Andrey Fedosov scored a sixth round stoppage over Mario Heredia in a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight slugfest

In round three, Fedosov dropped Heredia with a vicious left hook. Heredia began to bleed from his nose. In round four, it was the left hook again that deposited Heredia on the canvas. In round five, it was a hard three punch combination that was concluded by a left hook that put Heredia down for a third time.

In round six, Fedosov dropped Heredia with a heavy combination and the bout was stopped at 1:33.

Fedosov, 225 1/2 lbs of Shuya, Russia is now 29-3 with 24 knockouts. Heredia, 286 lbs of Mexico City, MX. is 13-2.

Oscar Sarmiento won a 4-round unanimous decision over Jose Miguel De La Rosa in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 39-37 on all cards for Sarmiento, 146 lbs of Los Mochis, MX and is now 3-0-1. De La Rosa, 144 1/2 lbs of Queens, NY is now 3-1.

Miguel Trejo remained undefeated with a 1st round stoppage over La’Torrie Woodberry in a scheduled 4-round junioe middleweight bout.

Trejo dropped Woodberry with a left hook and then finished him with a right to the top of the head and the fight was stopped at 1:27.

Trejo, 152 1/2 lbs of Anaheim, CA is now 5-0 with 4 knockouts. Woodberry, 148.5 lbs of Roanoke, VA is 0-2-1.

A deal was reached for WBO Cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki to defend his title against Oleksander Usuyk in September.

“We’ve been negotiating since April 16th,” Krassyuk said. “We wanted to stage the fight in [Usyk’s native] Ukraine in a 40,000-seat soccer stadium. We made a substantial offer of $500,000 to the champ but he did not agree. So with my friends [Glowacki co-promoters] Andrzej Wasilewski and Leon Margules we started to look for the acceptable solution. It was found.”

“Glowacki won over two world-class fighters in his last two fights and this is enough to conclude that he is the biggest danger for Usyk at the moment,” Krassyuk said. “Victory is the result of hard work in the gym and mental work on yourself. We are thirsty for the world boxing glory and ready to take the title home.”

“When we signed Usyk we agreed the plan was for him to become the world champ in less fights than Evander Holyfield. So here we go — 9-0 Usyk to challenge the first world title in his professional career,” Krassyuk said.

The father and of Erik Morales, Jose Morales passed away at 60 years old in Mexico, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Jose Morales, who had suffered a stroke in mid-May, operated a gym in his hometown of Tijuana.

“We will always remember ‘Olivaritos’ Morales as a person devoted to boxing, but so very much more, as a great person — that wonderful smile, sparkling sense of humor and that endless reservoir of kindness from a handsome man, with a beautiful soul,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said. “The WBC joins Erik, Diego, Ivan and the whole family in mourning for a marvelous and truly unforgettable man. Time will pass, but the memories will last.”

Robert Easter Jr. will take on Richard Commey for the Vacant IBF Lightweight title, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The title was vacated by Rances Barthelemy just after his win over Mickey Bey Jr. this past Friday night.

“I’m really excited to finally get my shot at the world title,” Commey, 29, said on Tuesday at a news conference in Accra, Ghana. “I have been waiting too long and too many fighters have avoided me, but it seems like we are finally there. I would like to thank my promoter Team Sauerland for helping to get this opportunity, which I will take with both hands.”

Said Sauerland: “We’re delighted that Richard will finally get his chance to fight for the world title. This has been a long time coming, and Richard has been very patient. But now his time has come. He is, in my opinion, the best lightweight in the world, and I have every confidence he will win the world title and then go on to unify the division.”

“I’m excited,” Easter told ESPN. “I’ve dreamed about it since I was a young kid growing up in the sport of boxing, and here it is. I’ve been improving in every fight and that’s why I got the opportunity so soon after 17 fights. But I have to prove myself again by taking this title home with me. I’m a true believer in my skill and in making a guy adjust to me.”

