection, so I was not at 100 percent,” said O’Sullivan. “I thought it was a good opportunity, so I decided to fight anyway. I’m happy with my performance, but I could have done better. Douglas is a tough guy with a good chin, and he had never been knocked out like that.”

Yves Ulysse, Jr dropped Cletus Seldin three times en-route to a 10-round unanimous decision in a junior welterweight fight.

In round one, Ulysse dropped Seldin with a right hand.  In round two, It was deja-vu as another right hand sent Seldin to the canvas.  In round three, It was a left hook that sent Seldin down.  Seldin was cut on his forehead.

Ulysse jabbed and moved and had his way with Seldin, and cruised to the victory by scores of 99-88 on all cards.

Ulysse is now 15-1.  Seldin is 21-1.

Ulysse outlanded Seldin 157-42.

“I was the underdog,” said Ulysse. “Everyone thought that I was in for a beating, and look at what happened. I told you that my moment was coming. Speed kills! The sky is the limit!”

“Yves Ulysse is a good fighter but he is not exciting,” said Seldin. “I was not expecting him to run that much. I thought he would come to fight coming from a decision lost. I showed my thoroughness and tried to finish strong but it was impossible because of all the running.”
 

Former welterweight champion Jessie Vargas won a ten round unanimous decision over Aaron Herrera in Lancaster, California.

In round six, Vargas scored a knockdown from a combination that was culminated by a left hook.

Vargas, 146 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 100-89 on all cards and is now 28-2. Herrera, 146 lbs of Valladolid, Mexico is 24-8-1.

“I’m very happy to be back after a long layoff,” said Vargas. “It was a long time off and I felt the ring rust. I stayed patient and tried to stick to my distance. The inconsistencies affected me more than I thought it would and Herrera kept pushing the fight.

“I was setting him up and waiting for him to punch before attacking him. I expect more in my next performance and I’m disappointed I didn’t finish him, but a win is a win. We’ll get back to the drawing board. I showed I have the power with the knockdown, I just have to finish it off next time.”

“I felt relaxed in the ring,” said Vargas. “I was trying finish him with the hook. His head movement threw me off and kept him in the fight. We have to keep improving and look better in the next fight.”

“I’m ready for anyone,” said Vargas. “I’m going to start preparing tomorrow for anyone. I’m looking forward to facing Keith Thurman, the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson winner, or Danny Garcia. I’m back and I’m ready to stay busy and get back in the ring as soon as possible to reach my goals.”

Jamal James scored the biggest win of his career as he stopped Jamal James in round three of a scheduled ten round junior middleweight bout.

James landed three hard right hands that put Chaves on the defensive, and then landed a left to the body that put Chaves down for the ten count at 2:12.

James, 146.6 lbs of Minneapolis, MN is 22-1 with 10 knockouts. Chaves, 145 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 26-3-1.

John Molina, Jr. stopped Ivan Redkach in round four of their scheduled ten round super lightweight bout.

The fight was a back and forth war with both guys landing hard crushing shots.

It was Redkach who struck first as he landed a hard flurry that sent Molina to canvas in round two. It look like Molina would be stopped seconds later but he turned around the tide and landed some power shots that rocked Redkach at the end of the round. In round three, Molina landed a booming right that sent Redkach to the canvas. Molina continued to pound away on Redkach in round four and finally ended the battle with a right hand that rocked Redkach all over the ring and finally on the canvas and the fight was stopped at

Molina, 140.8 lbs of Los Angles, CA is 30-7 with 24 knockouts. Redkach, 141 lbs of Bkovah, UK is 20-4-1.

“It was a great fight,” said Molina. “I was a little rusty, but it’s not an excuse, Redkach was a really tough guy. We got the job done and never gave up. A fight is a fight, it’s not over until it’s over.”

“You always dig deep with your family watching,” said Molina. “You never want to lose in front of your family. I’m always going to fight until the very end. I had a tough opponent in front of me but I did what I had to to get the victory.”

Wale Omotoso won a ten-round unanimous decision over Freddy Hernandez in a junior middleweight bout.

In round nine, Hernandez was cut around the left eye.

Omotoso, 152.8 lbs of Lagos, NIG won by scores of 100-90, 97-93 and 96-94 and is now 27-3. Hernandez, 154 lbs of Mexico City is 34-9.

The Floyd Mayweather – Conor McGregor Pay Per View bout on August 26 generated 4.3 million buys nd more than $600 million in total revenue, Showtime announced. according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The pairing of Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor brought together two very significant and distinct global fan bases in one truly unprecedented event,” Espinoza told ESPN. “The remarkable results are all the more impressive considering that the planning, marketing and execution took place across a span of just 72 days from the initial announcement to fight night. Together Showtime and Mayweather have now accounted for the three highest grossing pay-per-view events of all time.”

INDIO, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2017): Carlos “The Solution” Morales (17-2-3, 6 KOs) scored a sixth-round technical unanimous decision victory against Dardan Zenunaj (14-4, 11 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. to win the vacant NABA Super Featherweight Title in the scheduled 10-round main event of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Morales, who also fights out of Los Angeles, suffered a bad cut above his right eye due to an accidental headbutt that forced the fight to be stopped at the third second of the sixth-round. Morales outboxed the rugged Zenunaj enough for all judges to score the fight 59-56 in his favor.

“This was not my decision,” said Morales. “I could not see, and the doctor decided to end the fight. I felt I won the rounds, though [Zenunaj] was fighting dirty and headbutting me. It’s my job to get in there in fight, but the doctor stopped it.”

“Morales wanted this fight to stop,” said Zenunaj. “He was getting really tired, and I was starting to tag him. I often look better at the end of the fight, so it was obvious that he wanted it to stop. When he was getting looked at by the doctor, it seemed as if he wanted out. He was happy after.”

Former Mexican Olympian Raul Curiel stopped Israel Villela in round four of a scheduled four round welterweight bout.

In round two, Villela started to bleed from around his right eye. Curiel dropped Villela in round three from a left to the body. In round four, Curiel dropped Villela with an uppercut and the bout was stopped at 2:23.

Curiel, 146.5 lbs of Tamaulipas, Mex is now 2-0 with one knockout. Villela, 145.2 lbs of Mexico City is 6-8.

“After a few months away, I’m just grateful I can come back and fight before all of my fans and supporters,” said Curiel. “We had a minor setback this year, but hopefully I’ll be back in January. The plan is to start adding more rounds and moving up the division.”

Former US Olympian Marlen Espaerza remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Karla Valenzuela in a super flyweight bout.

Esparza, 111 lbs of Houston, Texas won by scores of 60-54 on all cards to raise her record to 4-0. Valenzuela, 113.8 lbs of Gomez Palcio, MEX is 3-17-3.

