LAS VEGAS – The gloves were gold. Maybe, Terence Crawford’s future is, too.

Crawford at least put himself in position to collect some with a one-sided decision over Viktor Postol Saturday night in a pay-per-view junior-welterweight fight at the MGM Grand.

By the sixth round, there was little doubt about the fight or Postol’s chances and, instead, plenty of talk about how Crawford (29-0, 20 KOs) might do against Manny Pacquiao.

“Of course,’’ Crawford said when asked if would fight the Filipino Senator. “I’ll fight anybody, anywhere.’’

Crawford-versus-Pacquiao on Nov. 5 at Thomas & Mack Center, also in Las Vegas, appeared to be promoter Bob Arum’s plan all along during a week when he complained about criticism of his decision to offer the Postol bout on PPV television.

Crawford’s 118-107, 117-108, 118-107 wipeout of Postol (28-1, 12 KOs) might come to look like an investment in the future, if and when there’s an agreement with Pacquiao. The fight itself was forgettable.

Crawford’s advantage in speed baffled Postol, whose power was never a factor. In fact, Crawford’s speed appeared to the biggest reason for two knockdowns in the fifth. Postol stumbled to one knee in the opening seconds of the round. Still off-balance, he stumbled backwards later in the round, touching the canvas with a glove.

Increasingly, Postol looked baffled. Then, frustrated. In the end, Crawford mocked him. In the 12^th, Postol began swinging for the fences in the desperate attempt for a knockout.

All the while, Crawford ducked, weaved, stepped to one side then the other. He was having fun, so much so that he stuck his tongue out at Postol. He also smiled at him and talked at him before claiming ownership of three pieces – The Ring, WBO and WBC – pieces of the 140-pound title.

Postol trainer Freddie Roach, who bet $1,000 to win $9,000 on the Ukrainian to win by KO, said he was surprised by Crawford speed. In the immediate aftermath, Roach, who also trains Pacquiao, didn’t want to speculate on what might happen against the Filipino.

“We’ll see what happens,’’ said Roach, who got a good look at gloves that said Crawford is more of the real kind than the fool’s variety.

Oscar Valdez Jr. joked that promoter Bob Arum was exaggerating when he called him the featherweight division’s next legend.

Maybe. But there was no exaggerating what Valdez did within two rounds in claiming his first major title Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

Valdez blew away Matias Rueda of Argentina scoring a second-round stoppage for WBO title vacated by Vasyl Lomachenko. Valdez (21-0, 18 KOs) finished Rueda (26-1, 23 KOs) with a left to the body for a TKO at 2:18 of the second round.

“A dream come true,’’ said Valdez (21-0, 18 KOs), a two time Mexican Olympian who went to school in Tucson.  “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was six years old.’’

Valdez celebrated by dancing across the canvas. He talked about family and the future. He dedicated the victory to a cousin who died on a motorcycle. He talked about waiting to fight the great champions.

Next stop: Tucson.

Arum plans for Valdez to make his first title defense in the southern Arizona city where he first began to box. Possible sites are the Tucson Community Center and Casino Del Sol, maybe on Nov. 26.

His potential opponent is the winner of Miguel Marriaga-versus-Guy Robb on Aug. 27 in Fallon, Nev.  The Marriaga-Robb fight is a WBO eliminator. The winner earns a mandatory shot at Valdez, a first-time champion and – if Arum is right – maybe a many-time champ.

Jose Benavidez Jr. was hoping for something spectacular. Maybe next time.

But the unbeaten Phoenix fighter (25-0, 16 KOs) got what he had to have, a victory in his welterweight debut with a unanimous decision over tough Francisco Santana (24-5-1, 12 KOs) Saturday on a pay-per-view card featuring Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol at the MGM Grand.

“There is only one guy I want and it’s Jessie Vargas,’’ Benavidez (25-0, 16 KOs) said. “He wants Manny Pacquiao. But he has to deal with me next.’’

Vargas was sitting at ringside, working as a television analyst. When asked about Benavidez calling him out, he said:

“Fine, come and get it,’’ Vargas said. “Let’s get it set up.’’

There were some boos when one-side scores were announced. Adelaide Byrd scored it a shutout, 100-90. Judge Kermit Bayless had it 98-92. On Glenn Feldman’s card , it was a reasonable 96-94.

“I landed the cleaner shots,’’ said Benavidez, who landed quick combinations in the ninth and 10th rounds, yet appeared to tire in the middle rounds when he leaned on the ropes, an old habit.

With the victory, Benavidez next bout appears to be on in Tucson on card that expected to feature Oscar Valdez Jr. in the first defense of his WBO featherweight title.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk was down. But not done.

Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs), the latest in a string of East European imports, hit the canvas in the first round, stunned by a Tommy Karpency right that he never saw in the first fight on the pay-per-view card featuring Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol at the MGM Grand Saturday night.

Five rounds later, Gvozdyk , a Ukrainian light-heavyweight, was looking down at Karpency (26-6-1, 15 KOs), on his knees and finished.

Karpency, bleeding badly from a cut on the bridge of his nose, went down from a body shot, a right hand to the chest. He also complained about getting thumbed in the eye.

It was clear, however, that he wasn’t getting up. He stayed on one knee until the referee counted 10 for a Gvozdyk victory, a KO at 2:21 of the sixth.

The curtain went down on the non pay-per-view part of the Postol-Crawford card quickly. Definitively, too.

Japanese middleweight Ryota Murata dropped (11-0, 8 KOs) dropped George Tahdooahnippah (34-3-3, 24 KOs), Oklahoma’s Comanche Boy, with a body shot. Then, he rocked him with a succession of rights, forcing the referee to stop it at 1:52 of the first round.

Lenny Zappavigna traveled from Australia. Lianhui Yang came from China. They met at an international crossroads. No interpretation necessary. In the ring, everybody speaks the same language.

Zappavigna (35-2, 25 KOs) spoke it with more power, stopping Yang (18-2, 13 KOs) in the sixth round of a junior-welterweight fight Saturday on the Crawford-Postol card..

Zappavigna nailed Yang with two right hands, then rocked him with successive shots when the refreee stopped at 43 seconds of the round.

