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.”

PHOENIX, Ariz. – BJ Flores moves up the scale, from cruiserweight to heavyweight, in a fight to re-ignite his career Saturday night at Celebrity Theatre.

Flores, who is known for his insightful commentary as a boxing analyst for NBC, lost a third-round TKO in a bid for the WBC’s cruiserweight title to Tony Bellew in the UK on Oct. 15.

At 38, the former cruiserweight contender steps into the heavyweight ranks on the same day that WBC champion Deontay Wilder tries to regain momentum in his career against Gerald Washington in Birmingham, Ala.

Flores (32-3-1, 20 KOs), who lives in Chandler, Ariz., is scheduled to face Jeremy Bates (26-18-1, 22 KOs), a heavyweight from Charleston, W.V, who is coming off a loss to Oscar Rivas last June in Montreal.

Flores-Rivas is the main event on an Iron Boy Promotions card. Seven bouts are scheduled. First bell is scheduled for 7 p.m. (MST).

According to Dan Rafae of espn.com, WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has turned his attention towards a fight with Amir Khan in the United Arab Emirates , thus leaving previously mentioned potential opponent Jeff Horn at the alter.

“My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcement coming soon,” Pacquiao wrote on social media.

n fact, Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world titleholder who outpointed Jessie Vargas to reclaim a welterweight world title in a dominant performance on Nov. 5 in Las Vegas, had previously said he had never heard of Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), a 2012 Australian Olympian. On Wednesday night, Bob Arum told ESPN that the deal in Australia had fallen apart because of Pacquiao’s desire to chase the money in the UAE.

“The Australian deal is not going to happen now, because Manny is trying to get a fight done in the United Arab Emirates and the people there favor him fighting Amir Khan,” Arum said.

“Whether it will happen or not, I just don’t know, because they have to come up with a large amount of money,” Arum said. “Manny seems to believe they will come up with the money. I have some reservations whether it will happen or not. If the money comes up, I will aid and abet the fight happening. But right now, I’m holding my powder. I don’t really know.”

May 20 has been the rumored date for a possible Pacquiao-Khan fight, but Arum said even if the bout happens, it won’t be then.

“May 20 is a non-starter. The senate in the Philippines [in which Pacquiao serves] is in session then,” Arum said. “Maybe in April or maybe June, but not May.”

“The Australian deal was a lot of money, but it paled in comparison to the … money they’re supposedly offering — $38 million,” Arum said derisively of the deal Pacquiao is pursuing. “I’m a practical man. The money in Australia wasn’t anywhere near $38 million. What do I know? We live in an alternative reality world. I don’t know what the story is. If the $38 million is real, it trumps the Australia deal. If it’s real, we will assist putting on the event, but I am not holding my breath and I’m not making plane reservations.

“We’ll see what we see. If the $38 million comes up, the fight will take place and we’ll all be happy. And if it doesn’t, there will be one guy who won’t be surprised.”

Two-division champion Donnie Nietes will take on Komgrich Nantapech for a Flyweight title on April 29th in Cebu, Philippines, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’m just very happy and excited. I’m very happy with the chance of winning a third title at another division. It is finally within my grasp,” Nietes said. “I’ve seen a lot throughout my career to prove that this isn’t something every fighter gets a shot at. I’m very thankful to my manager and promoter for making this possible, for helping me achieve my dreams. Even before my first test in the flyweight division, I was ready. I’ve long been ready. I’ve just been waiting for the opportunity to prove there’s more we Filipino fighters can still achieve.

“Scoring my first win over someone [Sosa] who has had his fair share of flyweight dominance was something that helped me realize I made the right decision and that this was the perfect time for me to step up.”

“I think he’s someone I should look out for,” Nietes said. “I’m new in the division he’s long been in. Thailanders are also tough boxers, so I’ll make sure I’ll give my best come April 29.