“I felt a bit nervous in awkward in there,” said Esparza. “That’s because she would often dip her head, which caused the headbutts when I was trying to land hooks. But I saw it as a perfect opportunity to work on my straight punches. It was also a chance to work on my body shots, which I really liked in there.”

Coachella, Calif.’s Ryan Caballero (4-0, 2 KOs), the younger brother of former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Randy Caballero, scored a first-round knockout victory against Franco Gutierrez (1-1) of Agua Prieta, Mexico in a scheduled four-round featherweight fight.

Wesley Ferrer and Will Madera battled to a eight-round split draw in a lightweight bout that headlined a five bout card at BB King’s Blues club in New York.

Each fighter took a score card by 77-75 tallies and a 3rd card read even at 76-76.

Ferrer, 135.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0-1. Madera, 135.4 lbs of Albany, NY is 11-0-1.

In a battle of undefeated welterweights, Larry Fryers won a six-round unanimous decision over Charles Natal.

Scores were 60-54 twice ad 59-55 for Fryers, 146 lbs of Bronx, NY who is now 6-0. Natal, 144.2 lbs of Guaynabo, PR is 9-1-2.

Former world champion Dejan Zlaticanin stopped Hevinson Herrera in round one of a scheduled eight round junior welterweight bout.

The relentless Zlaticanin landed a hard combination in the corner that sent Herrera down and the fight was over at 1:57.

Zlaticanin, 139.4 lbs of Podgorica, MONT is now 23-1 with 16 knockouts. Herrera, 137 lbs pf Barranquilla, COL is 22-14-1.

In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Hurshidbek Normatov took a six-round unanimous decision over Nicklaus Flaz.

Scores were 59-53, 58-54 and 57-55 for Normatov, 153.4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY and is now 5-0. Flaz, 151.6 lbs of Baymon, PR is 5-1.

George Arias remained undefeated by scoring a 2nd round stoppage over Juan Goode in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Arias dropped Goode from a pair of left hooks and Goode stayed down for the count at 2:19.

Arias, 240.8 lbs of Bronx, NY is 10-0 with six knockouts. Goode, 260 lbs of Taylor, MI is 8-8.

“I am just an old fighter now,” the 37-year-old Salido said in a heartfelt manner.

“On Saturday night I let my emotions and my frustration get the best of me,” Salido said from his home in Phoenix. “It was a tough fight, and I was not able to do some of [the] things [I’ve] always been able to do in the ring that I attributed to my age and wear and tear on my body from so many wars.

“But after coming home and reviewing my camp and the fight, I realized that my weight issues were also part of the problem on Saturday night. I came into camp at the highest weight ever, and our focus became the weight and the boxing became secondary during training camp.”

“I felt that I left my fight at the scale,” Salido said. “No excuse, but one fight in 18 months did not help me stay in shape, and getting to the weight was the biggest concern for my fight, and while I am happy with the fight that I gave the fans, I truly believe that I can do better, so I am keeping my options open to returning in 2018 at 130 or 135 pounds. Sometime after a fight and in the heat of the moment, things are said that, upon reflection, are not the correct things to say. I want to get back into the ring to give my fans some more thrills as I believe I still have some good boxing left.”

Katie Taylor retained her WBA Lightweight title with a ten round unanimous decision over Jessica McCaskill at York Hall in London.

Taylor won by scores 98-91 and 97-92 twice to raise her perfect mark to 8-0. McCaskill falls to 5-2.

Martin J Ward stopped Juli Giner in round six od their scheduled 12-round European Super Featherweight title bout.

Ward dropped Giner twice in round six, and the bout was stopped at 1:30

Ward, 129.7 lbs is 19-0-2 with nine knockouts. Giner, 129.7 lbs is 21-3-1.

Former Olympian Josh Kelly remained perfect by stopping Jean Michel Hamilcarlo in round six of a scheduled ten round welterweight bout.

Kelly scored three knockdowns in round six, and the bout was stopped at 2:06.

Kelly is now 5-0 with four knockouts. Hamilcarlo of of France is now 25-9-3.

In a terrific and action-packed war, Conor Benn got off the deck teice in round one and won a decision over Cedrick Peynaud in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Benn was decked by a hard right hand. After a wild exchange, Benn was sent to the canvas for a second time from a flurry on the ropes.

In round five, Benn turned the tables and sent Peynaud down with a right hand. In round six, Benn landed a booming right that sent Peynaud down. The two exchanged heavy shots down the stretch.

Benn, 147.2 lbs is 11-0. Peynaud, 148.6 lbs id 5-5-3.

Jake Ball won a ten round unanimous decision over Miles Shinkwin in a light heavyweight bout

Scores were 97-93 and 98-92 twice for Ball, who is now 11-1. Shinkwin is 14-3.

Joe Cordina stopped Lee Connelly in round four of their scheduled eight-round super featherweight bout.

In round three, Connelly began to bleed from around the right eye. Cordina pounded Connelly all over the ring until the bout was stopped at 2:19.

Cordina is 6-0. Connelly is 7-31-3.

Lawrence Okolie remained perfect with a 2nd round stoppage over Antonio Sousa in a scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

In round one, Okolie dropped Sousa with a left hook. Seconds later, it was a big right that sent Sousa to the deck. In the first minute of round two, it was a left-right that sent Sousa down for a 3rd time. He got to his fight, but the referee called off the bout at 1:04.

Okolie is now 7-0 with six knockouts. Sousa is 4-7-1.

Ted Cheeseman won an eight-round decision over Tony Dixon in a super welterweight bout.

Cheeseman by an 80-72 scores, and is now 12-0. Dixon is 10-2.

Felix Cash remained undefeated with a 1st round stoppage over Greg O’Neill in a scheduled six round middleweight bout.

Cash scored a knockdown in round one from a body shot. Seconds later it was another body shot that made O’Neill wilt and the fight was stopped.

Cash, 162.4 lbs is now 7-0 with five knockouts. O’Neill is 5-4.

Gamal Yafai scored a 3rd round unanimous decision over Rickey Starkey in a super bantamweight bout.

Starkey went down in round three from an accumulation of body shots and the referee stopped the bout at 1:59.

Yafai is 13-0. Starkey is 2-4-2.

Jeff Horn made the 1st defense of his WBO Welterweight title with an 11th round stoppage over Gary Corocoran in Brisbane, Australia.

In round six, both guys were cut.  Horn from around the left eye, and Corcoran from around his right eye. In round 11, Horn stepped on the gas, and referee Benji Esteves stopped the fight at 1:35.

Horn of Brisbane is 18-0-1 with 12 knockouts.  Corcoran of Londan is 17-2.

Horn will now have a spring date with former two-division champion Terence Crawford.