Edward Williams’ fraternity brothers barked. He provided the bite.

Williams (12-1-1, 3 KOs), a Detroit welterweight, had just enough of it Saturday against Houston’s Christon Edwards (6-2, 3 KOs) for a six-round unanimous decision that sparked a small frat party after the third bout on the Postol-Crawford card at the MGM Grand.

Stanyilav Skorokhod scored two knockdowns in the opening round and gestured at a fallen Hakim Bryant after the first, waving at him to get up.

Bryant obliged the Ukrainian middleweight, scrambling to his feet and giving him more work than he might have expected in the early moments Saturday. Bryant (6-1, 4 KOs), of Asbury Park, N.J., stayed on his feet for the next five rounds, stubbornly moving forward and into shots thrown by Skorokhod (11-1, 8 KOs).

But Bryant’s evident toughness wasn’t enough against Skorokhod’s 70-inch reach. The Ukrainian appeared to tire, but he had enough to win a lopsided decision in the second fight on the Crawford-Postol card.

It began with a TKO. But there was nothing technical about it.

Omaha light-heavyweight Steve Nelson (3-0, KOs) left Tim Meek (5-3-1, 2 KOs) of Canutillo, Tex., bloodied, bruised and overwhelmed with a fourth-round stoppage in the first fight on a card featuring fellow Omaha fighter Terence Crawford against Viktor Postol in a junior-welterweight bout Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

Nelson warmed up the ring for his fellow Nebraskan with a counter shot that dropped Meek with a thud that echoed throughout an empty building in a non-televised bout before the pay-per-view portion of the card. Nelson then bloodied Meek’s nose and opened up a nasty gash above one eye in the third.

Meek was tougher than his name suggests. But his corner had seen enough. Thirty-two seconds into the fourth, it threw in the towel.

Valentina Shevchenko won a five-round unanimous decision over former world champion Holly Holm in a bantamweight bout at the United Center in Chicago.

Shevchenko, 133 lbs of Lima, Peru won on all cards by a 49-46 score and is now 13-2. Holm, 135 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 10-2.

Edson Barboza won a unanimous decision over Gilbert Melendez in lightweight fight.

Barboza, 155 lbs of Rio de Jineairo, BRA won by cores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 18-4. Melendez, 155 lbs of San Francisco, CA is 22-6.

Francis Ngannou stopped Bojan Mihalavic in the first round of their heavyweight bout.

Ngannou got Mihalovic on the gorund and pounded him out at 1:34.

Ngannou, 259 lbs of Paris, FRA is 8-1. Mihalavic, 228 lbs of Serbia is 10-4.

Felice Herrig scored a 1st round chokeout of Kailan Curran in a strawweight bout.

Herrig made Curran tap from a rear naked choke at 1:59.

Herrig, 115 lbs of Crystal Lake, IL is now 11-6. Curran, 116 lbs of Ewa Beach, HAW is 4-3.

Eddie Wineland stopped Frankie Saenz in the third round of their bantamweight bout.

Wineland landed a booming right in the final frame that crumpled Saenz to the canvas. Wineland landed several shots on the ground. Saenza got to his feet but was quickly pummeled and the fight was stopped at 1:54.

Wineland, 135 lbs of Chesepan, IN is 22-11-1. Saenz, 135 lbs of Scottsdale, AZ is 11-4.

Darren Elkins won a three round unanimous decision over Godofredo Pepe in a featherweight bout.

Elkins, 145 lbs of Portage, IN is won by scores of 30-26 and 29-27 twice and is now 22-5. Pepe, 145 lbs of Brazil is now 13-4.

Kamau Usman won a three round unanimous decision over Alexander Yakovlov in a welterweight bout.

Yakovlev was deducted a point in the first round for grabbing the fence. Yakovlov was cut under the eye in round three.

Usman, 170 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is now 8-1. Yakovlov. 170 lbs of Fairfield, NJ is now 23-7-1.

Michel Prazeres won a unanimous decision over JC Cottrell in a lightweight bout.

Prazeres, 155 lbs of Belim, BRA won by scores of 30-26 and 30-27 twice and is now 20-2. Cottrell, 155 lbs of Oklahoma City, OK is 17-4.

Divante Jones won a dubious 4-round split decision over Anthony Burgin in a lightweight bout.

Burgin was deducted a point in round two for a low blow, for which he was only warned once.

Jones won two cards by 38-37 tallies while Burgin took a card 38-37.

Jones, 135 lbs of Augusta, GA is 9-0. Burgin, 136 lbs of Philadelphia is 9-2.

Jimmy Williams won a 6-round unanimous decision over Antonio Fernandes in a welterweight bout.

Williams, 145 lbs of New Haven, CT won by scores of 60-54 and 58-56 twice to raise his mark to 12-0-1. Fernandez, 148 lbs of Brockton, MA is 7-27-3.

David Wilson and Kendrick Ball Jr. slugged it out to a four-round draw in a middleweight bout.

Scores were 39-37 for Wilson and two cards read 38-38.

Wilson, 161 lbs of New Haven, CT is 5-0-1. Ball, 162 lbs of Worcester, MA is 2-0-1.

Leroy Davilla won a 4-round unanimous decision over Edgar Cortes in a bantamweight bout.

Davilla dropped Cortes with a straight left in round two.

Davilla, 118 lbs of New Brunswick, NJ won by scores of 40-35 twice and 39-36 and is now 2-0. Cortes, 121 lbs of Vineland, NJ is 2-3.

In the opening bout, 2016 U.S. Olympic Alternate, Brent Venagas scored a 2nd round stoppage over Christian Foster.

Venegas dropped Foster with a left hook early in round one. Somehow Foster was able to drop Venegas with a right hand in the same round. It was a flash knockdown as Venegas came back in round two to land hard shots and the fight was stopped at 1:37.

Both fighters were making their pro debuts.

Sergiy Dearevyanchenko stopped former world champion Sam Soliman in round two of their IBF middleweight elimination bout at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

Derevyanchenko dropped Soliman in round one from a counter right. Soliman was sent to the canvas again in round two when he leaped into a left hand. Seconds later, it was a devastating left hook that caught Soliman in the head and sent Soliman to the canvas. Soliman tried to get up but stumbled down to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 2:41.