Highly regarded amateur standout Christian Montano has signed with manager Cameron Dunkin, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“He has very, very fast hands and hits extremely hard,” Dunkin said. “He won the nationals in his 11th [amateur] fight. He beat guys with over 100 fights when he had like five or six fights. It’s pretty amazing. He went to the junior world championships. I expect big things from him. A lot of people were after him, so I am very happy to sign him.”
“He loves boxing and he said he knows he could play football, but he wanted to box,” Dunkin said. “I was with him and his parents over the weekend, and I think they wanted him to go to school and play football, but he wanted to box. He’s very, very talented and he looks like he could really be something. He could stick around and be a huge amateur but he said, ‘I just want to go pro and get it started. I want to fight real fights.'”

Dunkin said he does not plan to sign Montano with a promoter, at least not yet, and said he will turn him pro on March 18 on a card in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“If all goes well he’ll fight again on March 31 in Philadelphia and then in mid-April on another show in Philly,” Dunkin said. “I’ll keep him busy. He’ll fight about once a month. I’ll let him hone his craft and learn. He doesn’t have a ton of amateur experience. He was like 41-3 as an amateur.”

Adrien Broner took a 10-round split decision from Adrian Granados in an entertaining welterweight bout in Cincinnati.

It was a tough with Broner and Granados trading shots.  Both guys were cut in the fight.  The contest was close as they went down the stretch.  Both guys took cards at 97-93, while Broner took a deciding card at 96-94.

Broner, 146.5 lbs of Cincinnati is 33-2.  Granados, 146.5 lbs of Chicago is 18-5-2.

“I knew that Adrian Granados was going to come tough,” Broner said. “At the end of the day, I was beating him up. This was an easy one for me. I feel good.

“Adrian Granados is a world class fighter, a lot of guys duck him but I wanted to fight him because that’s what I’m about. Inside this ring it’s business. Granados is a great friend of mine. It’s nothing personal.

“I’m taking my career more seriously and being more positive. I want to apologize to everyone who looks up to me and has seen the foolish things I’ve done. I’m ready to be a better role model, a better father figure and a better star for everyone. ”

“I knew it wasn’t a pretty fight but I’m thankful to my team,” Granados said. “You already know, there were all types of games that they played with me. We had to change the weights. We had to change the scale. They are just playing all kind of games. I just want to be treated fairly.

“I understand, I don’t have a perfect record, but I can beat any of these guys. You have seen the scorecards. Split decision. Come on. Give me another one. Let’s do it again. I can’t wait to watch this fight, because I know I won.

“Come to my house. He fought smart and did his thing. If he thinks he did it this time, let’s do it again. Let’s do it in my house. Come to Chicago

Lamont Peterson wrestled a version of the WBA Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over David Avanesyan.

Avanesyan was cut over the right eye in round three.  It was a grueling inside battle with a lot of hard body work, and Peterson got the nod 116-112 twice and 115-113 twice.

Peterson, 146.5 lbs of Washington, DC is 35-3-1.  Avanesyan, 147 lbs of Pyatigorsk, RUS is 22-2-1.

“I was expecting to pick up where I left off,” Peterson said of his 16-month layoff. “That may seem like a long time, but if you’re in the gym it’s not a long time. I took some steps forward tonight. We’re looking to get back in camp and keep moving.

“I expected to put pressure on him the way he did. I didn’t think he would fight back as hard as he did. He showed he’s a champion and shows he’s at this level. I want to fight anyone in the welterweight division now.”

“I thought that I was landing my punches more cleanly while his punches were being blocked,” Avanesyan said. “Lamont is very good but I thought the judges were impressed with his movement, but I had the power.”

Marcus Browne remained undefeated with a 6th round stoppage over Thomas Williams in a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout.

In round two, Browne landed a straight left to the head that sent Williams to knee.  Unfortunately for Browne, he walked in and drilled Williams with a left to the back of the head while Williams was on the canvas. For that, Browne was deducted a point.  In round four, it was another straight left that sent Williams to the deck for the 2nd time in the fight.  In round six, Browne drilled Williams with a left hand that sent him to the canvas and Williams could not beat the 10-count at 42 seconds.

