Middleweight’s Taureano Johnson and Sergiy Derevyanchenko will meet in an IBF Middleweight elimination bout later this year, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

LAS VEGAS – The end was abrupt and unceremonious. Yuriorkis Gamboa quit on his stool after seven rounds. His comeback was over. Maybe, a once promising career was too.

Gamboa (26-2, 17 KOs), a former IBF and WBA featherweight champion, looked all of his 35 years, suffering knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds in a stunning loss to Mexican lightweight Robinson Castellanos (24-12,14 KOs) Friday night at the MGM Grand.

Gamboa, who recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions, flashed some familiar footwork and counter-punching power in the first two rounds. In the third, however, he dropped his hands and Castellanos capitalized in the round’s closing second, dropping the Cuban with a straight right hand.

During the first minute of the fourth, Castlellanos again dropped his hands and Castellano’s again took advantage of the moment, this time dropping him with long right.

Gamboa, a gold-medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, appeared to regain his composure and mobility late in the fifth and again in the sixth. After the seventh however, he went to his corner and seemed to almost collapse on his stool in exhaustion.

Jesus Rojas stopped previously undefeated Abraham Lopez in round eight of their scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.

In round two, Rojas dropped Lopez with a straight right hand. Rojas sent Lopez down in a round four from a hard combination.

In round eight, it was an overhand right that sent Lopez down. Rojas continued to pound away at Lopez and referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout at 1:40.

Rojas, 126 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 25-1-2 with 18 knockouts. Lopez, 126 lbs of La Puenta, CA is 22-1-1.

“It’s almost three years since I’ve fought in the U.S.; this win is the opportunity to be on the global stage, and take on world champions,” Rojas said. “I promised my father that I would become a world champion, and even though he is not with me any more, I carry on our dream. I hope that by the end of the year, I am competing for an interim title or even a world championship.”
“It’s tough to swallow, I’m still processing it, but it happens,” Lopez said. “After this, I know I’m going to go back to the drawing board and start training hard again.”

In a battle of undefeated middleweights, Yamaguchi Falcao won a 10-round unanimous decision over Morgan Fitch.

Falcao, 160 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 13-0. Fitch, 161 lbs of Pittsburgh, PA is 18-1-1.

Falcao landed 157 of 494 punches. Fitch landed 71 of 303.

“It’s been five months since I’ve been in the ring since my last fight,” Falcao said. “I had a lot of trouble adjusting and finding my rhythm. It’s a journey, and I’m glad I got the win but if I want to reach my goal of fighting the big time fighters I have to improve everywhere.”

“I don’t know what happened in there,” Fitch said. “I just know that I could have done better and been more serious in there. I’m at a loss of words.”

Vergil Ortiz, Jr. remained perfect by stopping Angel Sarinana in round three of their scheduled four round super lightweight bout.

Ortiz dropped Sarinana with a perfect right uppercut in round three. Sarinan got to his feet, but was wobbly and referee Jack Reiss sopped the bout at 1:44.

Ortiz, 140 lbs of Dallas, TX is 5-0 with five knockouts. Sarinana, 139.5 lbs of Durango, MX is 7-6-2.

“I saw him get hurt in the first round when hit him in the body with a hook,” Ortiz said. “Since that moment, I was just looking for the opportunity to get the knock out, but he was a tough guy and was able to make it through. In the third round, I saw him lose he guard, and I landed my uppercut that sent him to the floor. I think after this, I’m ready to increase my rounds. I think I am ready to take on some tougher opponents.”

Former world champion Argenis Mendez won a 10-round split decision over Ivan Redkach in a junior welterweight bout at the Sportsman’s Lodge in Studio City, California.

Mendez of San Juan, DR won by scores of 96-93, 95-94 and Redkach won a card 95-94.

Mendez, 136.8 lbs is now 24-5-1. Redkach, Bkovah, UK is 20-3-1.

Stated a visibly upset Redkach, “The judges were wrong. I won that fight.

“I felt that I knocked him down and the referee didn’t call it and he took the point away and that cost me. I never felt any pain. I fought like I wanted to and I thought I did enough.

“They were wrong. This was my night.”

Said the happy and victorious Mendez, “I used my skill and my speed throughout the fight, but I waited to come forward until the fourth or fifth round. I knew he wasn’t going to be able to knock me out because I have great defense. I see every punch.

“I definitely slipped both times I went down. He didn’t even hit me.

“Ivan is a tough warrior. He throws a lot of wild punches and he hit me in the back of the head several times. I thought the scorecards were too close. I thought I won by a much larger margin.”

Brandon Figueroa remained perfect as he won a eight round unanimous decision over Luis Saavedra in a super bantamweight bout.

Saavedra began to bleed from his nose in round six.

Figueroa, 121.8 lbs of Weslaco, TX won by scores of 78-74 and 79-73 twice, and is now 12-0. Saavedra, 121.2 lbs of San Luis Potosi, MX is 7-3.

Said Figueroa, “I worked the body and tried to finish it in the later rounds, but he was a tough opponent. I knew by the third or fourth round that it was going to be a really tough fight so I kept my distance, but kept trying to punish the body.

“He is a Mexican fighter that has never been knocked down so that says a lot about him right there. I knew he was going to be tough.

“I want to wait and fight next on a card with my brother and it depends when that will be, but I will be ready.”

Countered Saavedra, “He kept hitting the body, but he couldn’t take me down. He isn’t as tough as everyone says.

“I was prepared, but the travel here took a lot out of me and I didn’t feel 100 percent today. I trained 100 percent, but I wasn’t at my best in the ring, but that is how it goes.

“I wish Brandon the best of luck in his career.”

In a back and forth brawl, Jonathan Torres won a six-round unanimous decision over Antonio Santa Cruz in a bantamweight bout.

Torres, 117.8 lbs of Tlajomulco, MX won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 and is now 8-5-1. Santa Cruz, 117.6 lbs of San Gabriel, CA is 5-3.

Said the victorious Torres, “I stuck to my game plan. I went forward and tried to counter every punch. If he threw one, I would try to throw five. I never really felt his power. He hit me with a good shot in the first, but after that I wasn’t fazed.

“I was motivated by all the fans cheering me on in the crowd and knowing I had a lot of people rooting for me watching at home. I really appreciate the support and can’t wait to get back in the gym.”

Stated a disappointed Santa Cruz, “He was applying a lot of pressure. He is shorter than me, so that was his game plan and it worked.

“He has good experience. This was my first six round fight. He had fought 10 rounds before. Not trying to make excuses though. He just got the better of me. I came prepared, but he did what he had to do to win.”