Derevyanchenko, 159 lbs of Brooklyn is 9-0 with 7 knockouts. Soliman, 159 lbs of Melbourne, AUS is now 44-14.

Ievgen Khytrov remained perfect by battering Paul Mendez until the bout was stopped in round nine of their scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.

Khytrov landed vicious body and head shots throughout the contest until the bout was halted at 1:20 of round nine.

Khytowv, 159 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 14-0 with 12 knockouts. Mendez, 160 lbs of Dealno, CA is 19-3-2.

Mykey Williams win a 4-round unanimous decision over Issac Johnson in a welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Williams, 142 lbs of East Hartford, CT and is now 3-0. Johnson, 143 lbs of Colorado Springs, CO is now 2-4.

Alantez Fox stopped Paul Valenzuela Jr. after round six of their scheduled 8 round middleweight bout.

Fix, 162 lbs of Forestvill, MD is now 20-0-1 with 9 knockouts. Valenzuela, 164 lbs of Mexico is now 17-4.

Christopher David Fogg made a successful pro debut by stopping Jeff Anderson in round one of their scheduled four round middleweight bout.

Fogg dominated by landing some flush shots with Anderson’s hands down and the bout was stopped 84 seconds into the first frame.

Fogg is 1-0 with 1 knockout. Anderson is 0-2.

Ivan Golub stopped Ernesto Ortiz in round two of their six round welterweight bout.

In round two Golub dropped Ortiz with a straight left. The fight was stopped upon Ortiz getting to his feet at 2:49.

Golub, 149 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0 with 10 knockouts. Ortiz, 148 lbs of Mexico is 10-4.

SERGIY DEREVYANCHENKO

“I looked into his eyes after I knocked him down the first time and I knew he would continue coming forward. I wasn’t going to drop my guard. I didn’t even feel that punch on my glove because it was so clean to the chin. But I felt the last knockdown.

“I warmed up more than once and that broke my rhythm. In the ring I had to get my rhythm.

“Soliman came out nervous and not very coordinated, but that’s the way he usually fights. That’s his style.

“I’m going to keep moving forward. I can’t sit and wait. We will assess the situation and move from here.”

SAM SOLIMAN

“I’m doing well. I didn’t get to warm up, just a couple of minutes, but that’s no excuse. He did his job. That’s never happened before to me.

“He’s a good boxer who did what he had to do. I can’t take anything away from him.

“After every fight, fighters have to decide what to do next. I have a lot outside of boxing that makes me happy, and it takes the sting out of tonight.”

IEVGEN KHYTROV

“I love to fight and battle and go toe-to-toe. I executed the game plan. My defense was much better and I’ve worked hard on my defense. This was my best fight because that guy stood and fought, he didn’t run.

“I wasn’t surprised that Mendez took so many punches because I didn’t throw every punch hard, I mixed it up, but did throw some hard punches.

“I want a couple more fights then I want to fight for the world title. That’s what I’ve worked so hard to do. I’m not going to dodge anybody. I want to fight Gennady Golovkin and take his belts.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao wil return to the rong onNovember 5th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“I couldn’t get a building, but we were finally able to secure Thomas & Mack Center,” said Bob Arum. “So I am doing the fight with my friend Steve Wynn [whose Wynn Resorts will serve as the host casino]. MGM really wanted to do the fight but they didn’t have a building. They did everything they could to free up a place for us but Nov. 5 didn’t work, but that is what worked for Manny.

“We are going to film Manny — if we can get into the senate — working as a senator during the day and then training at night. We’ll have a camera crew over in the Philippines. But then he will finish with the budget votes he has to work on around Oct. 15 and he will come to Los Angeles with [trainer] Freddie [Roach] and finish training.”

Three-division world champion Adrien Broner was jailed for 30-days on Tuesday for being late a court appearance in Cincinnati, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Broner’s hometown paper, Broner was said to appear ill when he arrived and told Ruehlman that “somebody put something in my drink” the previous night. He added: “I don’t even drink. I didn’t drink last night.”

“You don’t look well. You look like you have a hangover,” Ruehlman said, according to a transcript of the hearing obtained by the newspaper.

Broner’s response, according to the transcript, was, “I have been sick all morning. When I finally got well, I called my lawyer.”

Ruehlman did not buy Broner’s story and told him, according to the transcript, “It’s not a good excuse. He looks like he’s drunk or hungover. To coin a little boxing phrase — you’re not ducking this one.”

Will Welsh, Broner’s lawyer, told the Enquirer that Broner accepted the ruling, adding “He certainly apologizes and understands why the judge was upset.”

According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office website, Broner was taken into custody at 12:45 p.m. ET. Part of Broner’s entry includes the comment, “Do not release under any circumstances per Judge Ruehlman.”

Promoter Richard Schaefer received his promoter’s license to startr promoting fights in Nevada under his new Ringstar Sports promotions, according to Dan Rafael of eson.com.

“It was very quick,” Schaefer told ESPN.com after the meeting. “They said it was maybe the best application they ever received, very clean and straight forward, and they said they are happy to have me back. So I am a licensed promoter now in the state of Nevada. Nobody had any issues. They all know me and my track record. “I am very happy to be here in Las Vegas. I have put together some big fights here and I told them that first and foremost I am a fight fan. Las Vegas is the boxing capital of the world and big fights belong in Las Vegas and I told them I am excited to bring big events to Las Vegas again.”

“I could put together some smaller events, but I don’t want to do that,” he said. “I want to put on a bigger event.

“Now I am interviewing people and putting the band back together. I have met with managers, trainers and fighters and have had some network discussions. I’m plugging along and putting the pieces together, but first I had to become a licensed promoter and that’s accomplished and now we’re moving to the next chapter.”

This past Saturday, WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder injured his right hand and Bicep in his 8th round stoppage over Chris Arreola in Birmingham, Alabama.

“He’s definitely going to need surgery on his right hand,” said promoter Lou DiBella. “He will have it as soon as is practical. He will likely also require surgery on his biceps.”