Browne, 174.5 lbs of Staten Island, NY is now 19-0 with knockouts.  Williams, 174.5 lbs of Baltimore is 20-3.

“He didn’t’ look like he went down, so I made sure he went down,” Browne said of the incident in the second round. “He was trying to stand up in the squat position so I pushed him down a bit more. He was in a squat – I didn’t see his gloves. I’m sorry. I wasn’t being dirty.”

Bobby Gunn 197.4 lbs (21-6-1) vs Roy Jones, Jr. 199.0 lbs. (64-9)

It was a packed house at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware tonight when fans came out to see living legend Roy Jones, Jr. take on the Bareknuckle Champion Bobby Gunn in a bout for the WBF Cruiserweight World Championship. The fight was being billed as Skill vs. Will, representing Jones & Gunn, respectively. It was a pro-Jones crowd who stayed on their feet until the opening bell.

Round 1 was a feel out round with both fighters content to keep their distance. Jones landed more jabs and dictated the pace of the first round. 10-9 Jones.

Round 2 was another tentative round. Jones landed the two biggest punches of the round, a good left hook dig to the body and a vintage leaping left hook that Gunn took well. Gunn seems hesitant to engage and is content to let Jones pot shot him. 20-18 Jones.

Roy seemed to have fun in round 3, throwing a leaping left hook and catching Gunn with a big right hand towards the end of the round. Roy smiled throughout the round and jawed with ringside fans during the round. Gunn is hesitant to engage. 30-27 Jones.

Roy landed at will in round 4 with big shots to both the head and body. While taunting Gunn with a hip shake late in the round, Gunn returned the taunt and imitated Roy. 40-36 Jones.

Round 5 was all Jones, landing huge right hands and straight 1-2 combinations whenever he chose to do so. Roy appeared to be having a lot of fun and showed extremely fast hand speed. 50-45 Jones.

Round 6 was more of the same. Gunn did get in some shots in the corner and on the ropes, but nothing that seemed to affect Roy. Roy landed the bigger punches and is clearly the faster of the two fighters. 60-54 Jones.

Jones staggered Gunn with a quick combo to the head towards the end of the round. Jones stood in front of Gunn and jawed as if to say, “I could end it now, but no, you’re not ready.” Round 7 was an easy one for Jones. 70-63, Jones.

Bobby Gunn’s corner had seen enough and Gunn failed to answer the bell for round 8 in a fight that he was never in. If this was the end of the road for Superman, the Delaware fans were treated to one last night of brilliance. Bobby Gunn was game, but overmatched by one of the best to ever do it. The always classy Bobby Gunn said “Roy, you’re so good that I actually enjoyed you beating me up.” During Roy’s post-fight interview in the ring, Roy said, “my name is Roy, Damned Jones Junior!” I guess he said that just in case y’all musta forgot.

Kanat Islam 154.2 lbs. vs. Robson Assis 154.6 lbs. Jr. Middleweight 10 rounds
After an accidental head-butt that opened up a nasty gash in a bad spot over Islam’s right eye, Islam showed a sense of urgency and landed a series of huge right hands. A straight right hand put Assis on the mat. Assis could not beat the count and stayed down for a period of time after he was counted out to recover. The official time was 2:12 of the 1st round. Kanat improved to 23-0. During his post-fight interview in the ring, Kanat called out both Cotto and Canelo and said he wants a big fight. He then told the world, “I am coming.” After his explosive performance tonight, the world may be listening.

Round 1 saw minimal action with De Alba dictating the pace. 10-9 De Alba after 1.

Round 2 saw neither fighter landing anything substantial in a round that could have gone either way. De Alba may have done enough body work to steal the round. 20-18 De Alba after two rounds.

Round 3 was more of the same, with neither fighter landing anything substantial. I gave the round to Emeraz for decent body work in the red corner. 29-28 De Alba after 3 forgettable rounds.

De Alba was noticeably busier in round 4 and took the fight to Emeraz while alternating between southpaw and orthodox stances. De Alba landed a huge left hand that snapped Emaraz’s head back and was the biggest punch of the fight up to this point. De Alba seemed to take ownership of the fight. 39-37 De Alba after 4 rounds.