Claudio Marrero won the WBA Interim Featherweight championship with an emphatic 1st round stoppage over previously undefeated Carlos Zambrano at Sam’s Town Casino in Las Vegas.

Marrero dropped Zambrano with a perfect left-right, and he could not beat the count at 1:30.

Marrero of Santo Domingo, DR is now 22-1 with 16 knockouts. Zambrano of Peru is 26-1.

Nate Gallimore scored a 6th round stoppage over previously undefeated Jason Rosario in a scheduled ten round middleweight fight.

In round six, Gallimore dropped Rosario with a left hand. Moments later, a right uppercut sent Rosario to the deck. Gallimore finished the job by landing a hard left hook that was followed by a right that dropped Rosario for a 3rd and final time, and the bout was stopped at 2:15.

Gallimore is now 18-1-1 with 15 knockouts. Rosario is 12-1.

Juan Heraldez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Alfonso Olvera in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Herladez dropped Olvera with a left hook to the head.

Heraldez of Las Vegas, NV won by scores of 79-72 and 78-73 twice and is now 12-0. Olvera of Tucson, AZ is 8-4-1.

In a battle of undefeated super middleweights, Kevin Newman stopped Pablo Velez in round one of their scheduled six-round bout.

Newman landed a hard uppercut that was followed by a right that sent Velez down. Velez got to his fight, but the fight was stopped at 2:19.

Newman is now 7-0-1 with three knockouts. Velez is now 7-1-1.

Daniel Gonzalez remained undefeated by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Mario Ayala in a super bantamweight tussle.

Gonzalez won on two cards 40-36 and 39-37, and is now 3-0. Ayala us 5-4-1,

Anthony Joshua scored a thrilling 11th round stoppage over former world champion Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 screaming fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

Joshua controlled the action over the first four rounds, as Klitschko did not throw much.

The fight started in round five, as Joshua came out with reckless abandon to start the round and landed some booming shots that hurt Klitschko.  Moments later, Joshua landed a combination that sent Klitschko to the canvas.   Klitschko was bleeding over the left eye. Joshua went in for the finish, but that proved show inexperience as he may have punched himself out, and Klitschko started landing and hurting the London native.  Joshua was winded and almost out on his feet as the 5th round ended.  In round six, Klitschko landed his  booming right hand that sent Joshua to the canvas.  Joshua was hurt badly and was barely able to make it out of round six.

Both guys landed some good shots over the next several rounds, until Joshua started in onslaught in the 11th round.

Joshua started it with a massive uppercut that rocked and stunned Klitschko badly.  Joshua jumped on Klitschko and landed big shots that sent Klitschko down.  Klitschko got to his feet, but dumped my more heavy shots again.  Joshua finished the fight by landing a flurry of punches on a defeated Klitschko, and referee David Fields stopped the bout at 2:25.

Joshua, 250 1/2 lbs of London is now 19-0 with 19 knockouts.  Klitschko, 240 1/2 lbs is now 64-5.

Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will not fight in June, but instead see how the May 6 fight between Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. shakes out, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Gennady is not going [to] fight in June,” Golovkin Promoter Tom Loeffler told ESPN during the Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko open workout at Wembley Arena on Tuesday. “It was a quick turnaround after the Jacobs fight, and we would have liked to have done a fight with Billy Joe Saunders, but it was just too quick of a turnaround. So we’ll see now, when Gennady is ready to fight, what the biggest opportunities are.”

“They still are anxious to have him. They want him to be there, and Gennady wanted to fight over there, but it would have been too quick of a turnaround,” Loeffler said. “It was 12 hard rounds [with Jacobs].”

“We’ll see what happens. If Chavez wins, we’d love to have a Chavez fight, also,” Loeffler said. “If Canelo wins, that would be the priority. I’m still in contact with Golden Boy. I speak to [Golden Boy president] Eric Gomez probably like twice a week. We’ll see what happens on May 6 and see if we can make a deal.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker will defend his title against Razvan Cojanu on May 6th. Cojanu will replace Hughie Fury who had to pull out with an injured back.

Yordenis Ugas stopped Nelson Lara in round two of their scheduled ten round super welterweight bout at The Fitgerald’s Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.

Ugas, who was a last minute replacement overwhelmed the smaller Lara, and landed an uppercut that dropped Lara. Lara got up, but he was bleeding from his left eye and referee Bill Clancy stopped the bout at 20 seconds.

Ugas, 153.2 lbs of Santiago, CUB is 19-3 with 9 knockouts. Lara, 152.4 lbs of Caazo, NIC is 17-8

“I always stay ready in the gym and I was in great shape to deliver a spectacular performance tonight,” said Ugas. “I wanted to attack the body and make this a short night. I’m happy I was able to give the fans a knockout.

“I want any of the world class fighters in the welterweight division,” said Ugas. “I’m ready to fight anyone and prove that I’m as good as any fighter out there.”

Levan Ghvamichava won a ten round unanimous decision over Oscar Molina in a welterweight bout.

Ghvamichava controlled the bout with his pressure, but suffered a cut over his right eye in the final round.

Ghvamichava, 149 lbs of the Georgia Republic won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93. and is now 18-3-1. Molina, 149 lbs of Norwalk, CA is 13-2.

CARSON, Calif. – It was tactical. It was punishing. It was exhilarating. And exhausting.

In the end, Oscar Valdez Jr., did it all and endured it all, relying on wits, stubborn poise and educated footwork in the beginning and inexhaustible guts in the end for a signature victory over tough and powerful Miguel Marriaga Saturday night at StubHub Center.

Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs) tested himself repeatedly and perhaps in ways he didn’t have to in retaining his WBO featherweight title with a 119-108, 116-111, 118-109 decision.

“Oscar made it a little harder on himself than he needed to, but he’s fighter at heart,’’ his trainer, Manny Robles, said.

It’s that heart that delivered a statement Valdez wanted to make. Before opening bell, Valdez said he was as good as Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton, Gary Russell Jr., Abner Mares and the other elites at the top of the featherweight division. After his stirring triumph over Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs), they’ll have to make room him at the head table.

For most of nine rounds, Valdez’ sustained a tactical brilliance that kept Marriaga chasing, yet mostly missing with a powerful right hand. It was in the 10th that Valdez began to walk straight into harm’s way. Marriaga landed that right. Off-balance, Valdez countered with quick left that knocked down Marriaga.

The round ended with one wild exchange after another. Both fighters walked back their corners, looking dazed and exhausted. But it continued in the 11th. When the bell sounded for the 12th, Valdez walked out to meet Marriaga. He said something before the first punch was thrown.