NEW YORK, NY–The highly anticipated bout between Vasyl Lomachanko and Guillermo Rigondeaux did not live up to it’s lofty expectations as Lomachenko dominated the first six-rounds and subsequently Rigondeaux bowed out of the fight citing a left hand injury.

Lomachenko was the clear aggressor in the fight and befuddled Rigondeaux and had him on the defensive from the outside.  Rigondeaux was holding excessively and was docked a point in 6th round.  Rigindeaux claimed he had pin in his left wrist and called it a night before the 7th bell rang.

Lomachenko is now 10-1 with eight knockouts.  Rigindeaux is now 17-1.

Michael Conlan won a six-round unanimous decision over Luis Fernando Molina in a featherweight bout.

Conlan of Belfast, IRE won by scores of 60-54 and is now 5-0.  Molina of Pablo Podesta, ARG is 4-4-1.

Chri4stopher Diaz remained undefeated as he registered 4 knockdowns in under three rounds of their scheduled ten round junior lightweight bout.

Inound one, Diaz landed a booming right that sent Cruz to the canvas.  In round two, it was a right that sent Cruz to the canvas for a 2nd time.  Diaz followed up with a huge six punch combination that sent Cruz down at the end of the round.  Diaz opened up round four with a left hook that wobbled and sent Cruz down for a fourth time and the fight was stopped at 37 seconds.

Diaz of Barranquitas, PR is 22-0 with 14 knockouts.  Cruz of Port Chester, NY is 18-3.

2016 Olympic silver medal winner Shakur Stevenson stopped Oscar Mendoza in round two of their scheduled four-round featherweight fight.

Stevenson continuously landed hard left hands until referee Sparkle Lee ended the bout at 1:38.

Stevenson of Newark, NJ is 4-0 with 2 knockouts.  Mendoza of Santa Maria, CA is 4-3.

Mikaela Mayer remained undefeated with a four round majority decision over Nydia Feliciano in a featherweight bout.

Mayer of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 twice and 38-38,  and is now 3-0.  Feliciano of New York is 9-9-3.

Jose Gonzalez and Adan Gonzalez fought to a six-round majority draw in a featherweight bout.

Adan took a card 58-56 while two cards were at 57-57.

Jose Gonzalez of New York is 8-0-2. Adan Gonzalez of Denver is 3-1-2.

Bryant Jennings stopped Don Haynesworth in round three of their scheduled eight round heavyweight bout.

Jennings caught Haynesworth with a short clipping right that wobbled Haynesworth and the bout was stopped at 2:29.

Jennings of Philadelphia is mow 21-2 with 12 knockouts. Haynesworth of Greensboro, NC is 13-2-1.

Bryant Jennings stopped Don Haynesworth in round three of their scheduled eight round heavyweight bout.

Jennings caught Haynesworth with a short clipping right that wobbled Haynesworth and the bout was stopped at 2:29.

Jennings of Philadelphia is mow 21-2 with 12 knockouts. Haynesworth of Greensboro, NC is 13-2-1.

Former Champion Jean Pascal 32-5-1(19) fought the last fight of his career in dramatic fashion on Premier Boxing Championships at Hialeah Park Racing and Casino in Hialeah, Florida. Facing young and hungry knockout artist Ahmed Elbiali 16-1(13KO) Pascal got off to a slow start as usual and got crushed with a big shot early but with flashes of his youth the Haitian born Pascal outboxed the hungry Egyptian often landing crushing overhand rights and left hook counters. Elbiali kept his attack however grew visibly frustrated, worn and tired as the fight wore on. Pascal who makes his home in Canada announced earlier in the week this would be the last fight of his career and as promised, he made it memorable. For Elbiali he is young strong and has a great future, he will be back.

With WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder sitting ringside in the broadcast booth Luis King Kong Ortiz 28-0 (24KO) demolished canary in the coalmine opponent Daniel Martz 16-6-1 (13 KO) knocking him down twice finally with a crushing left hand in round one. Once easily dispensing Martz Ortiz looked through the ropes and challenged Wilder. The two heavyweights were to fight at the Barclays Center in early November until the WBC refused to sanction the when Ortiz tested positive for two banned diuretics. Team Ortiz claimed the medication to be for high blood pressure. The WBC has since cleared the Cuban, however Wilder has not stating they two will meet. The WBC Champion got into the ring and went face to face with Ortiz on Camera.

Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella knocked Alex Martin down in the first round with a perfectly timed right hook and followed up with a near shutout from that point on. Southpaw Perrella fighting out of Fort Myers, FL used excellent effective aggression and sharp shots and kept his fellow southpaw retreating with counter punches. Hardpunching Perrella improves to 15-1(13KO) while Chicago’s Martin falls to 13-3(5KO). The cards read 79-72, 77-74 with Goodfella Perrella winning a unanimous decision..

The first televised fight of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 was a great battle of unbeaten prospects. Hot Philadelphia prospect and former Golden Gloves Champion Stephen Fulton 12-0(5KO) kept his unbeaten record in tact with a hard-earned battle with Glendale California’s Adam Lopez 9-1 (3KO) . Lopez was the aggressor throughout the bout of pugilistic ebb and flows but it was Fulton who did a great job of counter punching off of his back foot and winning inside exchanges. Lopez took an early lead but Fulton won the judges cards with a majority decision win, with the cards reading 76-76 78-74 77-75.

On Sat, Dec 9, 2017 at 1:24 PM Marc Abrams wrote:
did we get full results?

Virus-free. www.avast.com

On Fri, Dec 8, 2017 at 9:03 PM, Johnny Schulz wrote:

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Johnny Schulz
Date: Fri, Dec 8, 2017 at 8:19 PM
Subject:
To: Marc Abrams 15rounds.com , Marc Abrams 15rounds.com

Early Results from Hialeah Park in Florida: PBC on FS1

Johnny Schulz Ringside

Premier Boxing Championships at Hialeah Park Racing and Casino in Hialeah, Florida got off to a brutal start with a string of knockouts and a war.

Kazakhstanian 2 time Bronze medalist Ivan Dychko made quick work of veteran Carlos Sandoval 10-15-1 with a TKO win at 2:22 of round one improving to 3-0(3KO)

Lightweight Joshua Zunia 9-0(4KO) won the battle of unbeaten with a fourth-round TKO. Raynell WIlliams 12-1(6KO) tasted defeat for the first time as a pro with the end coming at 2:00 of round 4.

Cuban welterweight Livan Navarro 7-0 (5KO) remained perfect and took Willie Jones 5-1(2KO) unbeaten record with a quick first-round TKO.