Round 5 featured Emeraz being more aggressive on the inside and he seemed to get to De Alba more often to the body. 48-47 De Alba after 5.

The 6th and final round was the busiest round with both fighters landing, but De Alba had a nice counter left hook near the end of the round and did enough to win the round. 15 rounds.com scores it 58-56 in a close fight.
Judges’ scorecards were 60-54 all in favor of Frank De Alba as he picked up a unanimous decision.

Local native Joey Tiberi, Jr. got the PPV portion of the night started by bringing the crowd to their feet in his bout against Bryan Timmons in a scheduled 4 rounder in the Lightweight Division. Round 1 showed minimal action, some big swings, but nobody landing anything too substantial. Tiberi did land one combo which was enough to win the round.

The second round was busier for both fighters with Tiberi landing the biggest blows, including a huge left hook. Tiberi 20-18 after 2 rounds.

The 3rd round showed better movement from Tiberi and his hands were much busier in round 3 and he landed bigger shots at will. Tiberi 30-27 after 3 rounds.

The 4th and final round started with Tiberi landing a few big hooks to the head. Late in the round, Tiberi attacked with multiple flurry attacks and landed a huge over-the-top right hand. Timmons was rocked and Tiberi pressed the action. Referee Vic de Wysocki wisely stopped the fight at 2:04 to prevent any further damage to Timmons.

Olimjon Nazarov 119.4 lbs vs Dagoberto Aguero 118.6 lbs Super Bantamweight 6 rounds

Dagoberto won via Majority Decision, judge’s scores were 57-57, 58-46, 59-55. 15rounds.com scorecard had it 57-57 with Nazarov landing the more effective power shots during the fight.

Dagoberto fought the fight mostly with his hands at his side and clowned about the ring, but Nazarov got his attention often with left hook shots to the body.

PHOENIX, Ariz. –Michael Carbajal has always been known best for what he did in Nevada. It’s where he staked his first claim on real fame. It’s fitting that he’ll be remembered there too when he is inducted to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

“It’s an honor, a real honor, to be voted into a Hall alongside the great, great fighters who fought in boxing’s mecca,’’ said Carbajal, who will be inducted to the Nevada Hall in a class that includes Thomas Hearns, Salvador Sanchez, Erik Morales, Michael Spinks, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Lucia Rijker and Richie Sandoval.

Sandoval, a former bantamweight champ, talked Top Rank’s Bob Arum into signing Carbajal, a junior-flyweight. It was the first time Arum had ever promoted a fighter in one of boxing lightest divisions.

Carbajal’s most memorable moment came on March 13, 1993 at the old Las Vegas Hilton. That’s when he got up from two knockdowns, one in the second round and again in the fifth, to score a dramatic seventh-round KO of rival Humberto Gonzalez.

The victory earned him a rematch and $1-million paycheck, the first ever for s junior-flyweight. Gonzalez beat Carbajal in controversial decisions in subsequent rematches, the first in Los Angeles and the second in Mexico City. But the only one anybody remembers is that first one in Vegas on a memorable Nevada night.

Carbajal, now 49, had 53 pro bouts, winning 49 and losing four. He scored 33 knockouts, including a stoppage of Jorge Arce in his last bout in 1999. He is remembered as one of history’s greatest little guys, alongside Gonzalez and Ricardo Lopez. He was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., in 2006.

He won an Olympic silver medal for the United Staes at the 1988 Seoul Games. He continues to live in the downtown Phoenix home where he grew up. He works with kids at his Ninth Street Gym.

Carbajal and his fellow inductees will be honored at a dinner on Aug 12 at Vegas’ Caesars Palace.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com. IBF Welterweight champion Kell Brook will defend his title against hot American contender Errol Spence Jr. on May 20th in Sheffield, England.