“Deontay is definitely out for the remainder of the year, but we will know more in the next few days,” DiBella said.

“These are very significant injuries and he was hurt early in the fight, so the fact that Deontay kept up his work rate as a one-armed fighter was pretty remarkable,” DiBella said. “He put such a beating on Arreola with one arm. Some damage was done early, but Deontay showed huge heart and will. He has the heart of a lion, the heart of a champion. There’s no reason to think he won’t be back and be fine in 2017.”

Casey Ramos stopped Hardy Paredes in round five of their scheduled ten-round junior welterweight bout in Lancaster, California.

Ramos dropped Paredes in round three with a left hook. Ramos continued to pound away at Paredes until the referee stopped the bout at 58 seconds.

Ramos, 134.5 lbs of Austin, TX is now 23-0 with six knockouts. Paredes, 139 1/2 lbs of Chile is 18-14.

Ulises Sierra destroyed Jose Hernandez in 28 seconds of their scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.

Sierra clipped Hernandez with a hard right that hurt Hernandez. Sierra followed up with a barrage of punches until her dropped Hernandez and the fight was stopped.

Sierra, 167 1/2 lbs of San Diego, CA is now 10-0-2 with six knockouts. Hernandez, 167 lbs of Lancaster, CA is 12-3-1.

Arnold Barboza Jr. won a six-round unanimous decision over John David Charles in a welterweight bout.

Barboza Jr. 142 1/2 lbs of South El Monte, CA won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 12-0. Charles, 142 lbs of Corpus Christi, TX is now 9-8.

Miguel Berchelt retained the WBO Interim super featherweight title with a 4th round stoppage over Chonlatarn Pinyapinyo at Polideportivo Soraya Jimenez in Los Reyes La Paz, Mexico.

Berchelt dropped Pinyapinyo twice in round four and the bout was stopped at 2:59.

Berchelt is 30-1. Pinyapinyo is 61-3.

Anabel Ortiz won a eight-round unanimous decision over Kareli Lopez in a light flyweight bout.

Ortiz, 108 lbs won by scores of 78-74 twice and 77-75 and is now 22-3. Lopez, 108 lbs is 9-7-3.

Deontay Wilder scored a stoppage after round eight to retain the WBC Heavyweight title at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama

Arreola cut on his nose in round two as the result of a Wilder right hand.  In round four, Wilder landed   big combination that put Arreola on the canvas.  Arreola was bleeding from his right.  Wilder landed a hard right that rocked and wobbled Arreola and almost had the challenger knocked out before the bell rang to end the round.

Arreola continued to take punishment and his left eye closed after round seven.  He wasn’t able to mount any type offense and the fight was stopped after the eighth round.

Wilder, 227 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 37-0 with 36 knockouts.  Arreola, 246 lbs of Riverside, CA is 36-5-1.

Former Olympic Gold Medal winner, Felix Diaz won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sammy Vasquez in a welterweight bout

In round eight, Vasquez began to drip a lot of blood from his mouth,  Vasquez was cut over his right eye in round nine.  Vasquez was deducted a point in round ten for spitting out his mouthpiece.

Diaz of Santo Domingo, DR won a card 96-93 and 95-94 twice and is now 18-1.  .  Vasquez of Monessen, PA is 21-1.

Vasquez landed 149 of 597 punches.  Diaz landed 151 of 502 punches.

Erickson Lubin remained perfect by scoring an eight round unanimous decision over Ivan Montero in a junior middleweight bout.

Lubin, 154 lbs of Orlando, FL won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 16-0.  Montero, 154 lbs of Meridian, MX is 20-2.

Lubin landed 154 of 340 punches.  Montero was 90-320,

Jamal James remained undefeated by winning a 10-round split decision over Wale Omotoso in a welterweight bout

Omotoso was credited with a knockdown in round one.  In round five, a mouse started to develop over the left eye of James.

James, 147 lbs of Minneapolis, MN won by scores of 96-93, 96-94 while Omotoso took a card 97-92.

James is now 20-0.  Omotoso, 146 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 26-3.

Sergio Frias may have shoveled the dirt on the career of former world champion Vic Darchinyan by scoring a 2nd round knockout in a scheduled 8-round super bantamweight bout.

Frias landed a punishing right to the jaw that sent Darchinyan plummeting to the canvas on his back and the fight was stopped at 2:14

Frias, 121 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is 18-6-2 with 9 knockouts.  Darchinya, 122 lbs of Glendale, CA is 42-9-1.

Former world title challenger Orlando Cruz stopped Alejandro Valdez in a round seven of their scheduled ten round super featherweight bout at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kississimme, Florida.

Cruz dropped Valdez twice in round seven and the bout was stopped at 2:04.

Cruz is now 24-4-1 with 12 knockouts. Valdez is 26-8-2.

Miguel Cartagena scored a 1st round stoppage over Joebert Alvarez in a scheduled six-round flyweight bout.

Cartagena registered two knockdowns and the bout was stopped at 2:16.

Cartagena of Philadelphia s 15-3 with four knockouts. Alvarez of the Philippines is 15-2-1.

Jonathan Cruz stopped Jovan Perez in the 2nd round of their scheduled four round super lightweight bout.

The bout was stopped 34 seconds into round two for Cruz, who is now 2-2. Perez is 3-2.

“We are hoping to have Miguel back in the ring before the end of the year,” said Michael Yormark of Rock Nation Sports. “We’re working on that now. We’re hopeful to have some kind of an announcement over the next couple of weeks.”

The 42-year-old Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs), who has won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight (and also owns a brutal knockout of Manny Pacquiao in a nontitle welterweight fight), has not fought since winning a unanimous decision against Mike Alvarado in a May 2014 welterweight title eliminator, mainly because of a knee injury.

“We’re looking at a couple of opponents, but it’s too early to disclose who we’re talking to,” Yormark said.

Eighth-ranked John Lineker stopped fifth-ranked Michael McDonald in one explosive round in their bantamweight bout in the main event of UFC Fight 91 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Lineker dropped McDonald twice and almost had the Modesto, California native out. McDonald got to his feet only to be dropped again and was basically out on the ground. Lineker added a couple more shots for good measure and referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 2:43.

