A deal was reached for the WBA Super Bantamweight title bout between Guillermo Rigondeaux and Moises Flores. The could land on the undercard of the proposed June 17th Andre Ward – Sergey Kovalev rematch, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

This Saturday’s Cruiserweight bout between Mairis Briedis and Marco Huck has been elevated to to a fight for the full WBC Cruiserweight title bout, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Reigning champion Tony Bellew has been named Champion Emeritus.

“Tony Bellew has become a major attraction in the heavyweight division and is at this moment uncertain of his next steps following his life-changing victory,” the WBC said. “Tony Bellew has expressed his absolute honor and pride to be the WBC cruiserweight champion of the world and has represented the WBC in the best way possible during his reigning as a champion.

“This scenario might keep him from defending his cruiserweight title in some time, reason for which the WBC Board of Governors unanimously voted to designate (Bellew) as emeritus champion of the world, which grants him the right to fight for the cruiserweight championship at any given time with full support from the WBC while maintaining his rights as world champion.”

World Super Welterweight champion Terence Crawford’s May 20th title defense against Felix Diaz will now take place on May 20th at Madison Square Garden instead of The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“When we were in town for the Conlan fight they asked us why we were going to the Prudential Center,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN. “We know how hard it is to get a Saturday night at the Garden at that time of year. We assumed the Garden was off limits because they always have so many dates they have to hold for the NBA and NHL playoffs. But they said, ‘Listen, there may be an opportunity. Would you be open to shifting the fight to the Garden? I said, ‘We love going to the Garden.’ They said, ‘Are you interested? We think we can pull it off.'”

Top Rank looked to Newark in part because featherweight Shakur Stevenson, the 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, is from Newark and will have his second professional fight on the card and figured to bring a crowd.

“But for Crawford there was no magic to fighting in Newark,” duBoef said. “We want Shakur to fight in Newark and we expect to have him fight there, but it will be bigger when he’s a more developed fighter. I think going to Madison Square Garden is a great platform for Crawford as well as for Shakur.

“I think it’s the best of both worlds for the event. The fans from Newark who want to come out and see Shakur fight can easily come into New York. It’s about a 15-minute train ride. And Terence has fans throughout the area and whether he was going to fight in Newark or New York or Las Vegas his fans are great about traveling from his hometown (Omaha, Nebraska).”

“Felix Diaz has Dominican roots and there is a strong Dominican presence in New York,” he said. “The Garden said they will be very aggressive in marketing the fight and we were able to work something out.”

“I think he’s had a terrific last couple of years, including getting fighter of the year in 2014 and he has a wonderful fan base that travels,” he said. “I think the timing is right. It all came together nicely. We know he did terrific fighting in Omaha and Las Vegas. A lot of his fans traveled to Las Vegas for the Viktor Postol (unification) fight in July. It’s a natural progression to build his brand by bringing him to the most prestigious arena in the world.

“It just makes a lot of sense. At the end of the day, we were able to come together and get creative in the structure of the deal with Madison Square Garden. They were proactive and they worked with us. The Garden came in kind of at the 11th hour, but we’re thrilled.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the March 18th fight between middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs did around 170,000 buys on Pay Per View.

“The projection we are now getting is in the 170,000 range, which we feel is a good improvement over GGG’s first pay-per-view show and many recent pay-per-views,” K2 Promotions Tom Loeffler said.

“Going against the NCAA tournament wasn’t easy, but that was the date that worked for Madison Square Garden and TV and it was a great boxing weekend in New York,” Loeffler said.

2016 Olympic Bronze medal winner, Nico Hernandez stopped Pat Gutierrez in round four of a scheduled six round super flyweight bout at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas.

Hernandez dominated the action, and Gutierrez hurt his and the fight was stopped at 2:39 of round four.

Tramaine Williams remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Garza in a featherweight bout.

Williams scored a knockdown in round one from a left hand and dropped Garza again in round four.

Williams won by scores of 79-71 twice and 78-72, and is now 10-0. Garza is 6-2.

Neeco Macias won a eight round unanimous decision over Cesar Soriano in a junior middleweight bout.

Soriano was deducted a point in round four four for a low blow.

Macias, 154 lbs of Palm Desert, CA won by scores of 80-71, 79-72 ans 78-73 and is now 15-0. Soriano, 154 lbs of Mexico City is 26-35-1.

Jorge Linares retained his WBA Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Anthony Crolla in a rematch of their September fight (also won won by Linares) at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Linares mixed up his body attack and landed some good straight rights.  Linares was spot on with his uppercut over the first half of the fight.  In round six, Crolla was cut over his left eye from a right eye.

In round seven, Linares landed a blistering uppercut that sent Crolla to the canvas.  Crolla showed his champions mettle and heart and made a stand offense over the end of round seven and eight, but that was all he could muster as Linares was the class in this fight as he won by scores of 118-109 on all cards.

Linares is now 42-3.  Crolla is now 31-6-3.

Jason Quigley won a 10-round unanimous decision over Glen Tapia in a middleweight bout at The Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

Quigley, 150 lbs of Ireland won by a wider margin then most watching had it as the tallies read 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 and is now 13-0. Tapia, 159 3/4 lbs of Passaic, NJ is 23-4.

Randy Caballero won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jesus Ruiz in a super bantamweight bout.

Cavallero, 121 1/2 lbs of Cochella, CA won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice, and is now 24-0. Ruiz, 121 1/2 lbs of Nogalez, AZ is now 35-8-5.

Two-time Olympian Marlen Esparza won her pro debut by defeating Rachel Sazsoff in a flyweight bout.

Esparza won by scores of 40-36 on all cards. Sazsoff is now 0-3.

RANDOLPH, N.J. – Skender Halili cruised to his first ever victory by decision against Ecuador’s Eduardo Flores on Thursday night at the Skylands Event and Conference Center. Halili, now a Bronx resident with Albanian roots, delighted the large Albanian contingency at ringside by controlling the contest from opening to closing bell.

In the first two rounds, Halili set the tone, working well behind his jab and keeping his smaller opponent at a safe distance. In the third round, Halili turned up the heat and came out swinging, landing hard and clean punches. To his credit, Flores, a veteran fighter with over 318 rounds under his belt, took Halili’s punches well and always seemed to return fire, at times finding some success of his own. While Flores was able to sneak in a few punches here and there, they had little effect on Halili who not once was stopped in his tracks.

Not for lack of trying, Halili went the distance for just the second time in his career. This time, however, he would be the victor. All three ringside judges, Steven Weisfeld, Al Bennet, and James Kinney scored shutouts in favor of Halili, 60-50.

“I’m happy I went the distance,” Halili said after the fight. “I showed that I could and [that I] can win every round.”

Halili improved his record to 14-1, 13 KO, while Flores’ record dropped to 25-26-3, 15 KO.

—

The night’s most entertaining and evenly matched contest saw Paterson, New Jersey’s Ian Green outpoint upstate New York’s Andy Mejias. It was Mejias first fight in almost three and a half years. There was no ring rust evident, however, as Mejias came out firing, attempting to land overhand rights. Early in the second round the Puerto Rican-American did just that. In fact, he landed two heavy-handed rights that clearly shook Green. That early success with the right might have ultimately doomed Mejias, however, as it seemed that was all he looked to land the rest of the fight. Although he was the aggressor and the fighter who pressed the action, Mejias put little work into the body of his foe.