“I know I have a mandatory with Errol Spence. He’s a very talented fighter but not really heard of in the U.K. or even America, but we all know he can fight,” Brook told ESPN last month in New York. “It’s hard to get up for guys like this because he doesn’t have the name yet. I want the big-money fights if I’m going to make 147 pounds. … I’m in a situation where I still might have to defend against Spence because I don’t want to lose my title without losing it in the ring.”

A new York jury ruled that ormer heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin took a banned substance before his world title fight with WBC champion Deontay Wilder last year, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The jury took just 32 minutes to reach a verdict finding that Povetkin used the performance-enhancing drug during the leadup to what was supposed to be a mandatory fight against heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder last May 21 in Moscow.

The fight was canceled nine days before the fight when a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association-conducted test found that Povetkin had meldonium in his system.

After the fight was canceled, Wilder and promoter Lou DiBella sued Povetkin and Russian promoter Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for breach of contract and at least $5 million in damages.

Ten days later, Ryabinsky countersued them in the same court for breach of contract and defamation, claiming they unilaterally canceled the fight before the WBC, whose belt Wilder holds, decided what to do.

“We won the case, and this is an important precedent in cases of this nature when a fight is canceled for PED use,” DiBella told ESPN. “The other participant in the fight has gone through all the work. Deontay was ready to fight, and this got canceled right before the fight. This ruling is a further disincentive for any fighter to attempt to get an unfair advantage. Our attorneys, Judd Burstein and Peter Schalk, did a tremendous job because this is somewhat complicated and scientific.

“Basically, it’s a great thing about our justice system that where the facts are on your side and you’re telling the truth, you win.”

DiBella said he was confident the defamation case would soon be dropped.

“I also think it’s a good bet that I don’t have much to worry about with their defamation claim, which was based on my saying Povetkin is a cheater,” DiBella said. “The jury said he is a cheater. I think it’s very telling that the jury only deliberated for slightly longer than 30 minutes.”

Ryabinsky could not be reached for comment but did write on social media, “Jurors in the trial were against us.”

“I’m in shock that they wasted the court’s time and their money fighting over something that was as plain as day,” Burstein told ESPN. “I don’t know if they were arrogant or just stupid, but whatever happened was inexplicable to me that they went forward with this case when the evidence was so overwhelming. [Povetkin] tried to argue this was the residual effects of taking meldonium in August and September of 2015. But it was a laughable defense.”

“Once that’s done, I will make a motion for summary judgment to get the money and seek other damages,” Burstein said. “I will also serve a motion seeking sanctions unless they drop the defamation case.”

Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs), 31, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was due to earn approximately $4.5 million to fight Povetkin. That money remains in an escrow account from before the fight, as does an additional $715,000 from Ryabinsky’s winning purse bid that is with the WBC and was meant as a bonus for the winner of the fight.

“They could have settled this case and kept some of the money and done enough clean testing that Deontay would have fought him, but they were so arrogant and they wouldn’t do it,” Burstein said.

Antonio DeMarco won a 10-round unanimous decision over Luis Solis in a welterweight bout.

DeNarco won by scores of 98-89 on all cards and is now 32-6-1. Solis is now 20-8-4.

Belal Muhammad won a unanimous decision over Randy Brown in a welterweight bout.

Muhammad, 170 lbs of Chicago won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 11-2. Brown, 170.5 lbs of Queens, NY is 9-2.

Wilson Reis won a unanimous decision over Ulka Sasaki in a flyweight bout.

Reis, 125 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA won all cards 29-28 and is now 22-6. Sasaki, 125.5 lbs of Japan is 19-4-2.

Islam Makhachev won a unanimous decision over Nik Lentz in a lightweight bout.

Makhachev, 155 lbs of Russia won by scores of 30-25 twice and 30-27 and is now 14-1. Lentz, 156 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is 27-8-2-1.

Rick Glenn won a split decision over Phillipe Nover in a featherweight bout

Nover was cut on his right eyelid in the 1st round from a left of Glenn.

Glenn, 146 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won two cards by 29-28 tallies. Nover won a card 30-27.