“We will try our best to bring this fight to Ghana,” Sauerland said. “My father (Hall of Fame promoter Wilfried Sauerland) started his career promoting fights in Africa, and we would love to bring big-time boxing back to Ghana. This country has a rich boxing history with many great world champions, and Richard can take his place among these greats by winning the IBF title.”

Commey said he would love to fight for a world title in his home country.

“If the fight comes to Ghana, I will make the whole country proud,” he said. “It would be a dream come true to fight in our national stadium.”

Edgar Jimenez stopped Jovylito Aligarbes in the first round of their scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout.

Jimenez laned a perfect left hook to the jaw that sent Aligarbes down on his knees and then on his stomach and he could not beat the ten count at 2:58.

Jimenez, 118.4 lbs of Mexico City is 22-11-2 with 16 knockouts. Aligarbes, 118 lbs of Iligan City, PHL is 12-4.

Jose Lopez won an eight-round split decision over Ivan Alvarez in a junior welterweight bout.

Lopez, 141.1 lbs of Torreon, MX won by scores of 78-75 and 77-75 while Alvarez took a card 78-74.

Lopez is now 26-4-2. Alvarez, 140 lbs of Ciudad, MX is 22-6.

The Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Florida played home to a great night of championship boxing. A live crowd that had many famous boxing faces including Floyd Mayweather, and Shannon Briggs who often had the attention of the crowd with his chant know well in the boxing world. Lets Go Champ.

In the Main Event live on Spike TV Rances Barthélemy retained his lightweight strap by outworking and at times outsmarting former Champion Mickey Bey It was a close fight during the first couple round as former lightweight champion Mickey Bey used footwork and angles to keep the Cuban on the hunt early. A clash of heads in round two visibly hurt the champion and was incorrectly counted as a knockdown by referee Sam Buroes. Chants of Cuba Cuba Cuba helped motivate the champion around mid fight and during the course of the fight as Barthelemy outworked the former champion and used footwork and timing to make Bey miss often. This proved to be a deciding factor in his unanimous decision victory. The Scorecards read 117-110 116-11 for Barthelemy and one judge had it 117-110 for Bey, too bad he missed a good fight.

Rising prospect soon to be contender bantamweight Emmanuel Rodriguez had his hands full with hard-charging Mexican Alberto Guevara. It was a fight to the final and in the end a true display of Rodriguez talent and Guevara toughness. This was a fast paced fight with the Puerto Rican Rodriguez outworking the Mexican throughout the fight. The scores were 99-91 100-91 99-91

Amateur standout and rising prospect Caleb Plant 13-0(10KO) from Tennessee had a live fighter in Colombian Carlos Galvin 12-5-1(11KO) in front of him and displayed very nice workmanship by putting his whole game together. His jab was fast and often, his feet were moving him perfectly and at the right times. His defense was on point. Caleb Plant looked fantastic tonight and ended the night with a very hard uppercut to the solar plex that dropped Galvin and sent him home.

Dyah “Ali” Davis picked Leosvy Mayedo apart through their six round tusk. Davis kept it clean, Mayedo did not. Mayedo often throw low blows and was using his head inside so much he was eventually disqualified from the match. The former NABF champion Davis, improves to 24-4-1(11KO) and is still fighting with a heavy heart after the passing of his father Gold Medalist Howard Davis Jr in December.

A fantastic night of boxing at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Florida.

The Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Florida is indeed live and electric tonight with the anticipation of Spike TV live Broadcast. With a packed house full of boxing stars, here’s how it all got started.

The ladies started off the action at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Florida with middleweight LaTondria Jones improving to 4-0(2KO) with a unanimous decision victory over Latoya Burton from Greenville, NC.