Lineker, 136 lbs of Brazil is now 28-7. McDonald, 135 lbs is 17-4.

Number-three ranked lightweight, Tony Ferguson had some anxious moments, but he came back to make Lando Vannata tap out in round two of their wild bout.

After almost being stopped on a few occasions in the first round, Ferguson came back to land a plethora of jabs and huge kick to the head that cut Vannata’s face in round two. Moments later, Ferguson had Vannata on the mat and made him tap out from a guillotine choke at 2:22.

Ferguson, 155 lbs of Orange County, CA is 22-3. Vannata, 155.5 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 8-1.

Tim Boetsch stopped Josh Samman in round two of their middleweight bout.

Boetsch pounded away at Samman in round two, which opened up a cut on Samman’s face. More hard shots forced referee John McCarthy to stop the bout at 3:49 of round two.

Boetsch, 186 lbs of Sunbury, PA is 19-10. Josh Samman, 186 lbs of Tallahassee, FL is 12-4.

Daniel Omiellanczyk won a three round majority decision over Aleksey Oliynyk in a Heavyweight bout

Oliynyk was bleeding from the right eye in round two from a left elbow

Omielanczyk, 238 lbs won by scores of won by scores of 29-28 times 28-28 and is now 19-5-1-1. Oliynyk, 243 1/2 lbs is 50-10-1.

Keita Nakamura made Kyle Noke tap with one second to go in round two of their welterweight bout.

Noke’s face was a bloody mess in round two from the striking of Nakamura. Nakamura had Noke in a choke when Noke submitted just as the bell sounded to end the round.

Nakamura, 171 lbs of Tokyo, JAP is now 32-7-2-1. Noke, 170 1/2 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 22-9-1.

#12-ranked flyweight Louis Smolka stopped Ben Nguyen in round two of their flyweight bout.

Nguyen took some vicious shots while on the ground in round one that forced blood from the nose. Smolka continued to pound Nguyen more in round two and the blood flowed all over the face of Nguyen. Finally, Smolka continued to punish Nguyen and referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 4:41 of round two

Smolka, 125.5 lbs of Kapeolei, HI is now 11-1. Nguyen, 125 lbs of Brisbane, AUS is 15-6.

Katlyn Chookagian won a unanimous decision over #13-ranked Lauren Murphy in a Bantamweight bout.

Chookagian, 135 lbs of Kenilworth, NJ is now 8-0. Murphy, 135.5 lbs of Glendale, AZ is 9-3.

Sam Alvey scored a 1st round submission over Eric Spicely in a middleweight bout.

Alvey made Spicely tap out with a front choke along the Octagon at 2:43.

Alvey, 185.5 lbs of Temecula, CA is 27-8-1. Spicely, 185 lbs of Olneyville, RI is 8-2.

Cortney Casey scored a 1st round stoppage over Cristina Stanciu in a straweight bout.

Casey got Stanciu on the ground and landed 8 elbows to the prone head of Stanciu and the bout was stopped at 2:36.

Casey, 116 lbs of Maui, HA is 5-3. Stanciu, 114 lbs of Bucharest, ROM is 5-2.

Scott Holtzman won a unanimous decision over Cody Pfister in a lightweight bout.

Holtzman, 155.5 lbs of Knoxville, TN won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 9-1. Pfister, 156 lbs of Amarillo, TX is 12-6-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will end what would be about a seven month retirement with a fight that will take place on either October 29 or November 5.

“Manny wants to come back. The problem is he can only come back if it doesn’t interfere with his senate duties,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum. “We had penciled him in for Oct. 15 at Mandalay Bay but we were informed that is no longer possible because he has to spend that week leading up to Oct. 15 formulating the budget in the senate and doing the votes.

“So he has to be there for that week, so that knocks out that week. He can’t mess around with that. So now we’re looking at Oct. 29 or Nov. 5. The question is building availability because we want to do the fight in Las Vegas.”

Arum said he is working with MGM executive Richard Sturm on the availability of its venues — the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mandalay Bay Events Center and T-Mobile Arena — for those dates.

“Sturm is doing the research and seeing if he can move things around,” Arum said. “The MGM wants to do the fight and he’ll come back to us when he comes to a solution.”

Arum said he has been in regular touch with Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, as they work through the date issues.

“Michael said Manny definitely wants to fight again. Not even a question,” Arum said. “We just have to get an appropriate date.”

“Manny’s primary concern and obligation is to fulfill his senatorial duties,” Koncz said. “But he just misses [boxing]. He misses the training. He misses being in the gym. You can see when he trains it’s like a stress reliever for him. His mood changes. It’s like he’s in happy land. So I am working with Bob and Manny is working closely with the senate president to make sure the dates are OK. We’re doing this properly.

“When Manny was a congressman we didn’t have to clear dates. Now we have to. He is taking his job in the senate seriously. He is not going to be absent, which is why we can’t do a fight Oct. 15 because of the senate dealing with the budget.”

While many believed Pacquiao and Mayweather would both return, Pacquiao will be the first to do so. In fact, Arum refused to promote the Bradley fight as Pacquiao’s finale, even though Pacquiao said leading up to the fight that he was going to retire.

“I would have been excoriated,” Arum said. “I knew this would happen. I’m not an idiot. I wasn’t going to say [the Bradley fight] was Manny’s last fight and have people say I sold the fight under false pretenses. I didn’t represent that so am I surprised by this? No. Not at all.”

Arum and Koncz said Pacquiao would train around his senate duties.

“He can handle it,” Arum said. “There is one week in October of intensive legislation. He’ll train that week at off hours and before that week at regular hours and then probably two weeks in Los Angeles, and then the last week in Vegas. It’s doable.”

Arum said he and Broner adviser Al Haymon — Arum’s longtime adversary with whom he recently settled a $100 million lawsuit — were able to work on the fight together and that they can do other fights as well, but that Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) was not realistic with his purse demands.