Glenn is 19-4-1. Nover, 145.5 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 11-8-1.

Robert Easter Jr. defended his IBF Lightweight title with a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision over Luis Cruz in Toledo, Ohio.

Easter was dominant and never in harms way as he boxed and used combination to slowly wear down the challenger, who was making his first attempt at a world title. The offense started to get to Cruz as a right hand sent him down in round 10. In round 11, it was an even bigger right that sent him down towards the close of the stanza. In the final round, Easter looked to close the show in style as a it was the right hand again that dropped Cruz. Cruz was fortunate to make it to the final bell as Easter landed a heavy barrage of punches over the last minute of the fight.

Easter of Toledo won by scores of 119-106, 118-107 and 117-108 to remain unblemished at 19-0. Cruz, 134.5 lbs of Las Piedras, PR is 22-5.

Robert Easter Jr:
“It was very important for me to remain focused tonight but also have fun. My people came out in full force so I wanted to give them a show, a night to remember. I feel like I did that, even though I wish I could’ve given them the knockout.

“I admit, I was very surprised that Luis Cruz could take my punches like that and finish the fight. When I had him down and hurt (in round 10), I thought he was done. I give him credit. He came a long way and showed a lot of heart.

“I said before the fight and I’m going to keep saying it – I’m here to collect all them belts. I’m not gonna pretend to be that guy who doesn’t call out other fights. I’m calling out Mikey Garcia, Jorge Linares and Terry Flanagan. I want them to see what we were able to do here tonight, the crowd I pulled in. I’m a superstar on the rise and now it’s time for me to collect my prizes and bring these fights and all of the belts home to Toledo.

“Even in seeing my brother (Rau’Shee Warren) lose a fight we all thought he won, I couldn’t let that distract what I had to do in the ring. I hated that Rau’Shee had to go through that again – losing in the Olympics three times, not getting his win in the first fight with Juan Carlos Payano, then not getting his belt for months after winning it, and now losing it like that. He’s had it rough, but we’re a team and we have to pick each other up. That became my mission to rise for the sake of the team.

“Realistically I’d like to come back maybe May or June. It’s always hard work but I’m not cut or marked up. I want to stay active and get all the champions and best challengers out there. TBT – The Bunny Team is getting ready to take over.”

Luis Cruz:
“He’s a very strong fighter. I wanted to do more but he took away my energy late in the fight. The first knockdown took a lot of out me. I felt dizzy but it was important for me to finish the fight on my feet. I never stopped trying to win, but he a great champion and the best I’ve ever faced.

“I’m going to return home (in Puerto Rico) and enjoy time with my family. I need to rest and relax. After that, I’ll think about what’s next for my career.”

Zhamat Zhakiyanov won the WBA Bantamweight title with a 12-round split decision over Rau’she Warren.

In round one, it didin’t look good for the visitor as Warren dropped Zhakiyanov twice.  First with a hard combination and then it was hard right hook that sent Zhakiyanov down again.  In round three, Zhakiyanov turned the fight around as his relentless pressure hurt Warren, drawing blood from his nose he began to inch himself back into the fight.  The fight was neck and neck as they headed down the stretch, but two judges favored the come-forward style as he took two cards by 116-110 and 115-111 scores.   Warren took a card 115-111.

Zhakiyanov, 116.5 lbs of Petropavi, KAZ is 27-1.  Warren, 116 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 14-2.

Zhanat Zhakiyanov:
“I knew at the end of the fight that I deserved to win, but because of where we were, we weren’t sure if the judges would give it to us. So that surprised us, but not that I won the fight. I was hurt early, but I outworked him in almost every round after that and was the stronger fighter in the end.

“The knockdowns shocked me, but (trainer and promoter, former two-division world champion) Ricky Hatton kept me level-headed, telling me the adjustments I had to make. Once I was able to get inside and force the action, I saw (Warren’s) energy level drop.

“We are grateful that he gave us the opportunity to fight for the world title. It’s an amazing feeling to win that belt. He feels like he won the fight and wants the rematch. We can definitely talk about doing that. I’ve fought everywhere in the world and don’t back down from any challenge.”