“I told him this is a great fight and let’s finish it with great round,’’ said Valdez, the –two-time Mexican Olympian who was born in Nogales and went to school in Tucson.

That’s what they did with punching exchanges that brought a StubHub crowd of more 5,000 to its feet. After it was all over Marriaga walked over to Valdez as he wearily stood in the middle of the ring doing interviews.

“You are a great champion,’’ Marriaga said as he also said thanks. “You’re a great fighter.’’

An elite one, too.

Gilberto Ramirez wins dull decision in comeback

Gilberto Ramirez needed test drive. It wasn;t exciting. Then again, a test drive isn’t supposed to be. In his first fight in a year, he just wanted to test his healed right hand and put himself back in the mix.

Mission accomplished.

Ramirez (350-, 24 KOs) scored a unanimous decision over Max Bursak (33-5-1, 15 KOs) , retaining his WBO super-middleweight title in his first defense.

“Who’s next? Ramirez said after a dull 12 rounds.

Jessie Hart said he should be. Hart approached press row and yelling:

“It’s got to happen now! We can’t wait. We’re both in our prime. Jesse Hart wants Gilberto Ramirez now.”

Ramirez says he’d like a fight Gennady Golovkin.

“I want to prove myself as a pound-for-pound fighter,’’ he said.

Technically, Stevenson does what he has to in debut decision

There were boos. There was blood. There might have been an injury. Welcome to the pros, Shakur Stevenson.

Within just five rounds, Stevenson got an introduction to what every professional sees throughout a career. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist from Newark emerged with the victory everybody expected. But it wasn’t exactly pretty. It goes into the book as a technical unanimous decision over Edgar Brito (3-3-1, 2 KO)

There wasn’t anything technical about Stevenson’s superior hand speed or Brito’s edgy toughness. Both were there, obvious from the beginning and jarring midway through the fight. In the third round, Stevenson had his back on the ropes. Brito , a Phoenix featherweight, lunged, leading with his head. It was intentional and – karma-like — it only bloodied Brito, who was left with a long gash above one eye.

Before the scheduled sixth and final round, it was suddenly over. Ring physician Dr. Eddie Hernandez looked at the blood poring into Brito’s right eye and ended it amid grumbling from a surprised StubHub crowd. There was no doubt on the scorecards. Stevenson won every round.

“It was great work,’’ said Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who signed Stevenson a few months ago in what was hailed as promotional coup. “He did what he had to. He’ll get better.’’

On Stevenson manager Andre Ward’s report card, the debut rated an A.

What was unclear, however, was whether Stevenson hurt his left hand. He shook it over the last rounds as if the hand was hurting. He danced around questions about whether he had in fact sustained an injury during a night that will probably be remembered as a learning experience.

Magdaleno impressive in first defense

First, there was the evidence. Then, there was the promise.

Jessie Magdaleno delivered both, including a right and left, in scoring a second-round stoppage of Adeilson Dos Santos on the pay-per-view opener of a Top Rank produced card.

“I’m going to be a champion for a very long time,’’ Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs) said after retaining the WBO’s 122-pount belt in his first defense.

There were no arguments, especially from Dos Santos (18-3, 14 KOs), a Brazilian who went down midway through the second from long right hook and for the last time from a left uppercut to the chin at 51 seconds of the round.

Who’s next? Anybody with a belt, Magdaleno said.

Magdaleno’s most-wanted list appears to be topped by Guillermo Rigondeaux, the Cuban who has bored everybody who has watched him and beaten everybody who has faced him.

Best of the Undercard

Junior-welterweight Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist from Uzbekistan, had never fought as a pro. Never won as a pro. Gaibnazarov, who signed with Manager of the Year Egis Klimas, also says he had never been knocked down. Let’s just say he made a quadruple debut Saturday.

Gaibnazarov answered his first pro bell, hit the canvas for the first time seconds later, got up for the first time and went on to claim his debut victory with a crushing knockout of Puerto Rican Victor Vazquez (7-3, 3 KOs) at 1:28 of the second round.

The Rest

Russian welterweight Alexander Besputin (7-0, 5 KOs) won every round, for a one-sided scorecard victory over Colombian Breidis Prescott (30-10, 20 KOs), known as the “Khanqueror” in better days. Since he exposed Amir Khan’s chin with stunning stoppage in 2008, Prescott is 10-10.

Russian junior welterweight Maxim Dadashev (7-0, 6 KOs), another prospect on Klimas’ deep roster, threw a left-handed shot that echoed through a still-empty StubHub Center, knocking Bilal Mahasin (9-4-1, 1 KO) onto his back and out of consciousness at 2:09 of the third round.

Mexican Mahonri Montes (31-6-1, 20 KOs) scored fifth-round knockdown that proved to be the pirvotal difference in a wild, split decision over Francisco Santana (24-6-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Barbara, Calif., in the final bout on the non-televised part of the card.

Keenan Smith stopped Edgar Gabejan in round seven of their scheduled eight round super lightweight bout that headlined a six bout card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

The show was promoted by GH3 Promotions and D and D Management.

Smith dominated the action, as Gabejan was reduced to lunging holding and even went to the canvas several times for slips. Smith was able to score a knockdown in round seven from a flurry of punches. Smith was fully in control and stepped on the gas in the seventh, as he dropped Gabejan for a second time from a flurry of body punches. Gabejan got to his feet, but he had taken enough punishment and the fight was stopped at 1:43.

Smith of Philadelphia is now 11-0 with five knockouts. Gabejan of the Philippines is 27-34-7.

Kenneth Sims, Jr. remained undefeated by stopping Israel Villela in round three of their scheduled six-round super lightweight bout.

Sims battered a tough Villela, and then in round two cut him around the right eye. In round three, Sims landed three flush blows, and the bout was stopped at 1:03.

Sims of Chicago is 12-0 with 4 knocouts. Villela of Cancun, MX is 6-5-2.

Heavyweight’s Tyrell Wright and Dan Pasciolla fought to a 6-round draw.

Both fighter’s took a card 58-56, and a third card read even at 57-57.

Wright of Jersey City, NJ is 9-0-2. Pasciolla of Brick, NJ is 9-2-2.

John Bauza needed just 17 seconds to destroy Francis Gakpetor in the scheduled six-round super lightweight bout.

Bauza decked Gakpetor with a hard 1-2 and and the fight was over soon as he hit the gorund.

Bauza of North Bergen, NJ is 6-0 with three knockouts. Gakpetor of Ghana is 2-4-1.

iDylan Price stopped Chris Nelson in round three of their scheduled four round super flyweight bout.