Seemjay Thomas 8-1(5KO) stalked Charles Mulindwa 12-6-1(5KO) from the opening bell and landed strong shots on the tall Uganda native Mulindwa who rose from one knockdown. The second time Thomas dispensed him on the canvas he got up with the shaky leg dance. Thomas gets the KO win, round 1!

Eduardo Perez Diaz 5-0(4KO) kept his unbeaten record intact as he fought off hard-charging bleeding southpaw Noe Lozano 2-2. In a spirited brutal chess match where a clash of heads opened a deep cut on Lozano in round one, Diaz did not enough to take the warrior out early.

Casey Ramos bowed out of his bout with Christopher Diaz this Saturday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, and he will be replaced by Bryant Cruz as part of the Vasyl Lomachenko – Guillermo Rigondeaux undercard, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Carl Moretti said he was not sure why Ramos (24-1, 6 KOs), 28, of Austin, Texas, pulled out of the fight. “We have not been presented with a reasonable or logical reason why Ramos is out,” Moretti said. “I just know he is not getting on a plane to come to New York for the fight, and he’s out. (Top Rank matchmaker) Brad (Goodman) did all the work to get the new fight done quickly.”

“Considering Cruz is coming off a win only three weeks ago and he’s still in shape — and he didn’t hesitate to take the fight with Diaz — we expect a highly competitive fight on Saturday night,” Moretti said.

After the success of last September’s Superfly card, a squeal card is being planned for February 24th in Los Angeles that will feature Srisaket Sor Rungvisai taking on Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBC belt, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s very exciting to announce the main event for the second installment of our ‘Superfly’ series,” promoter Tom Loeffler said, adding that the HBO telecast also will include two other bouts in the loaded 115-pound weight class. “With the tremendous response from fans and media from our first event and overwhelming anticipation to our second, we join boxing fans in saying that we can’t wait until Feb. 24 at The Fabulous Forum.”

“The super flyweight division is the deepest division in the world at the moment,” Sor Rungvisai said. “I have great respect to Tom Loeffler and HBO for making ‘Superfly’ so successful, and ‘Superfly 2’ will continue to deliver. We have so many great fighters in the super flyweight division, and it is exciting for me because there are many world-class opponents that can make terrific fights.

“Juan Francisco Estrada is definitely among the top-class fighters in our division. When someone is a former unified champion that moved up without losing his titles, you know he is a world-class fighter in his prime. However, I am confident that I will be successful in this fight because I will be at my best on fight night again. We will give the fans an incredible fight and I plan on another impressive win. I would like to invite all Thais in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles, to attend my fight. Together our Thai hearts will beat and our Thai blood will be pumped with pride and excitement.”

“Srisaket Sor Rungvisai had a remarkable year in 2017, upsetting ‘Chocolatito’ and defeating him again in his first defense at our first ‘Superfly’ event,” Loeffler said. “Juan Francisco Estrada won a terrific fight against Carlos Cuadras on Sept. 9 at the StubHub Center and is very anxious to challenge for a world title against Sor Rungvisai.”

“I am very excited about facing Sor Rungvisai,” Estrada said. “He will be a difficult challenge, as he defeated Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez twice in a row with a vicious KO in their last fight. Sor Rungvisai is a very tough and skilled boxer, so I will have to prepare very well to be ready to challenge him for his belt.”

The other bouts on the card have not been finalized, but Loeffler said Gonzalez will not be part of the show. However, Japanese star Naoya “Monster” Inoue (14-0, 12 KOs), 24, who made an impressive debut in the United States by knocking out Antonio Nieves in the sixth round to retain his 115-pound belt on the “Superfly” card, will be back to face an opponent to be determined, as long as he comes through a title defense against France’s Yoan Boyeaux (41-4, 26 KOs) on Dec. 30 in Yokohama, Japan.

Loeffler said other fighters who could appear on “Superfly 2” include Mexico’s Cuadras (36-2-1, 27 KOs) and world titleholder Khalid Yafai (23-0, 14 KOs) of England.

NEW YORK–Sadam Ali scored the biggest win of his career as he won the WBO Super Welterweight world title by taking a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto in front of 12,391 fans at Madison Square Garden in a bout that Cotto announced would be his last.

The bout was an exciting fight as Ali came out looking to land power punches. He did so in round two by rocking the legendary fighter from Puerto Rico with a left hook in round two that made Cotto’s legs buckle. Cotto got himself together and was effective in the middle rounds by applying pressure and working his left hook.

With the momentum in Cotto’s favor, Ali started stemming the tide, and rocked Cotto several more times over the last three rounds. At the end of round eleven, Ali landed a perfect left hook that sent the mouthpiece of Cotto flying out of his mouth. Ali took the final stanza by landing some quick combinations, and won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 twice.

Ali, 153 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 26-1. Cotto, 151.6 lbs end his illustrious career with a record of 41-6.

“I worked hard for it.” Said Sadam Ali. “I took advantage of this fight, and I made sure to make it count. I want to Thank God, and also thank team Cotto, They could have taken an easier fight if they wanted too. ”

“I had him hurt here or there in the first couple of rounds. I knew I had to do something, or he would have dug in. By the 11th, I thought the fight was close. Whatever GBP has next, I’ll take it. Good things happen to good people. I have been training since I was 8 years old, and I am glad I got this win at MSG, in my hometow

“Feeling good. Feeling good with the performance. Something happened to my left bicep, seventh round. I don’t want to make excuses, Sadam won the fight. It is my last fight. I am good, and I want to be happy in my home with my family.

“Thank you for all the fans, I am proud to call MSG my second home. I had the opportunity to provide the best for my family because of the sport.”

Rey Vargas defended the WBC Super Bantamweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Oscar Negrete in a battle of undefeated fighters.

Vargas dominated the action by using he height and advantage and he featured some vicious body punching.

In round seven, Vargas suffered a cut over his right eye.  In round eight, it was the left eye that started to bleed on Vargas.

Vargas, 121.4 lbs of Mexico City won by scores of 120-108 and 119-109 twice to raise his perfect mark to 21-0.  Negrete, 121.2 lbs of Los Angeles is 17-1.

“I am glad that we got the win, and I continue being unbeaten with my belt,” said Rey Vargas. “It was difficult finding my rhythm at the beginning of the fight, and the cuts did not help. I have the humility to say that I made my share of mistakes, but I feel that Negrete fought very dirty, and was not a very good boxer.”

Angel Acosta won the WBO  Junior Flyweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Juan Alejo.

Acosta landed a big right that dropped Alejo in the 10th frame and the fight was stopeed at 1:33.

Alejo, 108 lbs of San Juan, PR is now 17-1 with 17 knockouts.  Alejo, 107.8 lbs of Nuevo Leon, MX is 25-5-1.