Ricky Hatton:
“We were surprised when Zhanat went down like that in the beginning of the fight. I just wanted to remind him what he does better and what Rau’Shee is good at. He is never going to outbox him; he had to get in his chest, he had to mug him and make it a brawl. Zhanat did that very well and that’s how he won the fight.

“If we lost the fight, we would have been upset, but we’d know it wouldn’t have been a bad decision. I know that Warren is gutted, he feels like he won the fight and let’s be honest – it was the type of fight where no matter who won, the loser would have felt like he deserved to have his hand raised.

“Their styles make for a great fight. Why not do it again? Not just because it was close but because it was such a great action fight and it always will be.”

Rau’Shee Warren:
“Man, I won that fight. I knocked him down, I was landing the cleaner punches and making him miss. What it is, the judges are favoring aggressive fighters, even when they ain’t even landing.

“I went through the same thing with (Juan Carlos) Payano, losing the first fight that I should’ve won and then getting the decision in the rematch. So now I have to prove to these judges the second time what I should’ve got tonight. Of course I want that rematch. I want it next, I want my world titles back.

“Obviously you can always do more. We’re gonna go back, look at what we could’ve done differently and make sure the judges don’t take it from me no more.”

Terrell Gausha survived a brief scare, but easily defeated Luis Hernandez via 10-round unanimous decision in a middleweight bout.

In round three, Hernandez stunned the crowd by landing a big overhand right that sent Gausha to the canvas.  Hernandez was deducted a point in round seven for consecutive low blows.  The balance of the fight was dominated by Gausha’s superior output and accuracy, and he won by scores of 98-90 twice and 97-91.

Gausha, 156 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 20-0.  Hernandez, 154.5 lbs of Rio Piedras, PR is 15-4.

Terrell Gausha:
“The knockdown was legitimate, but that was (Hernandez’) only good moment in the fight. He caught me clean, but it happened to me before (versus William Waters earlier in his career). Just like I did back then, I immediately adjusted and controlled the rest of the fight.

“It felt good to get so much from the fans in Toledo and all my fans that came from Cleveland (Gausha’s hometown). It was a great night out here and I’d love to do it again whenever they’re ready to bring us back here or even in my hometown.

“I’m ready to return whenever my team says the next opportunity is there for me. Hopefully it’s as soon as possible. This is going to be a big year for me.”

Luis Hernandez:
“I had him hurt but I didn’t finish him. I didn’t throw enough punches to slow him down after I knocked him down. He deserved to win; I could have done better and will do better in the future. I hope PBC brings me back soon as I want to show I belong with the best.”

Joseph Mack Williams, Jr. won an eight-round majority decision over previously undefeated Lenin Castillo.

Williams, 178.5 lbs of Far Rockaway, NY won by scores of 78-74, 77-75 and 76-76 and is now 11-0. Casyillo, 177 1/4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 15-1-1.

Jon Fernandez stopped Ernesto Garza III in round three of their scheduled eight round super featherweight bout.

In round one, Fernandez dropped Garza with a hard combination that was set up by body punches, and was followed by three blistering shots to the head. In round three, Fernandez hurt Garza with a flurry of punches. Garza did well to stay on his feet, but the fight was stopped at 1:39.

Fernandez, 129 1/2 lbs of Spain is now 11-0 with nine knockouts. Garza, 126 1/4 lbs of Saginaw, MI is 7-2.

By Norm Frauenheim-
Abel Ramos is back on ShoBox Friday night on a card in Miami, Okla., for another chance at a minor belt he hopes will serve as a springboard into the mix for a world title.

This time ,it’s for a USBA junior-lightweight title against prospect Ivan Baranchyk (13-0, 10 KOs), a Russian living in Brooklyn.

“He likes to fight moving forward,’’ said Ramos, of Casa Grande, Ariz., south of Phoenix. “So do I.’’