Conversely, Green seemed content to fight a defensive fight, not unlike the fight Daniel Jacobs fought against Gennady Golovkin this past Saturday. Green dealt with Mejias’ pressure well, and effectively countered before ducking out of danger.

After six hard-to-score, entertaining rounds, the judges turned in their scorecards.

Judge Steve Weisfeld’s 57-57 draw was overruled by judges Al Bennett and James Kinney who scored the contest 58-56 in favor of Green.

15rounds.com had it the other way, scoring the contest 58-56 for Mejias.

Green improved to 12-1, 9 KO, while Mejias suffered his first professional defeat and is now 15-1, 6 KO.

—

In the night’s co-feature, Enver Halili, fighting in just his second bout since 2014, defeated Nicaragua’s Ariel Vasquez via TKO. It took Halili about 90 seconds to shake any ring rust before he found his groove. Halili finished the first round strong, landing crisp jabs and nice combinations, varying his attacks to the head and the body. In the second round, Halili kicked it into another gear and came out firing. Everything he threw seemed to find its intended target. Eventually, Halili dropped Vasquez with a combination that concluded with a hard right to the body. Although Vasquez would make it back to his corner at the end of round 4, he would not answer the bell to start round 5. The result was a TKO victory for Halili, who improved to 9-0, 3 KO. Vasquez’s record fell to 13-17-2, 9 KO.

—

Yurik “Don’t Be Careful, Be Sorry” Mamedov scored a second round TKO victory over Ghana’s Francis “Black Tiger” Gakpetor. Mamedov imposed his will from the onset of this fight, but it was ultimately a left hook to the body that accelerated Gakpetor’s demise. The vicious left hook planted on Gakpetor’s liver in the early goings of round two forced the “Black Tiger” to a knee. When he got up he was immediately greeted by Mamedov who scored at will until referee Sparkle Lee stepped in and called a halt to the contest. The fight was stopped at the 1:15 mark of round two.

Mamedov stayed perfect with the win, improving to 5-0, 3 KO, while Gakpetor’s record drops to 4-3-1, 3 KO.

—

In his US debut, Kazhakstan’s Aidos Yerbossynuly was awarded a TKO victory after Riarus Dudley suffered a hand injury early in round two and could not continue. The first major exchange of the second round led to Dudley walking across the ring to take a knee. In visible pain, Dudley kept shaking his right hand, trying to get it to respond properly. That would not be the case, however, and when he returned to his feet Dudley informed referee Shada’ Murdaugh that he could not continue. The fight was stopped at the :39 second mark of the second round.

Yerbossynuly improved to 5-0, 5 KO, while Dudley dropped to 5-2-1, 2 KO.

—

The night’s opening act saw Paris-born Brooklyn-resident Frederick Julian defeat North Carolina’s Jermaine Corley via fourth round TKO. In the second round, Julian forced Corley down to a knee courtesy of a left hook to the liver. Corley, cousin of “Chop-Chop”, beat the count and escaped the round.

In the fourth and final round, Julian again dug a hard left to Corley’s liver, extracting a wince. In pain, Corley retreated toward his corner and soon found himself with his back against the ropes and being smothered with a barrage Julian’s punches. Not sensing much of a response from Corley, referee Eric Dali jumped between fighters to call a halt to the bout with just nine seconds remaining in the contest.

With the win, Julian improved to 4-0, 2 KO, while Corley’s record slipped to 0-6.

Gennady Golovkin was tested like never before, but he came out with a debated 12-round unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs at a near-capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden.

It looked like it was going to be another knockout for Golovkin as he dropped Jacobs from a hard left hand.  Jacobs was able to get back in the fight as he switched to southpaw and flicked the jab, and then came behind it with a good combination.  Jacobs seemed to take control of the 2nd half of the fight by using a slick combinations to befuddle to on charging champion.

The 12th round started out with both guys needing the round.  It was a close round with both guys getting in some good shots.

Golovkin won by scores of 115-112 twice and 114-113 and is now 37-0.  Jacobs is 32-2.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai shocked what most boxing people believed to be the best fighter in the world, Roman Gonzalez by majority decision to capture the WBC Super Flyweight title

In round one, Gonzalez was dumped on the swat of his pants from a left to the body.   In the next round, Gonzalez was cut iver his right eye from a headbutt.  The two had many furious exchanges, and in round five, Rungvisai’s head got in the way again as another headbutt caused more blood over the right eye of Gonzalez.

In seemed that Gonzalez took over the majority of the middle rounds by outlanding Rungvisai in the main skirmishes in the middle of the ring.  Rungvisai closed strong as he stepped on the gas pedal in round’s 11 and 12, gave as good as he got and that may have put him over the hump as he took two cards 114-112 and one card read even at 113-113.

Rungvisai, 114 lbs of Si Sa Ket, Thailand is now 42-4-1.  Gonzalez, 114.6 lbs of Managua, NIC is 46-1.

Former world champion Carlos Cuadras won a 10-round unanimous decision over David Carmona in a super flyweight bout.

Cuadras, 115.6 lbs of Mexico City won two cards 97-93 and 96-94 and is now 36-1-1.  Carmona, 115.8 lbs of Mexico city is 20-4-5.

Ryan Martin dominated and eventually stopped Bryant Cruz in round eight of their scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

Martin controlled the action using his length and outlanded Cruz 233-129.  A hard combination battered carmona and referee Harvey Dock stopped the bout 45 seconds into round eight.

Former middleweight champion, Andy Lee won an 8-round unanimous decision over Keandre Leatherwood in a middleweight bout.

Lee, 160 lbs of Limerick, IRL won by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 35-3-1.  Leatherwood, 159.4 lbs of Birmingham, AL is 19-4-1.

Matt McKinney won 4-round unanimous decision over Jay-Carrigan-McFarlane in a heavyweight bout.

McKinney, 243.2 lbs of Oceanside, CA won on two cards 39-37 and 38-38 and is now 3-0. McFarlane, 241.8 lbs of Glasgow, SCOT is 2-1.

Serhii Bohachuk remained perfect by stopping Yasmani Pedroso in round three of their scheduled 4-round welterweight bout.

Bohachuk dropped Pedroso twice in round three, and the bout was stopped at 2:28.

Bohachuk, 146.8 lbs of Vintiza, UKR is 3-0 with 3 knockouts. Pedroso, 147.8 lbs of Miami, FL is 1-2.

Olympian Michael Conlan did not disappoint in his much ballyhooed debut as he stopped Tim Ibarra in the 3rd round of their scheduled six-round super bantamweight bout at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Conlan battered Ibarra on the ropes, and the bout was stopped at 59 seconds.

Conlan, 122 3/4 lbs of Belfast, Northern Ireland is 1-0 with 1 knockout. Ibarra, 123 lbs of Denver, CO is 4-5.