“It’s taken me 5 years to get here, and I’m cherishing this moment for me and for Puerto Rico,” said Acosta. “I’ve learned a lot since my last fight for a world title against Kosei Tanaka, and this fight proves that I learned and fixed all I needed to win a world championship. My next steps will be up to my promoters, but I know I am in good hands.”

Former world title challenger Ronny Rios took a ten round unanimous decision over Deivis Julio in a featherweight bout.

Rios, 125.2 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93, and is now 29-2.  Julio, 125.8 lbs of Monteria, COL is 19-4.

“It was an ugly win, but we got to accomplish it on the undercard of Miguel Cotto,” said Ronny Rios. “He was a southpaw, with an awkward style. He was also a veteran, so he had his little tricks. Overall, this was a huge motivation, and I’m just glad to get back in my groove.”

Zachary Ochoa won a six-round unanimous decision over Erick Martinez in a welterweight bout.

Ochoa, 144.4 lbs of Brooklyn won by shutout margins of 60-54 on all cards and is now 18-1. Martinez, 145 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 14-10-1.

“This puts me in a great spot in my career,” said Zacary Ochoa. “I was shaking off a lot of dust since I haven’t been able to fight consistently, but this proves to me that I’m still worthy of the sport. I still have work to do, but when I was able to land my shots I was able to connect them crisp and effectively. I hope that I’ll be able to fight a lot more this year.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the test results of the HIV-Positive fighter that competed in Arkansas on November 11th were falsified.

“Since ADH sent [ESPN] a statement [on Monday about the incident], we have learned that the HIV test results submitted to the Arkansas Athletic Commission were falsified,” Meg Mirivel, the public information officer for the ADH, told ESPN.

“The investigation into this issue is ongoing,” Mirivel said. “The ADH is beginning to contact and provide follow-up testing to anyone in contact with the fighter. In addition, we will be working with the Arkansas Athletic Commission to change regulations to require bloodwork for every fighter in Arkansas going forward.”

The fighter had been scheduled to box on a July card in Florida, the matchmaker who made the fight told ESPN, requesting that his name not be used to protect his business interests. As part of the licensing process, the matchmaker sent the fighter for a blood test as is required in Florida. He said it came back HIV positive.

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“I went ahead and retested him again to make sure that the test wasn’t a false positive,” the matchmaker said. “And the test came back positive the second time. The kid was in denial, and he had made a statement that he would fight in Arkansas because of their lax medical requirements. Because of the fighter’s statement, I felt what he was going to attempt to do, with knowledge, [was] a criminal act. Therefore, I notified Frank Gentile with the Florida commission about the fighter’s lab results.

“The kid has been taking medications since then, so it is plausible that if he got tested [in Arkansas] the result could come back negative due to him taking the medication, which suppresses the virus.”

Mirivel said that after ESPN’s story ran Monday afternoon, the ADH reviewed the test results given to the commission. She said it was apparent upon review that the test results were fashioned from two different results — an older negative test result on the same paper with a more recent date, “and they made it look like a current [negative] result.” She added, “We were informed [by Mazzulli] that there might be a potentially HIV-positive fighter on the card, so we asked for test results from all the boxers. It’s not something in the commission rules and regulations. They provided us with their own results. We’re trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We are definitely looking into how to prevent that.”

According to attorney Patrick English, who has decades of experience in boxing and has dealt with falsified test results, if the fighter “forged the test, which is possible, then he is chargeable with forgery, and in Arkansas that is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.”

“If he had somebody else take the test for him, then that wouldn’t apply, but it would be obstruction of governmental functions, which is also a punishable by up to 10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine,” English said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the state of Arkansas let an HIV-Positive fighter compete in a bout on November 11th.

ABC president Mike Mazzulli told ESPN on Monday that he called the health department in Arkansas, which is involved in overseeing medical exams for boxers in the state, to inform the state of about the fighter’s HIV-positive status.

“I personally called a representative of the health department and informed them of the concerns related to them having a fighter on a card with HIV,” said Mazzulli, adding he knows the identity of the fighter, but did not want to make it public in order to protect the person’s medical privacy. “They said to me, ‘The fighters on the card will be tested.’ My assumption was that they were not tested because the individual fought. This individual is suspended in Florida because of a positive HIV test and it was submitted to [official boxing record-keeper] Fight Fax, our federal registry, which is required by federal law.”

“The Department asked for and acquired blood work prior to the fight for all fighters on the card that evening. All fighters provided test results that indicated all tested negative for HIV,” Robert Brech, general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Health, told ESPN in an email. “The matter is under further investigation at this time.”

“If Arkansas had checked the suspension list, this individual would not have fought because this individual was suspended in Florida,” Mazzulli said. “On the Fight Fax it states, ‘Fighter is suspended, please contact Florida commission.’ If they followed proper protocol the fighter would not have been able to fight in Arkansas even if the fighter was tested, because our national registry states he was on suspension. The suspension can only be removed by Florida.”

according to the Arkansas regulations ‘a positive test for the presence of infectious diseases shall result in an immediate suspension of the licensee’s license.’ Thus under the regulations, since Arkansas had actual knowledge of the HIV positive result, the fighter should not have been allowed to engage in a bout and his license should have been suspended.”

Mazzulli posed a few questions in his letter that he said Arkansas officials have not answered:

• Why was an HIV positive fighter allowed to compete?

• Were the opponent, referee and cornermen informed so they could make an informed choice as to whether to participate in the event? Have they been informed to date?

• Was the physician who cleared the boxer to fight informed of his HIV-positive status?

• Did the fighter lie on his license application? (A secondary question, as the commission reportedly had actual knowledge of his tests from Florida.)

“This is one of the most flagrant health and safety violations and may be even a violation of Arkansas’ statute regarding immunodeficiency,” Mazzulli wrote. “This situation is one of the most serious we have seen in many years, and hence we feel compelled to bring this matter to your attention. … Please allow the ABC to assist Arkansas in insuring such a violation does not ever happen again.”

The Super Middleweight world title bout between Tyron Zeuge and Isaac Ekpo has been postponed until 2018, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Team Sauerland promoter Kalle Sauerland, who promotes Zeuge, told ESPN on Sunday that the fight was postponed “due to Zeuge being ill. Rescheduling to March, hopefully.” The rest of the card will go on as planned with the original 10-round co-feature of heavyweight up-and-comer Otto Wallin (18-0, 12 KOs), 27, of Sweden, taking on Gabriel Enguema (8-3, 5 KOs), 33, of Spain, moving into the main event position.

NEW YORK CITY –Sergey Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KO) returned to pre-Andre Ward fight form and captured the WBO world light heavyweight title, blasting through Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (19-2, 16 KO), sending him to the canvas three times inside two rounds en route to a TKO victory.