“I worked very, very hard with Al to make the Broner fight but Al was never able to bring Broner around to a realistic number,” Arum said. “He wanted what we haven’t paid anybody in a long time. Just a crazy number. In effect he wanted parity with Manny and Al agreed that he couldn’t do anything with him. The kid is crazy.”

“Broner is a decent fighter and it would be entertaining for the fans,” Koncz said. “But I lost respect for him because he outrageously outpriced himself. We even offered him an upside so if the pay-per-view sold really well he would make even more money. I’ve lost all respect for him as a person.

“So we’ll get another opponent for Manny to fight. I’m not sure who but we want a meaningful fight and an entertaining fight.”

Levan Ghvamichava stopped Breidis Presscott in round seven of their scheduled ten round welterweight bout at the Robinson Rancheria Resort in Nice, California

In round seven, Ghvamichava dropped Prescott with a right hand. Prescott seemed spent after that. He fell to the canvas two more times, which were not ruled knockdowns, but the fight was stopped at 2:37.

Ghvamichava, 148 lbs of of Poti, GEO is now now 17-2-1 with 13 knockouts. Prescott, 147 lbs of Miami, FL is 29-8

In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Marcos Hernandez took an eight-round unanimous decision over Thomas Hill.

In round seven, Hill was deducted a point for a low blow.

Hernandez, 153 1/4 lbs of Fresno, CA won by scores of 79-72, 78-73 and 77-74 and is now 8-0. Hill, 153 3/4 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is 6-1.

Malcolm Mcallister remained perfect with a stoppage after round seven in his scheduled eight-round middleweight bout with Gilberto Yoruba.

In round three, Yoruba was cut on the left side of his nose.

Yoruba was deducted one point for a low blow in round six. McAllister continued to dominate until the fight was stopped just before the bell rang to start the final round.

McAllister, 160 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 8-0 with 8 knockouts. Yoruba, 160 lbs of Brazil is 7-3.

Sergey Kovalev retained the IBF/WBA/WBO Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba at Divis Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

In round seven. Kovalev dropped Chilemba with a hard straight right down the middle.

Kovalev, 174.5 lbs of Kopeysk, Russia won by scores of 117-110, 116-111, 118-109 and is now 30-0-1. Chilemba, 175 lbs of Johannesburg, South Africa is 24-4-3.

The challenger said, “I want to thank Kovalev and his team. I came here to fight. As I said before I have been short a couple times at my world title shot. Tonight I had three titles in the palm of my hand and I came here to give all I can. I believe I did give it my all and unfortunately I came up short. I am proud of my performance tonight even though I didn’t get a victory tonight and I thank God for that. I am a fighter. I was born a fighter. I was born a warrior. I always fight. I always get going and I won’t back down. I will be back soon in the ring. I believe my promoter and my team will give me that. I will be back soon.”

And still the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Champion, Sergey Kovalev said, “My promoter and manager chose a fighter that is similar to Andre Ward’s style, so that I will be prepared for the fight with Ward. When they told me that my opponent will be Chilemba because his style is similar to Andre Ward’s style, I was thinking to myself what’s so similar to his style? Their height is different, so at first I didn’t see much, but after the fight I realize that, in fact, he does have similar style to Andre Ward’s: waiting out and counter-attacks, he is not going in much, he waits in defense and waits for the right moment.”

On his preparation for the fight, Kovalev continued, “There were obviously some moments during the training with regards to my health, because I got a cold and I didn’t say anything, so the information wouldn’t get to Chilemba, that it might work against me. So myself and my trainer worked hard to overcome this stage and prepared for the fight.”

On the knockdown in round seven, “If it wasn’t the end of the round I would have pursued to actively attack him. But because the bell rang, we rested and he managed to pull himself together and I didn’t want to waste my energy. He is very experienced and had as many fights as myself and with boxers of highest level, therefore I was boxing and continue boxing and whatever happens, then it happens. There was no aim to knockout him, but the main aim was to gain experience from this fight for the next fight in November in Las Vegas.”

On fighting in front of his hometown crowd for the first time as a champion, “When I box as a visitor, there are much less fans that support me, there is more support for the opponents and I love to disappoint my opponents’ fans, which is sort of a motivation.”

On whether he was injured during the fight, “In general there are no major injuries. I have a little bruise on my eye, I don’t know how. No major punches I didn’t feel, there was a head bump, that could possibly damage, but there are no other injuries, which is the most important thing. There were mistakes during the camp, you can’t do everything perfect. And when you meet these difficulties you gain experience. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger.”

On experience gained in the fight, “I gained experience; there are things that I have to work with now. I have to work with opponents that sit in the defense and I have to work more with my left arm. And probably I also wanted to make a hard punch and that worked against me. My arms felt heavy and not everything that I wanted happened, and that is again because it’s Chilemba. He is actually a very experienced fighter and like many “couch-experts” said: what round? I never think about when knockout is going to be – it’s boxing, you need just one punch. We are all under God and how he judges, that’s how it’s going to be. I believe my mistake was that I was trying to put power in every punch. I had a heavy feeling in my hands. That’s why he was faster than me in some moments. ”

On how Ward and Chilemba compare, “Andre Ward’s got different timing, he’s faster with his legs. He’s not only good in defense but also he can attack. He has some defensive tricks. If saying in an advanced way, his defense is more modernized. He can feel his competitor better, he’s got better reaction. He also has good experience. After all, he is an Olympic champion. The last American [male] champion at the Olympics. Moreover, he is undefeated. This adds a kind of psychological pressure. He is the best in all the categories. But talking of power he is not a crusher. We have 2 different styles. So that is the difference between them. They are counterpunchers.”

Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, CEO added, “The toughest fight is always the one right before the big one and for a road-warrior like Sergey the toughest fight is the one at home. Tonight Sergey had both tonight. On top of that Isaac Chilemba fought the fight of his career tonight. Isaac deserves all the credit in the world for going 12 rounds with the Krusher. This is the type of tough fight Sergey needed to prepare for Andre Ward. Like the great champion he is, Sergey overcame all these obstacles and won.”

Jose Ramirez stopped Thomas Mendez in round four of their scheduled eight round junior welterweight bout at the Tachi Palcace in Lemore, California.