Price started to beatdown Nelson in round two, and in round three battered Nelson until putting him down with a body shot, and the fight was stopped at 2:37.

sPrice of Sicklerville, NJ is 2-0 with two knockouts. Nelson of Kentucky is 1-4.

Emmanuel Rodriguez made a successful pro debut with a four-round split decision over Jaxel Marrero in a bantamweight bout.

Rodriguez of Newark, NJ took two cards by 39-37 tallies, while Marrero took a card 39-37.

Marrero of Puerto Rico falls to 1-8-2.

BROOKLYN, NY — In an ugly fight marred by headbutts, Shawn Porter scored a hard-nosed TKO stoppage over Andre Berto.

After a first round where both fighters jockeyed for position, the action picked up in the second round. Early in the second round, Porter charged forward and pinned Berto against the ropes. Once Berto had nowhere to go, Porter went to work. The Akron, Ohio native unloaded shots with both hands, finding success to the body and head of Berto. At some point during the inside exchange, a clash of heads caused a deep cut over Porter’s right eye. With about twenty seconds left in the round, both fighters threw right hands, but it was Porter’s punch that landed with impact, catching Berto high atop his head and sending him to the mat.

The following rounds played out like a street fight with Porter continuously bull-rushing Berto, forcing the action to take place inside the proverbial phone booth. Towards the end of the fourth round, both fighters received cuts courtesy of headbutts. Berto’s cut appeared just above his left eye and Porter’s fresh gash left him with slits over both eyes.

It was clear that Porter wanted to fight close, to fight nose-to-nose. Somewhat surprisingly, Berto seemed helpless to prevent Porter’s forward charges. In the past, Berto has uncoiled fight-ended uppercuts that would have been the perfect remedy to Porter’s head-down bull-rushes. Tonight, those punches never landed because they were never thrown.

Henceforth, the brawl continued through the middle rounds with Porter continuing to do his best work in tight spaces. Seemingly all of round eight was spent with Berto’s back to the ropes while Porter banged away at his body.

In the ninth round, Porter kept the heat on, firing away while charging forward. After a combination of punches, some of which got through Berto’s defense cleanly, a straight right sent Berto flailing backward where he was held upright by the ropes. Referee Mark Nelson scored a knockdown and administered a count.

In complete control of the fight, Porter kept his foot on the gas and continued to rain down punches on a defenseless Berto. At the 1:31 mark of the ninth round, referee Mark Nelson decided Berto had been punished enough and called a halt to the bout.

After the fight, Porter spoke about the headbutts. “I got to clean up those head butts. We tried to use the whole ring, but sometimes in the heat of the battle, I’m a fighter and Mr. Berto is a fighter as well, those head butts were just the two of us going in and fighting,” he said.

Berto, clearly upset about the headbutts also spoke after the contest. “I have to give him credit, but he’s a rough fighter. He has great skills but, at the same time, he’s going to be rough and try to handle me anyway he can…We had a good, competitive fight until the head butts got to be a little too much for me. But I thought it was a really good fight before that.”

With the TKO loss, Berto suffers his fifth professional defeat. Porter’s record improves to 27-2, 17KO.

Jermell Charlo made a statement. In what was arguably the biggest fight of his career, Charlo one-punch KO’d Charles Hatley to retain his WBC Welterweight Championship. It was a scary ending to a fight that seemed to be leading up to that dramatic moment from the get-go.

The opening round started slow with neither fighter landing any punches of significance. The fighters continued to jockey for position through much of the second round, but as it drew to a close Charlo unleashed a straight right that caught Hatley where the neck meets the collarbone and sent him stumbling backwards to the ropes. Charlo hustled toward the off-balance Hatley, but the bell sounded before Charlo could inflict any more damage.

Charlo, perhaps gaining confidence from how the previous round concluded, started round three aggressively. About a minute into the round, Charlo rocked Hatley with a huge one-two – the right landed flush on the side of Hatley’s head and set him crashing hard to the canvas. Hatley beat the ten count, regained his legs, and was able to escape further punishment for the rest of the round.

Rounds four and five saw Charlo turn up the heat and keep the pressure on. He controlled the pace and tempo of both rounds and continued to look for openings where he could unleash that straight right.

Charlo came out of the corner in round six like a man possessed. From the bell Charlo let both hands fly, unleashing a swarm of punches that seemed to overwhelm Hatley. Hatley decided to try and bang back with Charlo, but during an exchange near the corner of the ring Charlo delivered a murderous right that knocked Hatley out cold before his body hit the canvas. Referee Harvey Dock immediately stopped the bout. The official time of stoppage was :32 of round six.

“I used that jab to set up the right hand,” Charlo said after the fight. “I knew Charles Hatley goes down and he gets back up – he’s a warrior – and I knew I had to get in there and be a lion.”

With that spectacular KO victory, Charlo continues to win and do so in style. His record now reads 29-0, 14KO. Hatley, who was coming off two solid wins against veterans Saul Roman and Anthony Mundine, suffers his first defeat since 2012 and drops to 26-2-1, 18KO.

Home crowd favorite Amanda Serrano became boxing’s first female fighter to capture five world titles when she stopped her Dominican counterpart Dahiana Santana in the seventh round of their bantamweight title bout. Serrano fought slick fight, landing her punches and moving out of danger. Only once, early in round four, did Santana pose any threat of danger when she landed a hard left hook, which momentarily wobbled Serrano. Later in that same round, Santana would have a point deducted for holding.

In the seventh round, Serrano continued to apply pressure and after a seemingly mild flurry of punches, referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. decided Santana had endured enough punishment and stopped the contest at the 1:14 mark of round 8.

After the bout, Serrano spoke about what becoming the first female to win five world titles means to her. “It means everything to me…we’ve worked so hard for this moment. To be the first fighter to do so and the first Puerto Rican to do so…I’m so proud to be Puerto Rican,” she said, fighting back tears. “It feels so good to be Boricua, it’s in my heart…I can retire today and be the happiest woman alive.”

The history-making victory boosts Serrano’s professional record to 32-1-1, 24 KO. Santana’s record now stands at 35-9, 15KO.

The first of Showtime Extreme’s televised bouts saw two heavy-handed KO artists slug it out for six-plus rounds until Jose Miguel Borrego finally finished off John Delperdang via TKO.

Borrego controlled the action in the first round, continuously planting vicious shots to both sides of Delperdang’s exposed torso. During the one-minute interval between the first and second rounds, both fighters’ must have decided it was worth taking a shot to land one. The ensuing rounds saw a perpetual give and take that at times had the early arriving Brooklyn crowd on it’s feet.