After a brief “feeling-out” period, where Kovalev was momentarily backed up by a Shabranskyy jab, the 34 year-old Russian marched forward, uncorking massive right hands that seemingly landed at will.  It was midway through the first when a “Krusher” right landed flush on the side of Shabranskyy’s head and sent him down to the mat for the first time.

Upon beating the count, Kovalev greeted his 30 year-old Ukrainian counterpart with more haymakers and eventually connected with an even bigger right that collapsed Shabranskyy to the mat again.  The “Lionheart” beat referee Harvey Dock’s ten count and was able to survive the round.

In the second round, Kovalev picked up right where he left off, fighting as ruthless and relentless as ever, plodding forward and unloading vicious bombs that continually connected with an alarming success rate.

 A left-right-left combo midway through the second sent Shabranskyy down for the third time.  Again, Shabranskyy beat the ten-count, but this time he stood on extremely unsteady legs.  Kovalev continued to wail on an absent Shabranskyy until referee Harvey Dock stepped between the two combatants and called a half to the bout at the 2:36 mark of round two.

It was Kovalev’s first performance since dropping two straight fights to Andre Ward, both controversial in their own right.  In their first meeting, Ward scored a split decision victory, despite hitting the canvas in the second round.  In their rematch, referee Tony Weeks controversially waved off the match in the eighth round after a series of borderline low-blow body shots hurt the 34 year-old Russian and left him defenseless.

 Tonight also marked Kovalev’s first fight working with head trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov.  Previously, Kovalev had been working with John David Jackson.  Rumors of a fractured relationship between Kovalev and Jackson began to swirl between the first and second Ward fights, and in October, the inevitable parting of ways become official when Kovalev formally announced Tursunpulatov as his new coach.

 Prior to tonight’s devastating loss, Shabranskyy was having himself a solid 2017, scoring back to back stoppage wins over Larry Pryor and Todd Unthank May, respectively.  Those wins were enough to land him his first title shot tonight against Kovalev.

 Shabranskyy’s only other loss came courtesy of Sullivan Barrera in December 2016.

 Barrera, who scored a unanimous decision victory earlier in the night against Dominican, Felix Valera, is certainly a candidate to fight for Kovalev’s title in the near future.

 “It’s my goal to be the best in the division,” Kovalev said afterward.  “Here tonight was great boxing for me and I love boxing and I want to make great fights.

Bombs Away — Barrera Scores UD Win Over Valera

Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KO) out-slugged and earned a ten round unanimous decision victory over Felix Valera (15-2, 13 KO) in a light heavyweight contest marred by low-blows.

 There were fireworks from the opening bell and midway through the bout’s first round, the free swinging Dominican, Valera, caught his Cuban counterpart with a monster left hook that sent Barrera down the canvas.  The 35 year-old Barrera was able to shake the knockdown and score one of his own later in the round right as the bell sounded, when a glancing Barrera shot sent an off-balance Valera to the mat.

 The first of four point deductions administered by referee Mike Ortega, Jr. for low blows came in the second round when Valera nailed Barrera below the waistline for the second time.  Valera would also be deducted a point in the sixth and eighth rounds.  Barrera was deducted a point for low blows in the ninth.

 It was a bombs away type affair, with both fighters swinging wildly at times, knowing that they possessed the power to end the fight with one punch.  But time and time again, however, it was Barrera who landed the more meaningful, significant shots.

In an attempt to rattle Barrera flamboyant Valera tried anything he could to disrupt the always-composed Cuban.  The 29 year-old Dominican flailed his arms wildly, stuck his tongue out at Barrera, and even jumped up and down — all to no avail.

 At the end of ten, all judges scored the bout widely for Barrera.  Don Ackerman had it 98-88, Tom Schreck 97-89, and Glenn Feldman 97-90.

 It was another solid win for Barrera, whose only defeat came at the hands of Andre Ward in March 2016.  Barrera last fought in July against Joe Smith, Jr., where much like tonight, he rose off the canvas to score a unanimous decision victory.

 For the durable Valera, it was his second professional defeat, the other coming courtesy of undefeated superstar, Dmitry Bivol.

Gamboa Earns Controversial Decision Over Sosa

Yuriorkis Gamboa (28-2, 17 KO) scored a controversial ten round majority decision victory against Jason Sosa (20-3-4, 15 KO) in what many viewed as a make or break fight for the former three-division world champion.

It was clear early on that the 35 year-old former Olympic Gold Medalist’s gameplan was to stick-and-move, get-in and get-out.  Conversely, Sosa’s plan was to plod forward, apply as much pressure as he could, while landing the bigger, more significant power punches.

After a first round where both fighters staked their flag, Sosa unloaded a looping right that caught Gamboa on the button as the second round drew to a close.  Any Sosa attempt to throw follow up shots were quickly squandered by the dinging of the bell.

Gamboa got right back to work in the middle rounds, however, staying true to his stick-and-move gameplan, landing a few shots, then slipping most of Sosa’s return-fire.

Sosa began to swing the momentum back his way in the sixth, and in the seventh, a Sosa left hook clipped an off-balance Gamboa whose gloved fist made contact with the canvas.  Referee Ron Lipton immediately ruled a knockdown.

The final three rounds saw good action, with Sosa coming forward, and Gamboa trying to hit and move.

In the tenth round, referee Ron Lipton controversially deducted a point from Gamboa for holding.

At the conclusion of ten, judge Robin Taylor scored the contest even, 94-94.  She was overruled by judges John McKaie and Don Trella, who scored the bout 95-93 and 96-92, respectively.  15rounds.com scored the fight 95-94 for Gamboa.

Sosa was initially slated to face Robinson Castellanos (24-13, 14 KO), who scored an upset TKO win against Gamboa in May.  However, an injury earlier this month forced the Mexican to withdraw, and Gamboa was called in as a late replacement.

The win makes it two straight for “El Ciclon” since suffering that shocking defeat to Castellanos.

For Sosa, the tough-luck loss his is second in a row, the other coming back in April courtesy of Vasily Lomachenko.

 “It was a good fight.  I didn’t have enough time to train.  I only had three weeks.  I didn’t have time to get ready.  I needed 2 or 3 more weeks to lose the weight correctly,” Gamboa said afterward.

 He continued, “Of course the decision was good.  I think won every round.  Except for the knockdown and the point deduction.”

 Sosa also spoke afterward, saying, “I was a fun fight.  I took some breaks but I thought I did enough to win. I know I did enough to win the fight.”

Murtazaliev Destroys Galvan In 5, Wins IBA Super Welterweight Title

Bakhram Murtazaliev (11-0, 9 KO) methodically broke down Carlos Galvan (16-6-1, 15 KO) before closing the show in spectacular fashion in the fifth round of a super welterweight contest slated for ten.