Ramirez dropped Mendez twice in round one. Ramirez finished Mendez off with a big flurry of punches that sent Mendez to the corner and the bout was stopped at 52 seconds.

Ramirez of Avenal, CA is 18-0 with 13 knockouts. Mendez is 22-8.

Andy Vences remained undefeated by winning ab eight round unanimous decision over Moises Delgadillo in a super featherweight bout.

Vences, 131 lbs of San Jose, California won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 and is now 16-0. Delgadillo is 17-15-2.

Ernesto Martinez scored a 19 second knockout over Joe Louie Lopez in a scheduled eight round super middleweight bout.

Martinez drilled Lopez with a right hand that sent him to the canvas. Lopez got to his feet but he was wobbily and the fight was stopped.

Martinez of San Diego is 12-10-1 with six knockouts, Lopez, 167 3/4 lbs of Fresno, CA is 8-1.

Darryl Bunting scored a 2nd round stoppage over Kyle Kurt in a scheduled four round middleweight bout.

Bunting swarmed the over-matched novice throughout the affair untila flurry of punches knocked out the mouthpiece of Kurtz. A handful of flush punches later, the fight was stopped.

Bunting, 165 lbs of Asbury Park, NJ is now 2-0-1 with 1 knockout. Kurtz, 167 lbs of St. Louis, MO is now 0-1.

Christopher Brooker defeated yet another undefeated opponent as this time he won an eight-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Pham in a super middleweight bout.

In round six, Pham began to bleed from his nose. In round eight, Brooker’s was doing the same.

Brooker, 169 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 10-1. Pham, 168 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 6-1.

Titus Williams won a six-round majority decision over Jovany Fuentes in a super featherweight bout.

Williams, 124 lbs of Long Island, NY won by scores of 59-55 twice and 57-57. Williams is 6-0. Fuentes, 125 lbs of Bayamon, PR is 7-8.

Zhankosh Turarov won an right-round unanimous decision over Daniel Souza Santos in a welterweight bout.

In round eight, Turarov dropped Santos with a straight right hand.

Turarov, 151 lbs of Akkol, Kazakhstan won by scores of 80-71 on all cards and is now 19-0. Santos, 150 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA IS now 15-11.

Juliana Pena won a three-round unanimous decision over Cat Zingano in a bantamweight bout.

Pena, 135.5 lbs of Spokane, WA won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 9-2. Zingano, 135.5 lbs of Denver, CO is also now 9-2.

Kevin Gastelum won a three round unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.

Gastelum, 171 lbs of Yuma, AZ won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 13-2. Hendricks, 171.25 lbs of Firt Worth, TX us 17-5.

TJ Dillashaw won a three round unanimous decision over Rapahel Assucao in a bantamweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for Dillashaw, 136 lbs of Dencer, CO and is now 14-3. Assuncao, 135.5 lbs of Alpharetta, GA is 23-5.

Sage Northcutt won a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 on all cards

According to Dan Rafael undefeated light heavyweight Oleksandr Gvozdyk will take on Tommy Karpency in the opening bout of the July 23 PPV fight card that will be headlined by Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol in a junior welterweight unification bout at the MGM Grands in Las Vegas.

The bout will replace the WBO Super Middleweight title bout between Gilberto Ramirez and Dominik Britsch after Ramirez fell out due to a hand injury.

“My matchmakers say this is a real test for Gvozdyk,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “Karpency was the best opponent we could get on short notice, but we were told he was training for another fight. So this is a good test for Gvozdyk to prove to us that he is as good as we think he is.”

Antonio Moran won a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Pablo Sanchez in a lightweight bout Auditorio Blackberry in Mexico City, Mexico.

Moran, 132 1/4 lbs won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 and is now 20-1. Sanchez, 133 lbs is 30-13.

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Roc Nation Boxing COO, David Itskowitch resigned from the company.

“I’m appreciative of the opportunity that Roc Nation Sports gave me to build their boxing division,” Itskowitch told ESPN.com. “I value the relationships that I formed while I was with the company, and I am extremely proud of all that we accomplished in two years. I’m looking forward to new challenges in my career.”

Roc Nation Sports plans to fill the COO position but probably not until after Andre Ward’s fight against Alexander Brand on Aug. 6. “Roc Nation is thankful for the efforts and contributions Dave Itskowitch made to Roc Nation Sports, but at this time, we have decided to part ways,” Michael Yormark told ESPN.com. He is the president and chief of branding and strategy for parent company Roc Nation. “We wish him the best of luck in the future.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, two world title bouts will be held in Osaka, Japan on September 16th.

Long-reigning bantamweight world titleholder Shinsuke Yamanaka and former titlist Anselmo Moreno.

Also on the card, junior featherweight world titleholder Hugo Ruiz (36-3, 32 KOs) will defend his belt against former bantamweight titleholder Hozumi Hasegawa (35-5, 15 KOs).

“After I completed my 10th consecutive title defense in March, I was hoping for a unification match or a big match overseas,” Yamanaka said during a news conference to announce the bout on Wednesday in Tokyo, according to the Japan Times. “But to keep my motivation, [Teiken promoter Akihiko Honda] set up the fight against Moreno, for which I’m thankful.

“I want to win in a better way [this time]. We’re going to work on our plans to do so. But if I get myself prepared properly, I have the confidence to win.”

“It’s been two years since my last title fight, and I’ve practiced hard every day, waiting [for this chance],” Hasegawa said at the news conference. “Now I shall only focus on my training. I’ve had so many fights in my career, and I don’t have to say a lot any more. I consider this my last challenge, and I’ll train as hard as possible so I won’t have any regrets.”

WBO Super Middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez injured his right hand that will force his title defense against Dominik Britsch to be postponed, according to Dan Rafael of eson.com.

The bout was ticketed for the July 23rd Terence Crawford – Viktor Postol Junior Welterweight unification Pay-Pay-Per view card.