Alex Saucedo remained undefeated by stopping Johnny Garcia in round of their scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

In round one, Saucedo dropped Garcia with a jab. Saubcedo finished off Garcia with a hard combibation of blows that forced referee Steve Smoger to stop the bout at 2:42.

Saucedo, 141 lbs of Oklahoma City is 24-0 with 15 knockouts. Garcia, 142 1/4 lbs of Holland, MI is 19-5-1.

2016 Olympic Gold Medal winner Robson Conceicao stopped Aaron Hollis in round two of their scheduled six-round super featherweight bout.

Coceicao dropped Hollis at the end of round one with a three punch combination to the head. Seconds into round two, Conceicao landed a flurry on the ropes and the bout was stopped at 36 seconds of round two.

Conceicao, 131 lbs of Brazil is now 3-0 with two knockouts. Hollis, 129 1/4 lbs of Cincinnati, is 3-5.

2016 Olympian, Teofimo Lopez stopped Daniel Bastien in round two of their scheduled four-round lightweight bout.

Lopez dropped Bastien with a left hook and Bastien was down for the ten count at 39 seconds of round two.

Lopez of Davie, FL is 3-0 with three knockouts. Bastien, 133 1/4 lbs of Mexico is 4-4.

James DeGale suffered injuries in his draw with Badou jack on January 14th, and will be out of action until this Summer according to Dab Rafael of espn.com.

“We received a letter from a doctor in the U.K. stating that DeGale was operated on last month,” IBF championship committee chairman Lindsey Tucker told ESPN. “DeGale will need until July 2017 to recover from his injuries.”

16 March 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the blockbuster main event for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES which takes place 26 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, fresh off a successful first title defense in her last bout, will put her title on the line once again when she returns to Singapore to take on Istela Nunes of Parana, Brazil.

Tickets for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES are set to go on sale on Friday, 17 March and will be available at www.onefc.com

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “Angela Lee is proving to be an awesome champion and a true competitor. On the heels of an absolutely magnificent performance over Jenny Huang in Bangkok, she just can’t wait to get back inside the ONE Championship cage to put on another show. Istela Nunes is a worthy challenger for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship and Singapore has a tremendous fight on their hands. Fans will not want to miss it.”

20-year-old Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, is one of the promotion’s most outstanding athletes regardless of gender or weight class. She captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi in 2016, and has since then defended the title successfully. Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success, as she has remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage. In her last bout, Lee dominated top contender Jenny Huang with a masterful display of striking. She now returns to Singapore to defend her title against Istela Nunes.

Angela Lee, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, stated: “I said at the beginning of the year that I will make 2017 one to remember. I will keep my promise of being as active as I possibly can and I can’t wait to get right back in there. After my last fight, I showed everybody just how much I have improved over the last couple of months. I’m ready to do it again. Istela Nunes had better be ready to go to battle, because this time I’m defending the title on my turf.”

Unbeaten female atomweight Istela Nunes of Brazil is a two-time Muay Thai world champion with an unblemished 5-0 professional mixed martial arts record. Her exciting style and knack for delivering powerful strikes makes for exciting fights and is one of the biggest components of her game. In her last bout, Nunes took on top-rated female atomweight Mei Yamaguchi, winning a closely-contested split decision. At her best, Nunes is a well-rounded fighter with a solid striking and grappling skill set. She now takes on the biggest challenge of her young career when she goes head-to-head with ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee in Singapore.

Istela Nunes, ONE world title challenger, stated: “When I joined ONE Championship, I had my eyes set on the world title. It’s my goal to someday become a world champion in mixed martial arts, and Angela Lee is one of the best fighters in the world. I cannot wait to test myself against a fighter of her caliber. I am preparing myself well and will make sure that I come ready for the best Angela Lee possible. On 26 May, I will accomplish what so many others failed to do. I will beat Angela Lee and become champion.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

Middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko (10-0, 8 KOs) remained unbeaten Tuesday night as he delivered a blistering fifth-round stoppage of previously undefeated Kemahl Russell (10-1, 8 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 & BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from the Fitz Tunica Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi.

“I was so happy to be back in the ring,” said Derevyanchenko. “I felt very good in there. Once I got going and sped it up, he couldn’t keep up with me. I’m ready to take on anyone.”

The unbeaten Russian, who fights out of Brooklyn, was at a major height disadvantage against the six-foot Russell, who attempted to control the fight with his jab from a distance. This led to a slow-paced fight early, which seemed to favor the taller boxer.

Derevyanchenko would eventually find the distance as he used double left hooks and feints to work inside Russell’s jab. Round four saw the two men begin to exchange in more flurries dangerous on the inside, with Russell taking the brunt of the damage.

Now fully settled into the fight, Derevyanchenko began to unload in round five and connected on a huge straight right hand that rocked Russell’s head back and put his opponent in immediate peril. Derevyanchenko pounced on the opportunity and began landing big shots in succession until referee Bill Clancy jumped-in to stop the fight 1:06 into the fifth-round.

Ahmed Elbiali stopped Jackson Junior in the 1st round of their scheduled 8-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Elbiali landed a right hand that sent Junior to the canvas. Junior got to his feet, but was called off at 1:33.

Elbiali, 176.8 lbs of Cairo, EGY is 15-0 with 12 knockouts. Junior, 177 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 20-8.

Jamontay Clark remained perfect by stopping Gaki Takahashi and the end of round seven in a sxheduled eight round lightweight bout.

Clark landed some hard shots throughout the bout, and the corner of Takahashi had seen enough and called off the bout after round 7.

Clark, 140.8 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 11-0 with 7 knockouts. Takahashi, 140.6 of Yokahama, JAP is 15-7-1.

David Lemieux scored a devastating 3rd round stoppage over Curtis Stevens in the 3rd round of their scheduled 12-round middleweight bout at The Turning Stones Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

It was a fast paced fight with both guys coming out firing. Lemieux was landing the harder shots early, with Stevens lading some good shots in round two. In round three, Lemieux landed a perfect 12 inch left hook on the jaw of Stevens that put the lights out of Stevens almost immediately as he fell motionless on the canvas, and the fight was waved off instantly by referee Charlie Fitch. Stevens would lay unconscious for several minutes, but finally came to, and was carried out of the ring on a stretcher.

The time of the stoppage was 1:59 of round three, for Lemieux, 159 lbs of Montreal and is now 37-3 with 33 knockouts. Stevens, 158.25 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 29-6.

“I told you what I was going to do tonight,” said David Lemieux. “What I saw was a ‘check mate’,” said Lemieux. “The punch was made with perfect landing. I am in great shape, and I prepared myself for him. He is physically strong but nothing special. Stevens is a solid fighter, and we were successful. I wish him the best, and I hope he is OK.”

Former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa won a 10-round unanimous decision over Rene Alvarado in a lightweight bout.

In round ten, Alvarado landed a glancing left hand that put Gamboa on the canvas in what was ruled a knockdown.

Gamboa, 131 lbs of Guantanamo, CUB won by scores of 97-92 twice and 97-93 and is now 26-1. Alvarado, 130.25 lbs of Managua, NIC is 24-8.