 The heavy-handed Russian, who operates under the tutelage of Sergey Kovalev’s new trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov, stalked his Colombian counterpart round after round.  Like waves on a shore, Murtazaliev kept coming forward, forcing Galvan to fight going backwards, something he was clearly uncomfortable doing.

 After four rounds of systematically crushing Galvan’s will, the 24 year-old Russian broke through in the fifth, sending Galvan to the mat with a vicious one-two.  About a minute later, Murtazaliev finished off his wounded foe with a thundering left hook to the liver that put Galvan on the mat for good.  Referee Ricky Gonzalez opted not to administer a ten-count and instead, called a stop to the contest at the 1:31 mark of round five.

It was the fourth stoppage defeat in six overall losses for Galvan.  It was also his fourth time fighting in the United States, and his fourth loss.

Galarza Grabs UD Win In Return To Ring

 Brooklyn’s Frank Galarza (18-2-2, 11 KO) returned to the ring after a fourteen month layoff and scored a unanimous decision win over Chicago’s Jamie Herrera (15-5-1, 8 KO) in an eight round super welterweight contest.

 The victory was hard-earned and well-deserved for Galarza, who had dropped his previous two contests — a TKO loss to Jarrett Hurd and a majority decision loss to veteran Ishe Smith, a fight that saw Galarza hit the canvas in the second round.

 It was a gutsy affair between two veteran prizefighters who each were coming off lengthy layoffs.  For Galarza, who in July inked a new promotional deal with Main Events, the fight marked just his second fight in the last twenty-four months, and the first since September 2016.  For the Mexican-American Herrera, it was just his first fight since November 2016, when he suffered UD loss to Taras Shelestyuk.

The fight was a back and forth contest, with a predictable, but entertaining ebb and flow.  Round after round, both fighters willingly engaged, eating a few shots before landing their own.  But while both fighters enjoyed success over the duration of the contest, it was the 33 year-old Galarza who punches landed cleaner and with more frequency.

In the fifth round, a Galarza right hand opened up a cut over his 28 year-old counterparts left eye.  In the seventh, a booming right to the body by Galarza hurt Herrera, hunching him forward where he was met with a flurry of Galarza lefts and rights until Herrera was able to weather the storm.

The Chicagoan’s high-pressure style was both a blessing and a curse for him in that it seemed to slowly wear down Galarza, but also left him vulnerable to Galarza stick-and-move pot-shots as he tried to work his way inside his reach.  
At the end of eight rounds, all three judges scored the contest for Galarza.  Robin Taylor scored it a shutout 80-72, while referees John McKaie and Allen Nace saw it 78-74 and 79-73, respectively.

 “I feel good after a 14 month layoff, shaking off some ring rust. I’m so grateful for Main Events to put me on their card,” Galarza remarked afterward.

He continued, “Hopefully I’ll be back in the Garden soon. It felt great, it was where I belong. It felt right. Not many places you can call home, but this is one for me.”

 Galarza also acknowledged his legion of fans in the crowd tonight.  “I’m grateful for my supporters, for people who waited it out for me,” he said.  “As a Brooklyn native, a person from New York who’s been around, they support me and that’s the best thing.”

Nursultanov Stays Perfect, Hands Moon First Loss Inside Two

 In a battle that pitted two undefeated middleweights against one another, Kazakhstan’s Meiirim Nursultanov (5-0, 4 KO) made quick work of Marietta, Georgia’s Eric Moon (7-1, 6 KO), stopping him inside two rounds.

 It was all Nursultanov from start to finish, as he pressured and battered Moon from the opening bell.  Midway through the second, Nursultanov pinned Moon against the ropes and wailed away, mixing shots to the body and head.  At the 1:54 mark of the second round, referee Ricky Gonzalez decided Moon had eaten too many uncontested shots and called a halt to the contest.

 The win makes it four kayos in five professional fights for the Egis Klimas managed, Main Events promoted, Nursultanov.

Thunder In His Hands, LeShawn Rodriguez Stops Duarte In 3

 In a middleweight contest slated for six, former New York Golden Gloves Champion and 2016 US Olympic alternate “Lightning” LeShawn Rodriguez (8-0, 7 KO) powered his way past Sao Paolo’s Brazil’s Alex Duarte (13-3-1, 10 KO) en route to a third round KO victory.

It was an impressive display of patience, prowess, and power from the 24 year-old New York native, who balanced his attack, working to both the head and body of his 37 year-old counterpart.

Midway through the second, Rodriguez ripped a left to the body that put Duarte on his knees.  The Brazilian beat Steve Smoger’s ten count and was able to survive the round.

In the third however, a Rodriguez left-right combo to the body and head, sent Duarte to the canvas for good, where he was unable to beat Smogers count.  The official time of stoppage was the 1:48 mark of round three.

It was Duarte’s third loss of his career, all of which have come via stoppage.

“It feels good always to win, but to win by knockout is better, sensational, spectacular,” Rodriguez said afterward.  “I felt at home. A lot of people came out to see me. This is the first time I’ve fought in New York since I turned pro.”

Gogokhia Stays Perfect, Decisions Abreau

 Enriko Gogokhia remained perfect (7-0, 3 KO) with a unanimous decision win over Jose Antonio Abreau (13-3, 8 KO) in a six round welterweight contest.

Action picked up toward the end of the second round when the southpaw, Gogokhia, floored his Dominican counterpart.  The 29 year-old Abrea beat the ten count and was immediately met with a barrage of punches as the round drew to a close.

In the next few rounds, the Egis Klimas managed Gogokhia, pressed his foot on the gas and forced the action, continually getting the better of the boxer’s exchanges.

In the end, all three judges scored it widely for the 26 year-old Georgian native, Gogokhia.  Scores were 60-53 and 59-54, twice.  The judges’ decision resulted in Abreau’s third career loss, all of which have been on US soil.

 “It was a good fight, good opponent with a good record,” Gogokhia said afterward.  “It was harder because the opponent was ready and he also wanted to win. I was just getting started by the last round. Still, a victory is a victory.”

Villareal Kicks Off Pro Campaign With Win

The undercard of Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy kicked off with the successful debut of former two-time New York Golden Gloves champion, Ismael Villareal (1-0).  The former amatuer standout scored a unimous decision victory over Race Sawyer (0-5) in a four round super welterweight contest.

Villareal, who fights out of John’s Gym in the Bronx is trained by his father, former welterweight Otilio Villareal, who over his 32 bout pro career, shared the ring with the likes of Zab Judah, Kermit Cintron, and Hector Camacho.

Villareal controlled the contest bell to bell, bruising and battering Utah’s Sawyer with head snapping blows.  The 21 year old Bronx debutant would have benefitted by putting in more work to his foe’s body, but that was not on the agenda tonight.