“Gilberto Ramirez sustained an injury to the third knuckle of his right hand after a punch to the head of his sparring partner,” Dr. Steven Shin said in a statement given to ESPN.com. “I examined Gilberto later (Tuesday) and ordered an MRI of his right hand. The MRI revealed a complete tear of the ulnar sagittal band at the third metacarpophalangeal joint (knuckle) of his right hand, a region of the hand that is commonly injured in boxers. Gilberto will undergo surgery this Friday for repair of this injury. We anticipate that the soonest he will be able to fight competitively will be in approximately five months.”

“I was in top shape and on weight but I know these kinds of things can happen in boxing,” Ramirez said. “I will recover and come back stronger physically and mentally. I have a long boxing career in front of me and for sure a lot of big fights will be coming my way.”

“It’s been sore since that fight,” Gibbons said. “The he banged it up again against [Gevorg] Khatchikian in November when he hit on the elbow. It’s always been tender and had issues, and this time it just went ‘boom.’ But it’s better for this to happen during a sparring session than in the fight. It’s horrible, but it is what is. He’s very disappointed, but you have to be a realist. You keep your spirits up, but it’s just a bummer after working so hard to get the title. But he’ll come to Vegas for the fight and talk to the media, enjoy himself and rehab.”

“I talked to the doctor, and I’ve all the confidence in him,” Arum said. “Dr. Shin said it would have been crazy to go through with the fight and the best thing is to get an operation.”

“We’ll fill the spot,” Arum said. “We’re working on it, and we’ll have something. Zurdo was really picking up traction, but we still have Valdez; Benavidez against Santana, which will be a hell of a fight; and a great main event. Does losing Zurdo’s fight hurt? A little bit. Is it devastating? No.”

Following his positive test for a banned substance from his APril 30 bout against Badou Jack, Lucian Bute will have his “B” sample tested on Thursday, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The Washington D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission has been handling the process related to Lucian Bute’s positive anti-doping test result for Ostarine,” the WBC said on Wednesday. “The WBC and the D.C. commission have communicated frequently about that case. The D.C. commission arranged for the opening of Mr. Bute’s ‘B’ sample, which will take place on Thursday.

“Mr. Bute has designated his representatives, who will attend the opening of the ‘B’ sample container, consistent with the WBC rules & regulations. More information about this case will be made available in days to come.”

“I am surprised and sad about that news,” Bute said. “I can’t understand how the test could have been positive. I have been tested exhaustively since I was world champion and never tested positive. I have never taken anything prohibited. I trust every member of my team and I am convinced when the B sample will be tested it will prove me right and will turn out negative.”

Former world champion Kermit Cintron won an eight round unanimous decision over Carlos Garcia in a junior middleweight bout.

Cintron, 152 lbs of Reading, PA won via 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 37-5-2. Garcia, 154.5 lbs of Aguada, PR is 10-16-1.

Frank De Alba scored a third round stoppage over Jonathan Perez in a scheduled eight round super featherweight bout.

In round three, DeAlba dropped Perez with a right hook to the body. Moments laster, It was a right hook to the body that sent Perez down and the fight was stopped at 1:50 of round three.

De Alba, 130.5 lbs of Reading, PA is 19-2-2 with 8 knockouts. Perez, 131 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 35-15.

Christian Carto made a successful pro debut by stopping Rahkeam Park at the end of the third round of their scheduled four round bantamweight bout.

Carto, 117.5 lbs of Deptford, NJ is 1-0 with one knockout. Parker, 117 lbs of Laurel, MS is 0-3.

Miguel Martinez won a four round unanimous decision over Antonio Allen in a super welterweight bout.

Martinez, 156 lbs of Reading, PA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 2-1. Allen, 154.5 lbs of Philadelphia is 0-2.

Kashon Hutchinson made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Robert Ramos in a scheduled four round super lightweight bout.

In round two, a right-left combination from Hutchinson dropped Ramos. Hutchinson continued the onslaught until the bout was stopped at 2:44.

Hutchinson, 139 lbs of Reading, PA is 1-0 with one knockout. Ramos, 137.5 lbs of Allentown, PA is 1-5-1.

Former world champion, Antonio Margarito will face Ramon Alvarez on August 13 at the Rosarito Convention Center in Rosarito, Mexico, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I felt a little rusty before the Paez fight after being out for so long, but now we are on pace,” Margarito said. “I like the fight against Ramon Alvarez, and the styles will provide an exciting fight for the fans. I’m happy. Ramon and me will be in the ring fighting, and nobody else will be able to help him or me.”

“I have always wanted the fight with Margarito, and now, thanks to Fernando Beltran, it will happen,” Alvarez said. “It is an opportunity for my career, and I have no doubt that I will win. I will go out there and give everything as I always do. [Margarito] is a warrior in the ring. He’s very strong and has power, but I have faith in my talent and my preparation. Defeating Margarito will lead me to the [junior middleweight] world title and help me in achieving my dream.”

Alvarez is the brother of Canelo Alvarez

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Miguel Marriago will face Guy Robb in a featherweight elimination bout on August 27 in Fallon, Nevada.

“Marriaga came back from the loss to Walters by winning. He earned his way back by being active and getting three wins in a row,” said Top Rank’s Carl Moretti. “Robb is a guy who really, really wants this opportunity to fight for the No. 1 position.”

“Whether it’s the next fight or not, this fight is on national TV, and it will create some interest in the winner fighting the Valdez-Rueda winner,” Moretti said. “People will see it, and you build up the title fight when it is due.

Lee Haskins will defend the IBF Bantamweight title against Stuart Hall later this Summer in England, after promoter Matchroom Sports won a purse bid to stage the fight, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Matchroom Boxing won promotional rights to Haskins-Hall with a bid of $201,999, which easily beat the only other offer of $85,000 made by Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions. As the titleholder, Haskins is entitled to 75 percent of the winning bid ($151,499), and Hall will receive the remaining 25 percent ($50,500).

“I’m pleased to win the bid, as it’s a domestic world title fight that I’m excited to see,” Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn told ESPN.com. “There is some deep rivalry between the pair having already met, and we are deeply invested in the division with [world titleholder] Jamie McDonnell and [British champion] Ryan Burnett.

“We have eight world champions in our team right now, and I want to push this into double figures as soon as possible, and I believe Stuart will get the job done against Haskins.”