Borrego’s most successful punch of the night was his left uppercut – a punch that he landed at will throughout the fight – and a punch that caused Delperdang’s nose to break and leak blood from round three on.

Few and far between, Delperdang’s best moments came courtesy his left-hook, which he was able to land periodically during the middle rounds.

Although the middle rounds saw some explosive exchanges between the two fighters, the tide turned for good in round six when Borrego continued his onslaught of uppercuts, mixed with sharp combinations that Delperdang had no answer for.

In the seventh round, Borrego sensed blood in the water and kicked up the pressure. Borrego was on Delperdang from the bell, landing at will and backing his opponent to the ropes. Borrego stalked his Delperdang from one end of the ring to the other until he was able to land a fight-ending uppercut that caused referee Eric Dali to step between fighters and call a stop to the bout. The time of stoppage was 2:01 of the seventh round.

Borrego wins for the second time on US soil, both by stoppage, and improves his record to 12-0, 11KO. Delperdang has now lost two consecutive bouts and his record now reads 10-3, 9KO.

In the night’s third contest, Brooklyn’s Jason Sosa scored a crowd-pleasing TKO win over Emmanuel Valadez. Sosa started the fight composed and aggressive, fighting on his terms and forcing Valadez back on his heels. Midway through the opening round, Sosa landed a crisp left hook that found Valadez’s chin and dropped him to the mat.

Sosa continued to wear down his foe over the next round a half until he fired an overhand right that rocketed over Valadez’s defense and sent him crashing to the canvas. Before Valadez had a chance to beat the ten count, referee Alan Harkins stopped the bout at the 1:55 mark of round three.

With the win, Sosa remains undefeated and bolsters his record to 8-0-1, 3KO. Valadez still has yet to the go the distance in any of his seven professional fights. His record drops to 3-4, with all four losses coming by knockout.

Joseph Williams improved his unblemished record to 12-0 with a third round TKO victory against battle-tested veteran Felipe Romero. Williams controlled the fight from the onset, applying pressure and varying his punches, scoring freely behind his jab.

Midway through the third round Williams landed a heat-seeking right that sent Romero stumbling from one corner to another. As Williams walked down his prey to inflict more punishment, Benjy Esteves Jr. jumped between fighters and called a halt to the contest at the 2:43 mark of the third round. Williams joins the likes of David Benavidez, Oleksandr Usyk, and Krzysztof Glowacki as fighters who have TKO’d the hard-nosed Mexican. The loss drops Romero’s record to 19-13-1.

Staten Island’s Kenny Robles defeated Latorie Woodberry via first round TKO. It was the second time Robles has scored a victory over Woodberry in 2017. They first met at the Barclay’s Center in January where judges awarded a unanimous decision victory.

This time, after being touched early in the fight’s opening minute, Robles turned up the pressure and after landing a series of punches, staggered Woodberry. Robles never let up and Woodberry never recovered. Referee Eric Dali jumped in to stop the contest at the 1:53 mark of the opening round.

Robles moves to 2-0, 1 KO, with both wins coming against Woodberry in Brooklyn. Woodberry’s record now stands at 1-4-1.

Former Haitian Olympian, Richardson Hitchins scored a four round unanimous decision victory over Alex Picot. Hitchins controlled the bout from start to finish and seemingly scored at will, but will likely be disappointed that he was unable to stop his Puerto Rican counterpart. Hitchins starts his career 2-1, 1KO, while Picot falls to 2-3-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Hughie Fury has withdrawn from his May 6th WBO World Heavyweight title fight with Joseph Parker.

“Duco Events was today notified by the World Boxing Organization that mandatory No. 1 challenger Hughie Fury has an injury and will be unable to challenge champion Joseph Parker for the heavyweight title on May 6th in Auckland,” Duco Events spokesman Craig Stanaway said. “The World Boxing Organization has, therefore, advised Duco Events to investigate the possibility of Joseph Parker making a voluntary defense of his heavyweight title against an opponent ranked in the top 15 of the (WBO) world rankings. Duco Events is currently investigating all options.”

“It’s disappointing to say the least,” Carl Moretti, vice president of Parker’s co-promoter Top Rank, told ESPN. “Have to really wonder if Fury really wanted the opportunity in the first place.”

Michael Perez won a 10-round split decision over Marcelino Lopez in a junior welterweight bout at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Perez built up a nice lead, but in round eight he was dropped by a perfect left hook. In round nine, Perez started to bleed over his right eye.

Perez, 141 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 97-92 and 96-93, while Lopez took a card at 96-93.

Lopez is 25-2-2. Lopez, 140 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 31-2-1.

“I won the fight for sure,” said Perez. “My plan was to go in and box him, and work him with my jab. I knew I won, but know I could’ve been better if I had more rest before. Next time I fight, I’m going to the best I can be.”

Rashidi Ellis won a 10-round majority decision over John Karl Sosa in a welterweight bout.

Ellis, 147 lbs of Boston, MA won by scores of 97-93 twice and 95-95 and is now 18-0. Sosa, 147 lbs of Caguas, PR is 13-3.

“In the fight, I worked on my jabs and punches the most,” said Ellis. “I’m happy with the decision, but I know my opponent got to me in a lot of the rounds. In the end, I gave it my all.”
“I was planning on going in to defeat him,” said Sosa. “My corner kept telling me to move, and I listened. I felt the fight was much closer than the judges scored it.”

Eddie Gomez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Dennis Dauti in a welterweight bout.

Gomez, 146.75 of Bronx, NY won by scores of 79-73 and 77-74 twice, and is now 20-2. Dauti, 146 lbs of Nausa, GRE is now 14-2.

“I love fighting on the East Coast in front of all my family, friends and fans,” said Gomez. “In boxing, there are always ups and downs, but I’m just glad to be back and have the victory tonight.”

Jimmy Garcia stopped Albert Tulley in the 1st round of their scheduled four round light heavyweight bout.

Garcia dropped Tulley once, and the bout was stopped at 1:47.

Garica, 164.25 lbs of Syracuse, NY is 5-0 with three knockouts. Tulley, 170.25 lbs of Governor, NY was making his pro debut.

“My plan was to go in there to box and win,” said Garica. “I did just that by outboxing him whenever he went at me. Every time I hit him, I hit back and it worked.”