Former amateur standout and local fan favorite Antonio “Bang” Williams improved with a bang to 3-0(3KO) with another big knockout. The heavy-handed 19-year-old super featherweight said after the fight he felt great and is looking to get right back in the ring. Williams dispatched Puerto Rican Hector Fernandez 2-4(1KO) at 1:50 of the second by virtue of a beautifully placed right hand

Featherweight Dat Ngyuen improved to 19-3(6KO) with a tough fought unanimous decision battle over Jesus Lule 8-18-1(1KO). Ngyuen and Lule battled inside for the entire 6 rounds giving and taking much of the same. Ngyuen was visibly stronger and landed huge shots en route to a unanimous decision.

Former 9-time national amateur champion light heavyweight Steve Geffrard 14-2(9KO) with body shots! Geffrard landed deep body shots on Californian Samuel Miller 31-15(27KO) and the early end came at 2:15 of round one when Miller had enough of the strong Geffrard. Geffrard said after the fight he felt great this being his first fight in seven months. “I am excited to get right back in there”

Lightweight Gervonta Davis 15-0(14KO) made quick work of Mario Macias Rorozco 28-18(KO). This fight was literally 3 punches all thrown by Davis all landed. The end came at :41 of the first round.

Super Lightweight Courtney Jackson remained undefeated at 10-0 (6KO) with a UD win over tough and game Anthony Woods 9-21(3KO).

Muhammad Ali is in the hospital battling a respiratory illness, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“He is being treated by his team of doctors and is in fair condition,” said family spokesman Bob Gunnell said in a statement datelined from Phoenix, where Ali lives. “A brief hospital stay is expected. At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com WBO Welterweight champion Jessie Vargas signed to face IBF champion Kell Brook later this summer.

“It’s really exciting,” said Vargas manager Cameron Dunkin. “It’s a great opportunity for Jessie. It’s a fight think he can win. I love his attitude. He’s so positive. He’s training like a madman. He’s really serious about getting this win. It’s not just the payday. He wants to win the fight. I love the attitude. Win, lose, whatever, he’s so confident in himself. I’m really proud of him.”

Injured fighter Prichard Colon has been moved from a rehab facility in Atlanta to his mother’s house, accoring to Daan Rafael of espn.com.

Colon who has been in a coma since his fight with Terrell Williams last October.

“I want to tell you that Prichard remains in a coma, but is stable,” Richard Colon, the boxer’s father, said in a statement. “Yes, Pri is already at his home in Orlando, where we hope he can recover with the love of the whole family. Let’s keep praying with faith! Prichard needs us more than ever. We know God won’t leave us by ourselves!”

In a battle of previously undefeated bantamweights, Cody Grabrandt scored an explosive first round stoppage over Thomas Almeida at The Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Garbrandt landed a crunching right hand that crumpled Almeida to the canvas, Garbrandt landed two more shots while ALmeida was on the ground and the bout was stopped at 2:53.

Grabrandt, 135.5 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 9-0. ALmeida, 136 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 21-1.

Jeremy Stephens won a unanimous decision over former Bantamweight champion Renan Borao.

Borao was cut on the right side of his forehead in round two.

Stephens, 146 lbs of San Diego, CA won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is 25-12. Borao, 146 lbs of Rio di Jeneiro, BRA is 35-4-1.

Rick Story won a unanimous decision over Tarec Saffiedine in a welterweight bout.

Story, 171 lbs of Vancouver, WA won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice and is now 19-8. Saffiedine, 170 lbs of Brussels, BEL is 16-5.

Chris Camozzi won a unanimous decision over Vitor Miranda in a middleweight bout.

Miranda was bleeding over his left eye in round two.

Camozzi, 186 lbs of Lakewood, CO won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 24-10. Miranda, 186 lbs of Rio di Jenairo, BRA is 13-5.

Lorenz Larkin won a split decision over Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight bout.

In round three, blood began to drip from the nostrils of Larkin.

Larkin, 171 lbs of Riverside, CA won two cards via 29-28 tallies. Masvidal, 170.5 lbs of Miami, FL won a card 29-28.

Larkin is 17-5-1. Masvidal is 29-11.