PHILADELPHIA–Tyrone Brunson won a 8-round split decision over Bandon Quarles in the main event of a 8-bout card in front of a packed house at the SugarHouse Casino.

The show was promoted by King’s Promotions.

It was a action filled fight that saw both guys be the aggressor at different stages of the fight. Brunson showed a more versatile side of him. One which differed from the prodigious knockout puncher that Brunson was known for when he knocked out the 1st 19 fighters he faced in the 1st round.

This Brunson used his legs to set up punches off of the jab, which he also landed several times with power behind that. Quarles was very game as he had his moments and landed hard shots that kept Brunson honest. Brunson landed more and harder and came out with the victory by scores of 78-74 and 77-75. Quarles took a card at 77-75.

Brunson of Philadelphia is now 24-6-2. Quarles of Alexandria, Virginia is 18-4-1.

A late point deduction cost David Gonzales a split decision as he dropped the six-round bout to Juan Rodriguez in a junior welterweight bout

It was a tough grind-it-out fight until Gonzales was deducted a point in the 30 seconds for holding for holding.

Rodriguez of Haymarket, Virginia won two cards 58-55 and 57-56, while Gonzales of Philadelphia took a card 57-56.

Rodriguez is 7-6-1. Gonzales is 8-2-2.

Carlos Roasrio got off the floor but scored a 3rd round stoppage over Lance Williams in a scheduled 6-round lightweight bout.

Rosario scored a stoppage in round two from a right hand. Seconds later, it was Williams who floored Rosario with a hard right in the corner. In round three, Rosario decked Williams with a hard left hook. Williams got to his feet, but referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 46 seconds of round three.

Rosario of Pennsauken, NJ is 7-1 with 4 knockouts. Williams of Muscatine, IA is 7-8.

Victor Vazquez scored a 1st round stoppage over Mike Fowler in a scheduled 6-round super lightweight bout.

Vazquez was all over Fowler and dropped him with a left in the corner. Fowler could not beat the 10-count at 1:38.

Vazquez of Yonkers, NY is 7-2 with 3 knockouts. Fowler of Milwaukee, WI is 5-7.

Sam Oropeza made an emphatic pro debut as he needed just 35 seconds to destroy fellow pro debuter Joe Parkinson in 35 seconds of their cruiserweight bout.

Oropeza landed a left that dropped Parkinson on the back of his head and he was knocked out cold for several moments before ringside physicians were able to mend him to his feet.

Brandon Robinson won a 4-round unanimous decision over Lamont McLaughlin in a light heavyweight bout.

Robinson dropped McLaughlin in round three and cruised home to a victory by 40-35 cards.

Robinson of Philadelphia is 2-1. McLaughlin of Philadelphia was making his pro debut.

Vincent Floyd stopped Blaine Donkor in round two of their scheduled 4-round welterweight bout.

Floyd landed a hard flurry that forced referee Steve Smoger to stop the bout at 1:48.

Floyd of Philadelphia

Edward Ortiz and Sharif Jones battled to a 4-round spirited draw in a super middleweight bout.

Ortiz took a card at 39-37, while two cards read even at 38-38.

Ortiz of San Antonio, Texas is 3-0-2. Jones of Philadelphia is 0-2.

Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, Claressa Shields stopped Szvilvia Szabados in round 4 of their scheduled six-round middleweight bout at the MGM Grand in Detroit, Michigan.

Shields dominated, and in round four landed a huge combination that forced referee Harvey Dock to stop the bout at 1:30.

Shields of Flint, MI is 2-0 with one knockouts. Szabados of Hungary is 15-9/

Nikolay Potapov won a 10-round split decision over Antonio Nieves in a bantameight bout.

Potapov, 117 1/2 lbs of Detroit, MI won two cards by 96-94 tallies, while Nieves took a card 96-94.

Potapov is 17-0-1. Nieves, 116 1/2 lbs of Cleveland is now 17-1-2.

Wesley Tucker remained undefeated by winning a eight-round unanimous decision over Ed Williams in a welterweight bout.

Tucker, 147 lbs of Toledo, OH won by scores of 79-71, 78-72 and 77-73, and is now 14-0. Williams, 146 1/4 lbs of Houston, TX is 12-2-1.

Joshua Greer scored a sensation sixth round stoppage over James Gordon Smith in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout.

In round five, Greer dropped Smith with a right uppercut. In round six, Greer landed a perfect right to the face that sent Smith crashing down on the side of his head and the fight was waved off immediately at 2:06.

Greer, 116 3/4 lbs of Chicago is now 12-1-1 with five knockouts. Smith, 116 3/4 lbs of Detroit is 11-1-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera has pulled out of his proposed elimination bout with Artur Beterbiev.

“Barrera never signed his contract to fight Beterbiev and we know now never intended to fight Beterbiev,” Michel told ESPN. “He is the latest of a long list of contenders who turned down an opportunity to fight Beterbiev for the IBF mandatory position. After we have won the purse bid, Barrera kept pretending on social media he was preparing to fight Beterbiev but refused to sign the IBF contract. Then they requested a Florida state contract. He got it and never signed it either. He could find any kind of excuses in the world, but the truth is he refused to fight for his share of the bid, the risk being too high for the compensation. If he would have believed he could beat Artur, he would have taken the fight.”

“I don’t believe any of the IBF contenders will volunteer to face Beterbiev for the mandatory position, so I will petition the IBF to name Artur the mandatory contender by default,” Michel said. “It’s really too bad [the fight is off] because I really had targeted Barrera for Beterbiev. I know he has some credibility, and a KO win by Artur would have made a good shock wave in the division. To make sure Barrera was going to take the fight, I even had promised to Main Events and the IBF I was not going to do the fight in Canada since Barrera has no passport and cannot enter the country. We were doing the fight in his own backyard.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi has announced his retirement following his 8th round stoppage defeat to Sam eggington this past Saturday in London.

“19 years ago today – March 6, 1998 – I entered the ring for the first time as an amateur. That makes this as good a time as any for me to officially announce my retirement from competition,” Malignaggi wrote. “My life is in a place 19 years later that I never dreamed it could be in. And I have boxing to thank for that. I gave absolutely everything I had to this sport for almost 2 decades, and I will never lose the many, many incredible memories that were created during that time.”

“I’m looking forward to a long, fruitful career now behind the mic, staying around the sport I love so much and the sport that changed my life for the better,” Malignaggi said.

“Thank you to the sport of boxing, and thank you to everyone who supported me along the way on this incredible journey,” he wrote. “I am forever grateful.”

2012 United States Olympian Charles Conwell has signed with DiBella Entertainment and Tony Holden Promotions.

“I just had no more desire to fight again in the Olympics,” Conwell told ESPN. “It was a good experience but it was a one-time thing. I am ready to fight professionally.”

“It’s going to be smooth. There will be no problems at all,” Conwell said of dropping down 11 pounds

“I had Conwell on top of my list of American Olympians I was interested in signing,” DiBella said. “I thought he was one of the top two American Olympians with [silver medalist] Shakur Stevenson. I also felt that Charles was the best fit for my company. He’s tremendously poised in the ring for his age, he has great amateur experience, he can punch, he can move, he’s multidimensional. He’s one of those rare talents.