Four division champion, Adrien Broner was arrested on Thursday after an SUV he was passenger was riddled with Bullet’s, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Broner was arrested on an open warrant and booked into the Kenton County Detention Center in Covington, Kentucky, just outside of his hometown of Cincinnati, on Thursday, though he was released a few hours later after posting a $503 bond.

According to police, Broner told them someone shot at the car after following him from a bar in Cincinnati. Broner was not injured.

Covington police then arrested him on an open warrant from 2014 for public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges and the SUV was seized. Broner, 27, is scheduled for a court appearance on April 27.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Tuto Zabala’s All-Star Boxing is attempting to garnish $8.5 million from Canelo Alvarez purse from his May 6 bout with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., after All-Star Boxing was awarded a judgement earlier this year.

It took five years for Zabala’s breach of contract suit to wind its way through the court, but he was awarded the $8.5 million judgment — plus 4.75 percent annual interest — against Alvarez in June, although the jury did not award anything to Zabala on his charges that Golden Boy tortuously interfered with his contract. The court’s final judgment was entered on March 24.

“Defendant Saul Alvarez has failed to pay the amount of the judgment as set forth in the order and it does not appear that defendant has in his possession sufficient visible property on which a levy can be made to satisfy a judgment,” Brito wrote in the motion, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN.

Alvarez is appealing the jury verdict.

“Lacking any significant fighters to promote and desperate for publicity, All Star Boxing has decided to employ an improper legal tactic that has no chance at succeeding but has garnered a cheap headline or two,” Golden Boy spokesman Stefan Friedman said in a statement to ESPN. “We are fully confident that Canelo will prevail in his appeal and be cleared — just as Golden Boy was — forcing All Star Boxing to scramble for relevance in some other way.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, New Jersey will give female bouts the option to participate in fights that will have 3 minute rounds.

“It was tradition. We were in lockstep with everyone else,” Larry Hazzard, commissioner of the NJSACB, told ESPN. “Everyone has done two-minute rounds, but the important consideration here is that we don’t know of any definitive reasons why women should be limited to two-minute rounds and men fight three minutes. There is nothing we’ve seen that showed us that the extra minute is any different.”

“Upon consultation with our medical staff, review of our past MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai matches involving females, and consultation with female contestants, we feel that it is time to provide this option,” Hazzard said of the three-minute rounds for women.

“This agency has not required shorter round times for females in the sport of MMA, kickboxing or Muay Thai, and now the sport of professional boxing will be treated just the same as these other combat sports,” Hazzard said. “We do not feel that there is conclusive medical evidence to show that females must compete at a shorter round length time than their male counterparts. There are females in all of the previously listed combat sports that are very talented, well trained and extremely skilled.

“The use of two-minute rounds will continue to be an allowable option for female contestants, in bouts where the contestants and/or promoter still desire this limitation.”

“With decisions like this we — the administrative staff — don’t make these decisions without consultation with our ringside physicians that we rely upon for this type of advice,” he said. “And they are in concert with us.”

Salido will take on Amphon Suriyo in a scheduled 10-round bout at a contract weight of 132 pounds in Bacum, Mexico, just a few minutes from Salido’s hometown of Cuidad Obregon, Sean Gibbons, Salido’s manager told ESPN on Sunday. The fight will be televised on beIN Sports Español in the United States.

“The idea is to shake the rust off against Suriyo and if all goes well to fight Vasyl Lomachenko later in the year and settle things once and for all with that fight,” Gibbons said.

“Salido needs to do something before he can fight Lomachenko again. He needs to fight,” Gibbons said. “Orlando hasn’t had a homecoming fight in a few years so the timing was right to have a fight at home.”

“We believe the time is correct to make the Lomachenko fight,” Gibbons said. “Our goal is to fight May 27, have Orlando shake off the rust and have a deal in place with Top Rank for a Lomachenko fight. I don’t want to overlook this fight or call this a tune-up, but Orlando really wants the Lomachenko rematch. He wants it financially and he also wants it for pride. He’s tired of hearing about low blows, the weight, the referee. Enough with the excuses.

Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz injured his hand which will force the postponement of his bout with Derric Rossy scheduled for Saturday night in Brooklyn, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We were told he hurt his hand, that he banged it up pretty good and is out of the fight,” said Lou DiBella, who is not Ortiz’s promoter. “It would have been nice to see him on the show. He’s one of the best heavyweights out there. Obviously people would have liked to see him fight, but he got hurt. What can you do?

TGB Promotions won the purse bid to promote the IBF Featherweight title bout between Lee Selby and Jonathan Barros, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We’re happy to win the bid and look forward to the fight,” Tpm Brown said.

Josesito Lopez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Saul Corral in a welterweight bout at Novo at LA Live in Los Angeles.

In round ten. Lopez dropped Corral with a left hook.

Lopez, 148.4 lbs of Riverside, CA won by scores of 100-89 on all cards, and is now 35-7. Corral, 146.8 lbs of Huatabampo, MX is 21-9.

Alejandro Luna remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Andrey Klimov in a lightweight bout.

In round five, Klimov started to bleed from around the left eye.

Luna, 137 lobs of Belloflower, CA won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93, and is now 22-0. Klimov, 136.8 lbs of Klimovsk, RUS is 19-4.

2016 United States Olympian Karlos Balderas stopped Thomas Smith after the 1st round of their scheduled 6-round super featherweight bout.

Balderas, who was making his pro debut, battered Smith for the better part of the lone round. Smith had enough after round.

Balderas, 131.6 lbs of Santa Maria, CA is 1-0 with 1 knockout. Smith, 131 lbs of Dallas, TX is 3-5-1.

JOSESITO LOPEZ

“Tonight was a result of all the work I put in over the last few months with Robert Garcia.

“I dropped him with a left hook, but he’s a gritty guy. He took some punishment. I was a little careful in there, though. It’s been a while since I fought some good rounds like that. There were a few times that I tried to go for the kill, but he’s tough guy and stayed alive.

“It felt good going the distance. My body felt good. More than anything, I was alert and my instincts were quick. I had good reflexes and I was sharp. I got hit with very few punches, so I think I did OK tonight.

“I’m coming along. This is my second fight coming back in two years. It’s a little process. I feel like for my next fight I’ll be that much better. I’m just focused on continuing to get better. I want to step it up for the next fight.

“We have a plan. Robert and I have only been training together for a short while, but the improvement is there and there’s more to come.

“I’m the Riverside Rocky and I want to be in exciting fights that friends and family members will remember for years. I definitely have the grit and the (guts) to get in there with the best of them. I’m a lot smarter inside the ring now.”