In Ramos’ only defeat, the aggressive 130-pounder lost a ninth-round TKO to Regis Prograis, who won the NABF’s version of the belt and has since won two more bouts to remain unbeaten at 18-0, including 15 knockouts.

Ramos, who has won three straight since the loss, promises a violent collision. Baranchyk, nicknamed The Beast, promises something more.

“I will enjoy knocking him out,’’ he said.

Showtime’s ShoBox card is scheduled to begin at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT. Three fights are scheduled. A heavyweight bout featuring Lippe Morrison, the son of late heavyweight champ Tommy Morrison, was canceled. The unbeaten Morrison, who was scheduled for an eight-rounder against Daniel Martz, suffered a cut above his left eye in training.

Top Rank announced they have signed Olympic Silver Medal winner to a promotional deal.

“I love the kid. The kid is a delight to be with,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN shortly after Stevenson signed his contract at the company’s Las Vegas offices. “He’s charming, he’s got charisma, he’s intelligent. And we know he’s talented. He’s the whole package, and he’s extraordinarily mature for a 19-year-old kid. My matchmakers say he’s a major, major boxing talent, and I feel I can judge whether he has charisma and marketability and I believe he does.

“I think this kid can be the next American superstar. He’s still learning and he’s still growing, but he’s got everything. His power will develop. He’s already very fast. This kid has the ability to be like another Sugar Ray Leonard.”

“I just wanted to work with some of the best in business and I know Top Rank creates superstars, from Oscar to Floyd to Cotto. They’ve created a bunch of superstars,” Stevenson told ESPN. “I wanted the route where I am made into a superstar and take over the sport of boxing. I signed with Top Rank because of what they’ve done in the business. They have a proven track record.

“I am super excited and can’t wait to get a date for my debut and get moving. I’m ready to take over the world.”

“He’s a nice, polite kid and we’re going to market him the way he is — as a good kid, the way Sugar Ray Leonard was marketed,” said Arum, who will co-promote Stevenson with the low-profile Antonio Leonard. “James is a smart person and they realized nobody could develop this kid into a superstar like we can.”

Arum said Stevenson’s professional debut will take place in April.

“It’s so obvious,” Arum said. “It would make terrific programming. If HBO is interested, they can ask us.”

“I could get in the ring tomorrow. I feel ready to go tomorrow if I have to,” he said. “I want the fans to enjoy my style. I got a style where I box smart, I can punch, I got real good defense. I just want them to be excited when I get in the ring. I want to be the Michael Jackson of boxing. I want to sell out arenas.”

“I’m only 19. I don’t turn 20 until June 28 and I’m still growing, so I can probably get up to 140 or 147 pounds eventually,” Stevenson said. “First, I’m taking over 126 and then I’ll move up from there. But I’m not in a rush to be in a world title fight in my second or third fight like Lomachenko. I don’t want to move too slow but not too fast, but I’m ready for anything they come up with. They tell me they want me to fight 12 rounds in my pro debut, I’m with it. I am in good hands.”

op Rank president Todd duBoef said that with the signing of Stevenson, the company inked all three of its top targets from Rio.

“I rely on my matchmakers’ eyes for ability, and Stevenson was at the tippy, tippy top of their list,” he said. “He was the special fighter. Ability-wise he was in a class almost of his own. A brilliant fighter. I can go back to my emails to my matchmakers (Bruce Trampler and Brad ‘Abdul’ Goodman) during the Olympics. There were three guys — Shakur, Conlan and Conceicao — we wanted the most. These were the big targets on our list and we’re very happy we were able to secure all of them.”

Arum envisions an eventual showdown between Stevenson and Conlan, who turns pro on March 17, as a huge fight in a few years.

“My goal five years from now is to have this era’s Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns fight when Stevenson fights Conlan,” Arum said. “Conlan got robbed in the Olympics and didn’t fight Stevenson. Now they’ll fight as pros and make real money. I love thinking about fights like that. Here I am at 85, I’m an old fart. But I sign these young kids and they’ll keep me ticking for a long time. I’m not going to die until I develop these kids.”