“I had hoped from the beginning I could do a deal with him. It took some patience. I work with other kids Dave manages. He’s a good manager and we can work well together.”

“We have casinos in Oklahoma interested in these kids,” DiBella said. “I want to keep them busy, expose them in New York, in Cleveland, in Michigan, but we want to also do for them what Tony did for Ivan Baranchyk.”

“When I saw what Tony did for Baranchyk in creating a home base for him in Oklahoma I think it’s a great opportunity to develop a fighter like Charles the same way,” DiBella said. “We can have him fight in major markets but also find him a fan base there. I’m going to keep this kid busy and I’m not going to rush him because he’s a kid. He doesn’t have all his strength yet. You have to develop the kid properly.”

“It was the best offer that came to us and I felt like those were the people who were most interested in me and my career,” Conwell said. “I also want to expand my fan base all over the country, so their plan to have me fighting all over, including showcasing me in Oklahoma, is a good one. I’m looking forward to it.”

Super Middleweight’s Callum Smith and Anthony Dirrell will meet for the vacant WBC belt after TGB Promotions won a purse bid.

TGB Promotions, which works with Dirrell and was represented by Brittany Brown, Tom Brown’s daughter, bid $1.603 million. That offer easily surpassed the only other bid, which was $1.201 million, placed by Don Majeski, who was representing Smith promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.

BROOKLYN–Keith Thurman took a split decision from Danny Garcia to retain his WBA and win the WBC Welterweight titles in front of 16.533 boisterous fans at Barclays Center.

The fight did not have the action that the pre-fight hype signified that there would be, but it was a close competitive fight at a high level.

Early on it looked to be a slugfest as there were several toe to toe instances for which both had their moments.  The fight turned into a chess match with Thurman looking to move around and pick his spots to engage.  He built up a nice lead and then decided to step up his moving to more of a track meet and almost gave away the fight as two judges ruled in favor of Thurman by 116-112 and 115-113 scores while Garcia took a card 115-113.

Thurman, 146.2 lbs of Clearwater, FL is 28-0.  Garcia, 146.5 lbs of Philadelphia suffers his 1st blemish and is now 33-1.

THURMAN:
“The judges are judges. I thought out-boxed him. I thought it was a clear victory, but Danny came to fight. I knew when it was split and I had that widespread, I knew it had to go to me.

“I was not giving the fight away. I felt like we had a nice lead, we could cool down. I felt like we were controlling the three-minute intervals every round. My defense was effective – he wasn’t landing.”

“This is my dream coming true. Ben Getty believed in me before I knew that I had the ability to become a champion. He said that I was destined for greatness. He made me dedicate myself to the sport of boxing.

“I knew that today would be the day I accomplish my dreams. People know I fought my way up the amateurs. This was the first time I fought a real undefeated fighter and I demonstrated my skills tonight. I made my team proud.

“You’re not just fighting your opponent sometimes, you’re fighting the judges. They have their own perspective. I know I was backing up and being defensive, I feel like a lot of Danny’s power punches were ineffective. I was controlling the fight from the outside. There were some rounds that I was dominating. I knew that I had pulled ahead. We felt like we definitely earned the victory tonight.

“There might have been one left hook to the body that he landed that I felt. But we know how to endure these punches. This isn’t just about out-boxing an opponent, you have to take a punch too. Danny was well-grounded and he had some awkward head movements. He’s a world class fighter. We just had to make adjustments.”

GARCIA:
Thoughts on split decision:
“I came up short tonight. I thought I was the aggressor. I thought I pushed the pace. But it didn’t go my way.

“I thought I won and I was pushing the fight. But it is what it is.

“He was trying to counter. I had to wait to find my spots.”

“It was a tough fight. I thought I came back strong. I thought I won the fight. It was close, but I thought I did enough to win.

“It is what it is. I can’t cry over anything, I’ll come back strong like a true champion. I would love to have a rematch to get my titles back.

“I knew running would be his game plan. Everyone knew that was his game plan. I thought I won and that’s it.”

ANGEL GARCIA
“Keith ran half the fight. Boxing is about hitting, not running. Danny tried to be the aggressor, but Keith was moving around too much.”

DAN BIRMINGHAM
“We knew we had the fight won. Keith was still scoring while he was backing up – sticking and moving.

“We know Danny is a great fighter and there was a lot of great back and forth, but Keith was the better man tonight.”

Erickson Lubin earned a mandatory title shit with a 4th round stoppage over Jorge Cota in a junior middleweight bout.

Lubin landed a crushing over hand left that sent Cota crashing to the canvas.  Cota got to his feet, but the fight was s stopped at 1:25

Lubin, 153.8 lbs of Orlando, FL is 18-0 with 13 knockouts.  Cota, 153.8 lbs of Sinaloa, MX is 23-2.

ERICKSON LUBIN
“I baited him with the jab. I knew he was going to come with the big shots early. I put a few tricks on him, I landed that overhand right and it was night-night. I put my hands down to bait him in, I did a squat and then it was night-night. I was ready to follow-up with a right but he was already out.

On an opportunity to potentially become the youngest world champion in boxing:
“That would mean a lot to me; that would mean a lot to Orlando, Florida.

“This is my second time knocking someone out in front of Ray Leonard. He’s one of my favorite fighters of all time. It’s an honor to do this on CBS.”

Richardson Hitchins made a successful pro debut with a 1st round stoppae over Mario Perez in a welterweight bout.

Hitchins dropped Perez in the 1st with a right hand.  Seconds later, it was a left that dropped Perez and the fight was waved off at

Hitchins, 141 lbs of Brooklyn is 1-0 with 1 knockout.  Perez, 141.2 lbs of Baja, Mexico is 1-1.

Sergey Lipinets stopped Clarence Booth in round seven of a scheduled 8-round junior welterweight bout.

Lipinets dropped Booth in round seven and finished him off with a flurry in the corner at 1:33.

Lipinets, 140.6 lbs of Beverly Hills, CA is 12-0 with 10 knockouts.  Booth, 140 lbs of St. Petersburg, FL is 14-3.

SERGEY LIPINETS
“We had a short camp for this fight so it took me a little while to relax. Once I got loose, I did what I wanted to do.

“I’m the mandatory for the IBF title. I’m going to wait for my shot and from then on we’ll just see who is willing to fight us.

“I’m still developing my style. I want to please the crowd. It’s an honor to be on a show like this. I’m not a fluke. Ever since I’ve fought professionally, I’ve only fought tough opponents.

“I had him hurt. He could have kept going based purely off of will but he would have just gotten hurt more. He’s better off this way and can fight again.”

CLARENCE BOOTH
“I thought it was an early decision. I was alright. He got me with a decent shot. But I was fine when he came rushing at me.

“I thought I was in the fight. He’s a strong guy, but he didn’t really hurt me. I thought I was right there with him.”

Andrzej Fonfara basically ended the career at the top level of former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson by stopping him in the 10th and final round.