SAUL CORRAL

“I felt like my distance was off tonight. I think I need to spend more time sparring. I didn’t have a lot of sparring partners for this fight and I think that affected me.

“I thought when Lopez landed punches I came back strong, but I didn’t continue with the attacks because he was able to stop me.

“I just need to change some things up in training camp, and then I think I can get back to another big fight.”

ALEJANDRO LUNA

“Klimov is a very tough guy. We’ve seen him go the distance with Terrence Crawford. He’s fought the cream of the crop, so it’s an honor to get a win over him. He’s a top-level fighter, so this victory goes to show that we’re ready for any top-five lightweight.

“Our plan tonight was to work the body. We noticed he has a pretty high guard, so I wanted to go to the body to break him down little by little.

“I know that I hurt him with a couple body shots, but he recovered fast. Later on, I hit him with an overhand right that got to him, but he’s such a tough guy.

“My thing is always to please the crowd. I think this sport is as much about entertainment as it is skill and the fans want to see a show. That’s why I bring the action and do whatever I can to make it exciting for them.

“The last round wasn’t my best. He was outworking me a little, so as soon as the 10-second bell rang I wanted to close the fight out strong. Unfortunately, I opened up and we clashed heads, which caused the cut over my left eye.”

ANDREY KLIMOV

“I got staggered a little bit, but it wasn’t anything that I thought was going to turn my lights out.

“Luna is a very herky jerky fighter. The cut over my left eye came near the end of the fight when we clashed heads.

“I’m 35 years old. We’re going to go home and take some time to think about what’s next. I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of things in this sport. Now it’s time to talk with my family and decide my future.”

KARLOS BALDERAS

“We spent a lot of time sparring with great fighters to get ready for this fight. I think all the practice paid off and my speed was my biggest asset tonight.

“I think their corner stopped the fight because he was taking so many shots, but I’m not sure.

“I’m happy and excited to be a pro. I have so many people here tonight supporting me coming in from Oklahoma and Texas, so it’s an honor. I felt like a win wasn’t enough. I needed to make a statement.

“I’m going to try to stay busy. I’d like to fight every two months, so I hope to be back in June fighting again.”

THOMAS SMITH

“I really had a bad headache. After the first two punches, I thought I could take it. I know he has a good body shot, but it didn’t really affect me. But after the fourth and fifth good one, I knew it was too much. I didn’t want to go out there in the second round just to get hurt.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the promoter for Jeff Horn, DUCO Events says a bout with Manny Pacquiao is agreed to for July 2nd in Australia.

“We are extremely close to the deal being finalized, but Manny has signed,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN on Saturday night at the Vasyl Lomachenko-Jason Sosa card the company was promoting in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Horn said he believed the fight with Pacquiao would happen, telling Australian media outlets, “Finally this rocky road about announcing this fight is finally over. We can say it’s finally happening on July 2. I’d never actually thought Pacquiao would still be around when I was going to get my shot at the world title. I’m still young, still under 30, so I’m ready to take this shot.”

Myles Jury stopped Mike de la Torre in the 1st round of their featherweight bout.

Jury pounded de la Torre with punches and elbows and split open his forehead and the bout was stopped at 3:30.

Jury is now 16-2.  de la Torre is 14-7-1.

Kamaru Usman won a unanimous decision over Sean Strickland in a welterweight bout.

Usman won by scores of 30-27 and 30-26 twice and is now 10-1.  Strickland is 18-2.

Shane Burgos remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Charles Rosa in a featherweight bout.

Burgos landed a hard right hand that hurt Rosa.  Burgis finished him off with a hard right and the fight was topped at 1:59.

Burgos is 9-0.  Rosa is 11-3.

Patrick Cummins won a majority decision over Jan Blachwicz in a light heavyweight bout.

Cummins won by scores of 29-28 twice and 28-28 and is now 9-4.  Blachowicz is 19-7.

Vasyl Lomanchenko defended the WBO Junior Lightweight title with a systematic stoppage after nine rounds over Jason Sosa at the MGM National Harbor in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Lomachenko displayed his incredible ability, landing punches from every angle imaginable using terrific footwoork.  Sosa was extremely game and tried for every second of the fight, but he was outmatched as he went up against what some are calling the best Pound for Pound fighter in the world.

Sosa’s left eye began to swell as early s round three, and it did not get any better as Lomachenko landed quick combinations to the head and solid body shots.  In round seven, it started to look like that a stoppage was imminent as Sosa began to wilt under the enormous velocity of the punches.  Finally after round nine, trainer Raul Rivas made    the right call by saving his fighter, Sosa from any more damage and the fight was halted.

Lomachenko is 8-1 with six knockouts.  Sosa is now 20-2-4.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk stopped Yunieski Gonzalez in round three of their scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout.

In round three, Gvozdyk landed a counter left that put Gonzalez on the deck.  Gvozdyk landed a barrage of hard shits that kept snapping the head of Gonzalez back.   Gonzalez was trying to fight back and was on weary legs until he was dumped on the canvas for a 2nd time.  His corner stopped the bout simultaneously at 2:55.

Gvozdyk is now 13-0 with 11 knockouts.  Gonzalez is 18-3.

Aleksandr Usyk retained the WBO Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Michael Hunter.

Usyk got off to a slow start as Hunter was able to use his movement and quickness to win a couple rounds.  Usyk started to get on track and land some solid combinations in each round.

Usyk pounded the body hard in round ten, and he started to break the 2016 United States Olympian.  Usyk had a big round eleven and a bigger round twelve as he relentlessly pounded Hunter all over the ring, and was credited with a knockdown after one of those barrages forced Hunter to be held up by the ropes.  The fight could have been stopped at any point in the last minute, but Hunter was able to make it to the final bell.

Usyk, 199 1/2 lbs of Ukraine won by scores of 117-110 on all cards and is now 12-0.  Hunterm 198 lbs is 12-1.

Usyk
“I’m very happy with my performance, I did what I wanted to do, he
took a lot of punches, I thought maybe they would stop
the fight at the end”

“The low blows didn’t really both me, it was annoying however.”

“He was trying to hold and I knew he would do that so I worked in
the gym on keeping him off me and keeping my distance to extend my arms.”

“I’d love to fight any of the title holders, anytime, anyplace.”

Hunter
“No excuses, I lost the fight, no issue with the scorecards.”

“I need to stay more active, I give myself a 6.”

“I’d love to fight him again, it was a great fight and he’s a
great champion.

Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions
“It was a great TV fight truly showcasing the how talented the
cruiserweight division is.”

“Both are world class fighters and that showed tonight in their
performances.”