Paul Felder won a three round unanimous decision over Joshua Burkman in a lightweight bout.

Felder, 155 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 12-2. Burkman, 156 lbs of Draper, UT is now 28-13-1.

In round three, Burkman began to bleed from his nose.

Sara McMann won a three round unanimous decision over Jessica Eye in a Bantamweight bout.

McMann, 135.5 lbs of Gaffney, SC won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 9-3. Eye, 134.5 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 11-5-1.

Abel Trujillo won a 3-round unanimous decision over Jordan Rinaldi in a lightweight fight.

Rinaldi began to bleed under his left eye in round three.

Trujillo, 155.5 lbs of Boca Raton, FL won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 15-2. Rinaldi is 12-5.

Jake Collier came back to stop Alberto Uda in round two of their middleweight bout.

Early in round one, Collier had his nose broken when Uda landed a knee to the face. Collier was bleeding bad from his nose. In round two, Collier landed a knee that was followed by three punches that softened Uda up for a vicisous spinning back kick to the body and Uda fell to the canvas. Collier landed three more punches and the bout was stopped at 1:06 of round two.

Collier, 185.5 lbs of Cuba, MO is now 10-3. Uda, 185 lbs of Bluenman, BRA is 9-1.

Erik Koch made Shane Campbell tap out in round two of their lightweight bout.

Koch, 155.5 lbs of Milwaukee, WI got the win with a rear-naked choke at 3:02 of round two and is now 15-4. Campbell, 156 lbs of Kelowina, BC, CAN is 12-5.

David Avanesyan retained the WBA Interim Welterweight title over future Hall of Famer, Shane Mosley at The Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

In round ten, Mosley was deducted a point for low blows.

Avanesyan, 146 lbs of Pyatigorsk, RUS won by scores of 117-110 twice and 114-113 and is now 22-1-1. Mosley, 146 lbs of Pomona, CA is 49-10-1.

Shane Mosley Jr. won a 6-round majority decision over Roberto Yong in a at-times entertaining middleweight bout.

Mosley Jr. hurt Yong in the final round with a hard right. He took some hard rights, but went on to win by scores of 59-55, 58-56 & 57-57.

Mosley, 162 3/4 lbs is now 7-1. Yong, 160 1/2 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 5-8-2.

Dimar Ortuz stopped Ricardo Campillo in round six of a scheduled 8-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Campillo had swelling on the left side od his face in round one. In round two, Campillo started to bleed above his left eye from a clash of heads. In round three, Campillo’s nose began to bleed.

In round six, Ortuz landed a right hook to the head that rocked Campillo to the ropes. Ortuz landed a few more flush shots and the bout was stopped at 25 seconds.

Ortuz, 178 3/4 lbs of Chicago is 11-0-2 with 8 knockouts. Campillo, 178 1/4 lbs of Ciudad, MX is 9-10-1.

Jarrell Miller remained perfect with a 2nd round stoppage over Nick Guivas in a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout at the Seneca Casino in Niagara Falls, New York.

Miller dropped Guivas twice in round one, first with a left to the body and then a right hand. Miller finished off Guivas with a right and the fight was stopped.

Miller, 283 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 17-0 with 15 knockouts. Guivas 229.6 lbs of Topeka, KS is 12-4-2.

Saknder Hilili scored a wild 2nd round stoppage over Jason Thompson in a scheduled six round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Thompson dropped Hilili with a left hook. Later in the round, Thompson landed a hard right that drove Hilili into the ropes and it was a ruled the ropes kept him up and ruled a knockdown. Hilili came back to land a huge left hook that sent Thompson down and completely out and the fight was immediately waved off at 2:59 of round two.

Hilili, 151.8 10 lbs of Bronx, NY is 10-1 with 10 knockouts. Thompson, 152.8 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 5-12-4.