Fonfara dropped Dawson in round nine, and finished him off with a hard flurry in the corner at 28 seconds of round ten.

Fonfara, 176.8 lbs of Chicago, IL is 29-4 with 17 knockouts.  Dawson, 176 lbs of New Haven, CT is 34-5.

“I heard the scores were not in my favor. Right now I can’t say whether or not I agree with them. I thought I was winning the fight, but I’d have to go back and watch closer. 

Heather Hardy won a 8-round unanimous decision over Edina Kiss in a featherweight bout.

Hardy, 124.6 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 80-72 twice ans 79-73 and is now 19-0.  Kiss, 124.2 lbs of Budapest, HUN is 13-3.

Mario Barrios (18-0, 10 KOs), remained undefeated with a stellar performance, defeated his opponent Yardley Suarez (20-7, 11 KOs) by sixth round TKO.

Antonio Moran stopped Richard Zamora in the 1st round of their scheduled 10-round super lightweight bout at Carpa Astros in Tlalpan, Mexico.

Moran landed a crunching right inside of a wide attempt at a right hand from Zamaora.  Zamora crumpled to the canvas.  He got up but the fight was stopped.

Moran is 21-2 with 14 knockouts.  Zamora is 14-2.

Jorge Batalla (2-1) won a 4-round unanimous decision over German Lopez Meraz (0-4) in a super lightweight bout.

Ivan Hernandez (2-1) won a 4-round unanimous decision over pro debuting Juan Gonzalez Rosas in a super bantamweight bout.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan is not yet a reality.

“The point is that this is all so premature,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum told ESPN on Wednesday. “It’s all bulls—. But Manny is not going to fight in April. I don’t even know if May is feasible. I haven’t even talked to Manny. All it is right now is a discussion. It’s like somebody saying, ‘Hey, let’s build a new stadium for the Raiders in Las Vegas.’ You can say anything, but we’re a long way from it being done.”

Arum and Koncz met for dinner on Tuesday night in Las Vegas, where Arum lives, to talk about the possible deal with an unnamed investment group interesting in bringing Pacquiao to the UAE — at a site to be determined in Dubai or Abu Dhabi — to defend his welterweight world title against Khan, whose Muslim background makes him the group’s preferred opponent.

Koncz told Yahoo Sports that instead of April 23 the fight would instead take place on May 20 — meaning a rare Friday night pay-per-view in the U.S. time zones — in order to allow more time to promote the event. But Arum said that although he and Koncz talked about the new date it is not even close to being set in stone.

“We had a nice meeting, but there’s a lot of work to do before anything materializes,” Arum said. “A lot of work. As of now, other than the fact that Michael and I are on the same page as far as the fight not happening in April and that we hope to make something happen, who knows? I have absolutely nothing to report definitively and I am not f—— around.”

“After I met with Koncz I realized everything was up in the air as far as the money [in the UAE]. They punted to me and said, ‘Go find the money.’ So far it hasn’t surfaced,” Arum said, laughing. “Did I discuss a date in May with Michael? Yes. But I’ve got to talk to the people in the Middle East to see if this is real, to see if they can even go on that date in May, to see what venue would be available. Nobody has checked with them. I suggested the date to Koncz, but to say it’s done, again, it’s ridiculous.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Featherweight champion Oscar Valdez will defend his title against Miguel Marriaga, Super Middleweight Gilberto Ramirez will defend against Max Bursak and Super Featherweight champion Jessie Magdaleno will defend against Adeilson Dos Santos on April 22nd in Carson, California.

The 3 fights, along with the pro debut of Shakur Stevenson could be part of a Manny Pacquiao – Amir Khan split site Pay per view card on could be a stand alone Pay Per View event on it’s own.

“I think a card like this is for us to push ahead with the future of these fighters,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum said. “They’re all good, young fighters who need to fight. It would be, obviously, our goal to have these guys featured in main events whether they’re on pay-per-view or not on pay-per-view. If we have to go on pay-per-view, that’s what we’ll do. But we’re going to do some good fights and put on a good card.”

Arum said he hoped that the addition of Stevenson, who is African-American and from the East Coast, to a card aimed largely at Hispanic fans, would help “draw a more diverse audience” to the pay-per-view. Arum said Stevenson’s pro debut will come in a six-round fight against an opponent to be determined.

Corresponding tweets by Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan stated that they will fight on April 23rd.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – BJ Flores is a good talker. He’s known for his commentary. But his identity is still on the dangerous side of the ropes.

“I just wanted to remind people that I can still fight,’’ Flores said.

That reminder was delivered definitively and with hands as fast as ever Saturday night at Celebrity Theatre on an Iron Boy Promotions card. Flores has moved up the scale, beyond 190-pounds and into the heavyweight division. Nobody will ever confuse Jeremy Bates with a heavyweight contender. He was more Butterbean than Anthony Joshua.

But it was a new beginning for Flores (33-3-1, 21 KOs), who blitzed Bates (26-19-1, 22 KOs) with quick combos, scoring two knockdowns for a first-round TKO victory in his heavyweight debut.

“I’m ready to go again, right now,’’ said Flores (33-3-1, 21 KOs), a former cruiserweight contender who hopes to answer another opening bell in May. “My hand speed is still there. I think that speed can give a lot heavyweights a lot of trouble.’’

Flores weighed in at 223 pounds. He said he wants to be even heavier next time around. But against whom? He’s not calling out Joshua or Wladimir Klitschko. He didn’t call out Deontay Wilder, who retained his WBC title Saturday with a stoppage of Gerald Washington in Birmingham, Ala. But he did mention Lucas Browne.

Meanwhile, more work at ringside commentary figures to be there for the fighter, who gained international prominence for his insight on NBC. If given a choice between another network job and a fight, Flores said he’d take the fight.

“Every time,’’ he said. “That’s what I do and I think I’ve still got a lot left in me.’’

On Saturday night, not even commentator could argue with that

In a co-main event, there was not much action. But there was a knockdown and one was enough for Phoenix middleweight Andrew Hernandez (18-5-1, 8 KOs), who scored it in the first round with an overhand right that dropped Siju Ade Shibaz (6-3, 2 KOs), also of Phoenix. Nine rounds later, Hernandez had a bloodied left eye, a victory by unanimous decision and the WBA’s national versions of the 160-pound title.

On The Undercard
The Best: Super-flyweight Luis Espinoza of Mesa, Ariz., has a prospect’s power in his hands, agile speed in his feet and a trainer with some world-class credentials. Add it all up and Christian Bartolini of Mexico never had had a chance.

Espinoza (6-0, 2 KOs), who had former Timothy Bradley trainer Julio Diaz in his corner, tagged Bartolini (1-3-1) with a short left – precise as it was powerful – for a fourth-round stoppage.

The Rest: Phoenix flyweight Adrian Servin ((3-0, 1 KO) struck early, held on late and prevailed at the end of a back-and-fourth four rounder for a unanimous decision over bloodied, yet resilient Jesus Godinez (0-1) of Mexico.