“We’re very happy with Aleksandr’s performance and look forward to
his return on HBO.”

Mike Reed won a 10-round unanimous decision over Reyes Sanchez in a welterweight bout.

Reed is now 22-0.  Sanchez is 26-10-2.

Jesse Hart stopped Alan Campa in round five of their scheduled 10-round super middleweight bout.

Campa’s corner called a halt to the action at 1:49 of round five.

Hart of Philadelphia is now 22-0.  Campa is 16-3.

Egidijus Kavaliauskas stopped Ramses Agaton in round 4 of their scheduled 8-round welterweight bout.

Kavaliauskas dropped Agaton twice in round three and hammered out with a right hand for the ten count at 2:58 of round 4.

Lavaliuskas is now 16-0.  Agaton is 18-6-3.

Light Heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson will defend his title in a rematch against Andrzej Fonfara, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s now official,” Stevenson wrote on social media. “June 3rd rematch against Andrzej Fonfara in Canada. The undercard will be interesting as well.”

Yvon Michel, Stevenson’s promoter, told ESPN that Stevenson’s next fight will indeed come against Fonfara, though he was noncommittal on the date or which television network would carry it.

“The fight with Fonfara is agreed upon, but still contracts (need) to be signed,” Michel said. “Place and dates still in negotiations. (We) will have confirmation about the network early next week. I am expecting a terrific fight. Last time there was a lot of drama in the course of the 12 rounds.”

Seanie Monaghan was not pleased to hear that Stevenson was not going to fight him.

“Well it seems I got jerked again. Fight with Stevenson is off,” he said. “I honestly always kinda doubted it was gonna happen. Was he gonna fight an undefeated guy? No, he fights a guy he beat already who just got KO’d in one round. No wonder nobody respects this punk (expletive). Whoever I get next is in trouble.”

WBA Middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam will fight Ryota Murata for the WBA Middleweight title on May 20th in Tokyo, Japan, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’ve started sparring already in training and it is going well,” Murata said at the news conference in translated comments. “I originally started boxing to see how good of fighter I was. If I am able to defeat this opponent, I can confidently say that I am a good fighter. I am looking forward to this fight.”

“Because I am a gold medalist, I have had so much support from so many people,” Murata said. “I want to win this fight for all them as my gratitude for their support and kindness. The key for me to win is to fight with what I do well.

“I believe what makes my boxing style exciting is moving forward and throwing punches. We will see if this style will prevail. I expect this fight to be a tough fight. The opponent is type of fighter who can be knocked down four or six times in a fight, but take the remaining rounds on points.”

“I think that Ryota Murata is a very effective fighter and he proved it as an amateur when he became Olympic champion,” N’Dam said. “I think he’s going to be a great opponent but I will be — and I’ve always been — ready for great outings, so this fight will be a war because I’m not ready to let my title go anywhere.”

“I am a fan of Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins and the belt I will be fighting for is the same belt that they had,” Murata said. “This does not make me a boxing great like they are if I win this belt, but I am fortunate to be able to fight for the belt they held.”

BETHLEHEM, PA–Jimmy Kelleher took a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Valderrma in a super middleweight bout.

Kelleher, 164 lbs of Scranton, PA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 4-0. Valderrama, 165.5 lbs of Manati, PR is 5-19.

Thomas Velasquez won a six-round unanimous decision over Wilfredo Garriga in a lightweight bout.

Velasquez, 135 lbs of Philadelphia won on all cards 58-56 and is now 8-0. Garriga, 132.8 lbs of Juana Diaz, PR is 3-6-1.

Gregory Clark stopped Devin McMaster in the fourth and final round of their middleweight bout.

Clark dropped McMaster in round two, and finished him off with a flurry of punches at 1:28 of round four.

Clark, 157.4 lbs of Washington, DC is 2-1 with one knockout. McMaster, 154.5 lbs of Allentown, PA is 1-1.

Hector Bayanilla and Jordan Peters rumbled to an entertaining four-round draw in a super featherweight bout.

Bayanilla took a card 39-37, while two judges saw it even at 38-38.

Bayanilla, 124.4 lbs of Allentown, PA is 1-0-1. Peters, 123.7 lbs of Washington, DC is also 1-0-1.

Tre’Sean Wiggins scored a five-round technical unanimous decision over Naim Nelson after Nelson was cut over his right eye by an accidental headbutt.

In round four, Nelson started to bleed from over his right eye, and the fight was halted.

Wiggins, 142 lbs of Newburgh, NY won on all cards 50-45, and is now 8-3. Nelson, 138.9 lbs of Philadelphia is 13-3.

Ryan Wilczak remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Courtney McCleave in a scheduled four-round super middleweight bout

In round two, Wilczak landed a left hook that put McCleave on the deck. McCleave was bleeding from his nose, and his right eye closed severely. Wilczak dropped him for a 2nd time at the end of the round and he could not beat the count at 3:06.

Wilczak, 160.5 lbs of Scranton, PA is 3-0 with 2 knockouts. McCleave, 164.5 lbs of Concord, NC is 2-7.

WBA Featherweight champion’s Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares have been ordered to rematch by the sanctioning body, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Since we’re both under the same management, I don’t think there will be any issue with it going to purse bid,” Mares told ESPN on Monday. “It’s definitely the fight I’ve been wanting since my defeat. It was a really close fight, a great fight, and now, in a different moment in my career, it’s the perfect timing for a rematch. If this happens now, it will be a totally different Abner Mares with a different game plan to get the win this time.”

“I haven’t reached out [to] Mr. Haymon yet about this fight, but I will let him do his work,” Mares said. “But after the Cuellar fight, I asked for the rematch with Leo again. That’s the first fight I asked for.”

Orozco landed a perfect right to the head that sent Gibson to the canvas in round four. Gibson got up, but the fight was waved off at 1:31.

Orozco, 139 1/2 lbs of San Diego, CA is now 26-0 with 17 knockouts. Gibson, 139 lbs of St. Louis is 16-1-1.

Mercito Gesta won a 10-round unanimous decision over Gilberto Gonzalez in a lightweight bout.

In round three, Gesta was dropped with a right hook.

Gesta, 133.6 lbs of San Diego, CA won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-93, and is now 30-1-2. Gonzalez, 134.2 lbs of Mexico City is 26-4.

Cesar Diaz won a six-round unanimous decision over Felipe Rivas in a bantamweight bout.

Diaz, 117 1/2 lbs of Palmdae, CA won by scores of 60-54 on al cards and is now 5-0. Rivas, 117 3/54 lbs of Nogales, MX is 17-19-4.