Hermonito Dela Torre won an 8-round majority decision over Guillermo Sanchez in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Dela Torre, 131 lbs of General Santos City, PHL won by scores of 78-74, 77-75 and 76-76 and is now 18-0. Sanchez, 125.6 lbs of Buffalo, NY and is now 15-19-1

Sanchez was cut around the left side of his face in round six.

Malik Hawkins remained undefeated by stopping Lee Hall in the 5th round of a scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 1:02 of round five.

Hawkins, 148 lbs of Baltimore is now 8-0 with 7 knockouts. Hall, 143.2 lbs of Rocky Mountain, NC is 11-24-3.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Showtime has sued Top Rank over lawsuits pertaining to the Floyd Mayweather – Manny Pacquiao mega fight last May.

Showtime is seeking $682,754.07 in legal fees for having to pay lawyers to defend the network against numerous civil lawsuits filed by fans upset that they shelled out a record $100 apiece for the pay-per-view telecast of a bad fight in which Pacquiao knew he was injured ahead of time.

Showtime said in its lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN.com, that Top Rank failed to meet its contractual obligation to indemnify the network in the event it was sued in relation to the fight. Showtime, which said it was named as a co-defendant in 12 of approximately 42 suits filed after the fight, is seeking legal fees it says it paid to defend the suits, plus interest.

“Showtime Networks [on Wednesday] filed suit against Top Rank in the Southern District of New York to enforce Showtime Networks’ right to be reimbursed for legal fees incurred defending the many lawsuits filed relating to the injury sustained by Manny Pacquiao before his May 2, 2015 fight against Floyd Mayweather,” a Showtime spokesperson said in a statement. “Showtime was dismissed from those litigations which continue against Top Rank. Showtime made every effort to resolve this matter short of the courthouse, but Top Rank’s persistent refusal to honor its contractual obligations forced Showtime to take this regrettable, but necessary, step.”

Showtime said it was eventually dropped from many of the suits because while it had prefight access to Mayweather’s training camp, it did not have any access to Pacquiao’s and, therefore, had no idea he had a shoulder injury.

The suit went on to say that “under an agreement among [Showtime and Top Rank], [Top Rank] was obligated to defend and indemnify [Showtime]. But at the outset of these actions, it was manifest that [Showtime] and [Top Rank], which was alleged to have known of and concealed the pre-fight injury, had starkly different interests. … At once, [Showtime] demanded that [Top Rank] honor its contractual obligations to indemnify [Showtime] and pay for [Showtime’s] own counsel to defend it in these actions because of the manifest potential conflict between them. [Top Rank] refused.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN.com that his lawyers do not believe there is a conflict and that the contract is open to interpretation.

“Our lawyers say that under the contract, they’re not entitled to any indemnity,” Arum said. “But when this came up, we made a proposal to Showtime and [parent network] CBS, and they said it was not adequate. I told them to come back with a counterproposal, and instead they filed suit. And then I told them that’s not fair. If you’re negotiating a settlement with me, you don’t file a suit. And then they said, ‘If you don’t pay this in full, CBS and Showtime will not do business with you.’ I said, ‘What the f— else is new? You haven’t done any business with Top Rank in years.’ They’re trying to bully me.

“I didn’t appreciate the threat. You sit down like normal people and you work it out.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin’s “B”sample came up positive for his random drug test for his muted fight against WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Povetkin’s mandatory shot at heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder, scheduled to take place May 21 at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow, was called off after his “A” sample came up positive for meldonium nine days before the fight. The sample had been taken in a random urine test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association on April 27.

Povetkin, 36, had the right to have his “B” sample tested, and he did. According to the VADA testing report, which was obtained by ESPN.com, it was also positive for meldonium.

After the positive drug test to Alexander Povetkin, THE WBC has granted Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder the right to make an optional defense, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“In relation to challenger Povetkin’s test result, the WBC is conducting an in-depth investigation and evaluation of the situation. Further WBC rulings will be forthcoming,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement. “In the meantime, the WBC hereby rules that in light of the fact that the bout with challenger Povetkin did not take place as scheduled, WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder has the right to make a voluntary defense of his title as reasonably soon as possible.”