Junior-lightweight Viktor Slavinsky (1-0, 1 KO) traveled a long way from his native Ukraine. He didn’t forget to pack the power in his right hand. It rocked Mexican Oscar Quezada (3-8-1, 2 KOS) immediately and repeatedly, scoring a second-round stoppage in an impressive debut for Slavinsky.

Marine and combat vet Jamie Bojado (1-0, 1 KO) of Phoenix displayed some resilience, recovering from a head-rocking blow with two quick knockdowns for a first-round stoppage of El Paso welterweight Shem Prieto (0-1).

Another Ukrainian, junior-middleweight Yulian Tembotou ((1-0, 1 KO), dominated the Phoenix ring as though he were at home, landing a crippling body shot for a first-round stoppage of Brandon Davis (1-1) of Ohio.

Mesa junior-lightweight Jose Ibarra (1-0), capitalized on his power, scoring a unanimous decision of crosstown rival Joel Moran (0-1) of Phoenix.

Deontay Wilder was patient, but he retained the WBC Heavyweight title with a 5th round stoppage over previously undefeated Gerald Washington at The Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

It was Washington who controlled distance over the first 4 rounds with his jab.  In round five, Wilder landed a booming right that sent Washington to the canvas.  Washington was on shake legs, and Wilder punctuated the bout with a flurry that was capped off by a left that forced referee Micheale Griffin to stop the bout at 1:45.

Wilder is now 38-0 with 37 knockouts.  Washington is 18-1-1.

DEONTAY WILDER

“I knew he was going to come in excited to fight for a world title. I just kept calm and found my rhythm. I really knew he was going to tire out, and when he did I took advantage.

“It was all about timing. I’m very smart when it comes to using different tactics in the ring.

“Fighting here in Alabama is a blessing. The people here show up to support me and I love them for it. I’m always going to support and be here for my Alabama family. To see the crowd’s response tonight meant a lot to me.

“As I’ve been saying, I’m looking to unify the division. I think it’s critical to have one fighter and one champion, and that’s Deontay Wilder. Let’s hope Joseph Parker is ready for me because I’m definitely ready for him.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“I just got a little impatient. I was trying to go for it. It was an even boxing match. I could have kept it like that and kept it boring. I don’t know why I fell asleep there. I guess I lost a little focus.

“I caught him with one shot when he was coming in. But instead of me keeping that play going and keep pushing him back and keep him in control by keeping him in the center of the ring, I tried to get on him. I was trying to play a little counter punch role and catch him coming in. He just caught me.

“It’s just an experience. You have to follow the game plan and stay focused, stay patient. You may not get all the shots you want in the beginning, but you have to play the game all the way out and then things will start to happen.”

Jarrett Hurd came from behind to stop Tony Harrison in the 9th round to capture the IBF Junior Middleweight title.

Harrison dominated the 1st 6 rounds by boxing and moving, not letting Hurd get into any rhythm.   The fight changed in round seven as Hurd landed some power shots and the body language on Harrison began to change,  In round nine, Hurd landed a perfect counter right that sent Harrison to the canvas.  Harrison got to his feet and spat out his mouthpiece and the fight was waved off at 2:24.

Hurd is 20-0 with 14 knockouts.  Harrison is now 24-2.

JARRETT HURD

“We wanted to take our time with him because Harrison can box and move. But every time he fights he wears down toward the end.

“During the sixth round, he caught me with a good shot inside my left eye. But I managed to fight through it and get the win.

“It feels great to be a champion. I’ve never had a feeling this great before. It’s pure Accokeek power. I can finally pull my pants up now. My pants were falling down, but I finally got my belt.”

In a Heavyweight slugfest, former world title challenger stopped Izu Ugonoh in round five of a scheduled 10-round bout.

After Ugonoh dominated the 1st two frames with mainly hard body shots, Breazeale landed a left hook in round three that sent Ugonoh to the canvas.  Ugonoh came back in the round to stagger and hurt Breazeale.  In round four, Ugonoh jumped on Breazeale, and landed a hard right that sent the former title challenger to the canvas.  When it looked like Ugonoh was back in control, Breazeale started round five with a cruunching right that sent Ugonoh to the canvas.  Ugonoh was hurt, and Breazeale saw that and landed three more hard blows that sent Ugonoh through the ropes and the fight was stopped at 50 seconds.

DOMINIC BREAZEALE

“It took a little time for me to find my pace, but eventually I found my Rhythm. Izu came in in great shape and with guns blazing. He came at me with some stuff that I wasn’t expecting. Him being the lighter guy I wasn’t really expecting the power he possessed.

“I was able to connect some big shots tonight, especially with my right hand. You see what happens when I put him down and he never really recovered.

“Coming off the loss to Joshua, this win puts me right back in there. This is what I’ve always asked for. My team does an incredible job of getting me any fight I ask for, and I wanted to fight an undefeated guy like Izu. He’s a big, strong, athletic guy.

“Tonight, the story was about me having the heart of a lion, getting knocked down, but getting right back up to finish this fight.”

IZUAGBE UGONOH

“I expected that I was going to knock him out. I believed I would accomplish that, but he didn’t surprise me with anything. I was landing some good shots to both his body and his face.

“Breazeale showed a lot of heart though, and I think that his experience really helped him. I think a fight like Anthony Joshua really helped him realize that he could take anything and win the fight. He did that tonight.

“Honestly, I just got tired. I gave him what I had and then I got tired. When he came back at me I wasn’t able to keep up and finish through on my game plan.

“The plan was to really use my double jab, and I’m not making any excuses. This is the fight game. This was a great opportunity for me, a big step up, and I was hoping to get it done. I didn’t, but that is part of sports. I’m not used to losing, but that time came today. I’m still a dangerous man to fight.”

Breazeale is now 18-1 with 16 knockouts.  Ugonoh is 17-1.

Tugstsogt Nyambayer remained perfect by dropping Jhon Gemino four times and finishing off in the tenth and final round of their super featherweight bout.

In round three, Nyambayer landed a perfect right that Gemno on the canvas.

In round six, it was a chopping right hand that put Gemino on the deck.  Seconds later, it was another right that Gemino down.  Nyambayer sent Gemino down in the tenth round.  A moment later, a hard combination had Gemino in trouble and the bout was stopped at 1:05.

Nyambayer is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts.  Gemino is 15-8-1.

Rey Vargas walked into enemy territory and won the WBC Super Bantamweight title with a 12-round majority decision over Gavin McDonnell at Ice Hall in Hull, England.

It was a competitive fight with Vargas using his length and landing his jab, that would open up combinations. McDonnell was willing, but did not seem to be able to get in a groove, yet he was able to fight even on a card at 114-114. while two other cards had the right winner at 117-111 and 116-112.

Vargas of Mexico is now 29-0. McDonnell, was trying to join his twin brother Jamie (IBF Bantamweight) as current world champion, drops to 16-1-2.

“I am happy, we were able to win the world title in his backyard,”said Vargas. “It is an honor to bring this title back to my people in Mexico.”

“It was his long arms, I just could not pin him,” said McDonnell. “He beat me fair and sqaure. I just fell short. I felt alright in there, it was just his long arms that were the difference. I showed that I belong at this level after just 18 fights, and I will be back in the gym and I will be a world champion.