All in all, Villareal won’t have too much to complain about tonight.  The Ecuadorian-American pitched a shutout on all three judges scorecards. Don Trella had it 40-35, and John McKaie and Robin Taylor scored it 40-36.

 After the contest, Villareal did speak about having some debut butterflies.

 “It totally felt different than the amateurs,” he said. “There were so many more people looking at me. I was trying to look good, I was focused on the knockout because it was my very first professional fight.

“I learned I have to work harder and be careful not to get hit.”

The World Boxing Super Series bout between George Groves and Chris Eubank, Jr. will takes place on February 17th in Manchester, England, According to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Thomas LaManna took home a ten round unanimous decision over rugged Samuel Amoako in the headline bout of an eight bout card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

The victory earned LaManna the LBF Intercontinental title.

LaManna worked behind a strong jab and constantly had Amoako in a defensive mindset. LaManna kept up what was working for him as he used a stiff jab to set up hard body shots. LaManna out on continuous pressure for which Amoako had no answer for.

LaManna, 147 lbs of Millville, NJ won on all cards by the shutout margin of 100-90 and is now 25-2. Amoako of Silver Spring, MD via Ghana is 23-17.

Jorge Diaz got off the deck to take home a eight-round unanimous decision over Adam Lopez and capture the WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight title.

In round two, Lopez dropped Diaz with a short right hand. Diaz gathered himself and began countering well and taking rounds. It was a close and competitive fight down the stretch with Diaz taking all cards by 76-75 tallies.

Diaz, 121.4 lbs of New Brunswick, NJ is now 19-5-1. Lopez, 121.4 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 16-2-2.

Yurik Mamedov won a workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over Vincent Floyd in a welterweight bout.

Mamedov, 146.7 lbs of Brooklyn, N y won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice to remain perfect at 8-0. Floyd, 146.3 lbs of Philadelphia drops to 3-4-1.

Alvin Varmall destroyed Nicholas Lavin 97 seconds into their scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

Varmall jumped all over Lavin, and finally put him down for the ten-count.

Varmall, 183 lbs of La Place, LA is now 14-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Lavin, 192 lbs

Tomas Romain made it two straight over Sidell Blocker by winning a unanimous decision in a six-round

In round six, Blocker began to leak blood from his right nostril.

Romain, 131.4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 60-54 twice and 60-55.

Romain is now 5-1. Blocker, 13o.5 lbs of Pleasntville, NJ s 1-10-1.

Jonathan Arroyo was dropped, but hung on to make his pro debut a successful one as he took a four round unanimous decision over Steve Moore in a welterweight bout.

Arroyo controlled the action, but in round four, Moore landed a hard right that sent Arroyo to his knees.

Arroyo, 145.7 lbs of New York is 1-0. Moore, 146.5 lbs of Orange, NJ is 0-2.

Frederick Julan remained perfect by stopping Willis Lockett after five rounds of their scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

Julan, 181.5 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Lockett, 182 lbs is now Takoma Park, MD is now 15-22-6.

Milan Melindo and Ryoichi Tagauchi will engage on an 108 pound unification bout on December 31st in Tokyo, Japan, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I have waited for this, and finally it’s here,” Melindo said at his news conference. “I am confident as always. I love fighting in Japan, and I am excited to face their champion. I recovered and rested well after my battle with Budler. I believed my training will be enough for this one.”

“This is something big not only for ALA Promotions but for Philippine boxing,” ALA promotions’ Michael Aldeguer said. “The Japanese boxers are dominating the boxing scene in the small weight divisions right now, and it is a great challenge for Milan to put them on notice.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the December 9th bout between Vasul Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux will have a 2nd day weigh in clause.

Neither fighter will be allowed to blow up to more than 138 pounds immediately after the weigh-in, because at 9 a.m. on the day of the fight there will be a weight check, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.

“Rigondeaux’s team broached the subject when we were negotiating the fight, so we went to Lomachenko and [manager] Egis [Klimas] with it,” Moretti said. “Lomachenko and Egis said they had no problem with it, so it’s in the contract.”

“It was one of the original negotiating points, and we had no problem with it,” Moretti said. “I don’t think there will be that big of a difference when they stand next to each other in the ring. There isn’t a big physical size difference between them, and Lomachenko doesn’t put on a lot of weight after the weigh-in anyway. Size is not what will determine the outcome of this fight.

“If the weight check was something that helped make the fight, which it did, then why not when it wasn’t a big problem? It showed just how much ‘Loma’ really wanted this fight.”

Jose Martinez stopped Jesus Martinez in round four of a scheduled ten-round super flyweight bout at The Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Jose dropped Jesus with a body shot at the end of round three, and then it was another body shot in round four that put Jesus down and the fight was stopped at 19 seconds.

Jose Martinez, 115 lbs of Mayaguez, PR is 20-0-1 with 13 knockouts. Jesus Martinez, 114.4 lbs of Monteria, COL is 23-3.

“I’m very happy with the win,” said Jose Martinez. “I thought that it would last longer, but the goal was accomplished. The knockout is what we wanted, though we were prepared to go the distance. I’ll let my promoter, Miguel Cotto Promotions, decide what’s next for me. This victory is for Puerto Rico. I want to thank all the Puerto Rican people for their support.”

Alexis Rocha stopped Pascual Salgado in round one of a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

In round one, Rocha landed a perfect left-right combination that sent Selagado to the canvas. Selgado did not get up, and the fight was waved off at 1:46.

Rocha, 146.4 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 10-0 with seven knockouts. Salgado, 147 lbs of Cartagena, COL is 12-8.

“I started off by throwing my jab, and I was patient,” said Alexis Rocha. “He [Salgado] was throwing a lot of straight right hands, so when he threw the right hand, I slipped it and came back with my left hook [to the body]. My coach is always telling me to have fun, be patient and relax. I don’t want to just rely on one punch. I want to mix it up and be just as good at defense as I am at offense.”

Vergil Ortiz Jr. made quick work of Evandro Cavalheiro by stopping him 21 seconds into their Scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

Seconds into the bout, Ortiz landed a booming right that sent Cavalheiro to the canvas. The punch was ruled behind the head and Ortiz was deducted a point. But that was over ruled after looking at replays and the punch was ruled a legal punch.

Ortiz, 139.6 lbs of Dallas, TX remains perfect at 8-0 with 8 knockouts. Cavalheiro, 138.4 lbs of Santa Catarina, BRA is 9-4.

“I hit him on the side of the head, but the referee saw something different,” said Vergil Ortiz, Jr. “I knew he was done, but for a second I thought I’d get disqualified or get a no contest. Then I heard it was ruled a technical knockout, and I was delighted. In 2018, I hope to fight for a small title.”