“I’m excited to get back in the ring, that’s for sure so everything we worked hard for in the Povetkin camp wasn’t in vain,” Wilder told ESPN.com. “I still have the urge to fight. I didn’t do all that for nothing. Somebody has to pay for it and it’s going to be my next opponent.”

Promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN.com that he and Wilder adviser Al Haymon will immediately turn their attention to lining up a fight for Wilder.

“Deontay went through a whole camp. He wants to get into the ring, so we are going to try to figure something out but I think it’s a fair assumption to say he would fight this summer,” DiBella said. “Obviously, you’re not going to do a fight without television, so we need to see about that. We’re turning our attention to it now that the ruling has been made.

“The WBC did the right thing. I’m pleased and gratified that they did the right thing. I think the WBC is stepping up with their clean boxing program. The WBC has to review everything, but they did the right thing not to handcuff their champion. Deontay wants to fight as often as possible. He has always said he wanted to be an active champion, so it was not an option for him to sit out a long time when this fight fell through. So we want to get something done as soon as possible.”

“I’m always in shape. I’m always ready,” Wilder said. “I had a hell of a camp for this fight (against Povetkin) and I still feel in shape. So I want to fight as soon as possible. I’ll let my team handle that and picking an opponent as well. I want to give the fans something so I definitely want a top opponent.

“Hopefully we can get a great date and a great opponent. We understand it’s short notice but some heavyweight out there is going to get the call, so if you’re in the top 10 be ready.”

Fresh off his elimination bout win over Carlos Takam this past Saturday, New Zealand based heavyweight Joseph Parker will be right back in the ring on July 21 against Soloman Haumono, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

So Parker will face Haumono in order to stay sharp awaiting the title opportunity and will do so fighting in the hometown of his trainer, Kevin Barry.

“I owe it to Kev to fight in his hometown now because I don’t think there’ll be another chance in the future,” Parker said.

“A lapse in concentration could ruin our world title dreams,” Barry said.

“I’m sorry to say, but with one punch, I can also take his dream [of fighting for a world title],” Haumono said.

Erislandy Lara retained the WBA Super Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Vanes Martirosyan in a rematch at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

Lara got in the sharper punches, while Martirosyan worked the body.  The fight was tactical on Lara’s standpoint.  Martirosyan was deducted a point in round 11 from a low blow.

Lara won by scores of 116-111 twice and 115-112 and is now 23-2-2.  Martirosyan is 36-3-1.

“My mother and kids are still there so it would be a great privilege to go fight in my native Cuba.  Everything is possible in this world.  I didn’t think I’d be champion of the world and here I am.

“I want to tell Team Vanes thank you for giving me the rematch.  I’m ready to fight anybody.  I’d like to fight Canelo.

“The Charlo brothers are my teammates and having three of us going back as champions is a great thing.”

Martirosyan, the aggressor throughout, disputed the decision.

“I was chasing him all night,” he said. “I put on the pressure. I thought I did enough to win. That was not a low blow.  Replays show the trunks were high.

“I never ducked anyone.  No one wanted to fight Lara.  I stepped up and fought him again.  I’ll fight anyone.”

Jerrmall Charlo retained the IBF Jr. Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former WBA champion Austin Trout.

Trout was very consistent, but Charlo was rewarded for landing the harder punches that closed the right eye of Trout and in round ten, Trout was cut over the eye for the first time in his career.

Charlo won by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113 and is now 24-0.  Trout of Las Cruces, NM is 30-3.

Jermell Charlo stopped John Jackson in round eight to capture the WBC Super Welterweight championship.

Jackson boxed well by pot shotting and getting off to an early lead.  In round eight, Charlo landed a right to eye of Jackson.  Jackson froze and ate a huge left hook that drove Jackson into the corner and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight at 51 seconds.