Luke Campbell took out Jairo Lopez in the 2nd round of their scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

Campbell hurt Lopez in the 1st round with a right hand. Campbell was patient and then dropped and stopped Lopez with a right hand and the fight was over.

Campbell is 16-1. Lopez is 21-7.

Tommy Coyle stopped Rakeem Noble in round three of their scheduled ten-round super lightweight bout.

Coyle hurt Noble with a right at the end of round two, and finished him with a booming right in round three, that sent Noble down. Noble got to his feet, but the referee stopped the fight.

Coyle is now 23-4. Noble is 11-2.

Dec Spelman (11-0) registered a 3rd round stoppage over Nathan King (14-28) in a scheduled 6-round light heavyweight bout.

Heavyweight Dave Allen (10-2-1) needed just 31 seconds to stop Lukasz Rusiewicz (22-29) in a heavyweight bout scheduled for 6 rounds.

Justin DeLoach stopped Chris Pearson in the 2nd round of their scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, California.

DeLoach hurt Pearson with a left hook in the 2nd round, and then dropped him with a combination. Pearson was hurt and then ate a big right down the middle and was dropped to his knees, where he could not beat the 10-count at 2:30.

DeLoach, 151.8 lbs of Augusta, GA is 17-1 with 9 knockouts. Pearson, 152.8 lbs of Dayton, OH is 17-2.

“I’m not surprised that it happened so quickly,” DeLoach said. “We had a strategy and we stuck to it. Hard work pays off and that was proof. I didn’t think I was an underdog, but I understand the whole thing of psychological warfare. I always go into the ring like I am on top no matter what.

“Pearson seemed a step slower from the start and DeLoach came forward,” said ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood, who later called the DeLoach win a shocker. “Wow. Even if you liked DeLoach to win this fight, you are surprised it happened this soon.”

He later added: “I thought it was going to be a distance fight. Pearson never recovered from his loss to Eric Walker. DeLoach continues to surprise. This is his fourth consecutive major win and now I believe he’s a contender at 154 pounds—maybe one or two fights away from a world title fight.”

“I felt lackluster,” Pearson said. “He came out and he was explosive, he was busy. He didn’t do anything I didn’t expect. Things happened the way they did, and you gotta take the good with the bad. He hit me in the eye which got me a bit disoriented. He fought like I thought he would, he did what he had to do. His performance didn’t surprise me.”

DeLoach was clearly overcome with emotion as he reflected on his huge victory. “I feel great,” DeLoach said. “I am emotional right now. I come from a small city and my mom is here and she’s in tears. Seeing my mom and my family here, I am just proud.”

DeLoach was clearly overcome with emotion as he reflected on his huge victory. “I feel great,” he said. “I am emotional right now. I come from a small city and my mom is here and she’s in tears. Seeing my mom and my family here, I am just proud.”

Saul Rodriguez survived a knockdown, but was able to eek out a split decision in a 10-round lightweight bout over Oscar Bravo.

In round five, Bravo landed a booming right hand that sent Rodriguez staggering into the bottom ropes for a knockdown. Bravo pelted Rodriguez several other times, but Rodriguez was given the decision with his consistant output.

Rodriguez took cards by 97-92 and 95-94 scores while Bravo took a card 95-94.

Rodriguez, 133.8 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 21-0-1. Bravo, 132.8 lbs of Santiago, CHI is 23-7.

“I was pretty happy with my performance, but I know there are a few things I need to work on and really just stay focused,” Rodriguez said. “When you’re fighting a wild opponent like Bravo, it gets tough, he head-butted me a few times which affected my visual, but I didn’t let his wild style interrupt my plan.

“I was definitely going for the KO throughout the night, but I was still boxing with him. I just gotta go back in the gym and continue developing as a fighter, I am just happy to bring the win home to my hometown and my home stable [Mayweather Promotions].”

Andrew Tabiti stopped Quantas Graves after six rounds of their scheduled ten-round cruiserweight bout

In round four, Graves started to bleed from his nose. Later in the round, he was rocked bad by a hard right from Tabiti.

In round six, Tabiti dropped Graves with a right to the body. The beatdown continued for the rest of the round and his corner mercifully stopped the bout after the round.

Tabiti, 196.2 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is 14-0 with 12 knockouts. Graves, 198.8 lbs of Beaumont, TX is 11-1-2.

“As soon as I got in the ring, I knew it was game over for him,” Tabiti said. “Figuring out his game plan was easy money. The only thing I feel I could have done better was get him out of the fight quicker. He was talking a lot before the fight, but I didn’t let that get in my head I just came out and did what I was supposed to do.

“Tabiti is very fast,” Graves said. “I’ve been boxing for 19 years and I’ve never fought anyone as fast as him. I have no excuses. It is okay. Tabiti was cocky before the fight and humble after. He just needs to keep working hard and perfect his skills.”

According to Dan Rafael of espnn.com, heavyweight champions Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker could be headed toward a unification clash this summer should they win their nect bouts.

Wilder takes on Gerlad Washington on Saturday while Parker is scheduled to face Hughie Fury in April.

“We’re not looking past Washington, but I do like looking though my opponents as if I’m window shopping a little bit, looking through the glass at something I want and I can’t get it right now because I’ve got a job to do first,” Wilder said. “So once I beat Washington we really want Parker to get the WBO title so that will leave me with the WBC and the WBO and then [Wladimir] Klitschko and [Anthony] Joshua are fighting for the IBF and the WBA [on April 29]. So at the end of the year you put your two [belts] up, I’ll put my two up and we can unify the whole division.”

“I know Parker’s coming. I’ve been talking to his people. I knew he was coming and that’s gonna be good,” Wilder said. “We’re thinking June, July. That’s what we’re trying to schedule. I think we’re going to take it to Las Vegas, maybe Barclays Center [in Brooklyn, New York]. They’ve wanted me to come back since the [Artur] Szpilka fight [in January 2016]. So I think it will be a great opportunity to come back and present myself in New York, the media capital of the world, but a great thing for Parker as well to get known in America.”

“If it lands in New Zealand, it would be lovely to go over,” Wilder said. “I was willing to go to Russia, I’ve gone to Mexico, been to England. My belt says heavyweight champion of the world. It doesn’t just say ‘of Alabama’ or just ‘of this country.’ Either way it goes, I just want the fight made. I don’t care about location. I don’t care about date. I just want it made because my goal is to unify and I will unify.”

“My first time seeing him fight was against Andy Ruiz, which I thought he lost that fight,” Wilder said. “But that’s the only thing I’ve saw of him. I like the intensity and the courage his team has to want to unify.”

“We’ve made no secret we would like to fight Deontay,” Barry said. “We’d like to unify those belts.”

“I think that would be a good time for us. We’d like it to be in America,” Barry said. “We’re trying to make this unification. We’re doing our part. That’s why Joe is coming to the fight. We hope whoever wins the other belts [in the Joshua-Klitschko fight] keeps both belts and puts them up. It would be fantastic for the heavyweight division to have one champion. We’d like to go after the big fights with Joe.”