Charlo of Houston, TX is now 28-0 with 13 knockouts.  Jackson of the Virgin Islands is now 20-3.

“It wasn’t a struggle, it was a great experience,” said Charlo after his second successful title defense. “I want to thank God for allowing me and my twin brother to see this day.  History.

“Austin is a hell of a fighter.  He’s a beast. This was my first time going 12, but it didn’t matter because I knew I was in shape.

“It’s history,” said Jermell, who entered the match as the WBC No. 1 contender and became the 66^th ShoBox: The New Generation fighter to capture a world title.

I feel like I was ahead and I came up short.  He caught me with a punch and I was trying to fix my mouthpiece.  Then he hit me and I was out.  It hit me in the eye, but my mouthpiece was coming out.  I was trying to push in my mouthpiece back in and he hit me.  I knew where I was.  It dazed me, but I wasn’t knocked out.

“It’s boxing.  It was a great fight.  I felt I was winning the fight, I got caught and that was it.

“I dedicated the fight to my dad and I hope I didn’t let him down.  I fell short.  You win some and you lose some.”

Said the elder Jackson: “I’m proud. It took a lot for us to get this far.  I know my people are proud.  We are strong people and we are coming back.”

“We did it. A lot of fighters don’t come out of Houston and we did it.  I’m waiting for my brother next. We’ve been boxing for all of these years and it had to happen.

“I was behind.  He was boxing, he was moving around a lot.  That was unexpected of him.  I thought he was going to come out to brawl.  I had to make an adjustment and I did.

“When he started slowing down, I was able to catch him with a shot.  I knew that if he could have continued he could have come back so I had to hit him.”

“My game plan was to execute with the jab.  I knew he was going to try to stop me, but that didn’t happen. There’s no way you can tame a lion.

“It felt good because I knew my brother would get the job done.  We belong on this level.  We need these titles to get the big fights and we’re going to keep these titles to keep rising.

“I changed my mind — we’re going to stay right here (at 154). Making 154 pounds wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be.”

“Hat’s off to Jermall Charlo.  He fought a hell of a fight,” Austin Trout said. “I felt like I did enough to win.  They won’t give me a close decision, so it’s time to start taking these cats out.  But I can’t make excuses.  I fought my ass off, Charlo fought his ass off and hats off to him.

“I’m going to live to fight another day.  You’re going to see me back.  We’re warriors out here.’’

By Norm Frauenheim

TUCSON – There was no main event. There was only a reunion.

Roy Jones Jr. and James Toney stole the show — their own show — Friday night, as co-promoters of a card at Casino Del Sol that lost its main event when junior featherweight Hanzel Martinez was hurt Wednesday night in an auto accident.

Jones and Toney, once sworn enemies in a 1994 super- middleweight out called Uncivil War, re-emerged as business partners in what they say is just the beginning.

“We’re going to take over the world, man,’’ said Toney, who made his old rival laugh at his dance steps, jokes and gestures as they stood in the ring, almost arm-in-arm, before each bout televised by the CBS Sports Network. “We’re just starting.’’

More like starting over.

Twenty years ago, the guess was that the two would only meet again in a bitter rematch or an old-fashioned duel. There could only be sequel of the hostility that lingered after Jones’ unanimous decision over Toney in a clash at Las Vegas MGM Grand.

“Nah, nah, nah’’ Toney said. “You gotta get past all of that. Time to grow up.’’

John “Pops” Arthur — Toney’s CEO, advisor, mentor and confidante — said Toney and Jones ran into each other last year at a boxing meet-and-greet.

“James had always wanted a rematch, yeah,’’ Arthur said. “I told him to move on and put his anger aside. I told him to approach Roy like a businessman. When people saw them together, I think they probably thought they’d only agree to rematch.’’

Given their pasts, it would have been a reach to think anything else. Both fighters have continued to fight far beyond their primes, despite calls from fans and media for them to retire.

This time, Arthur said, they shook hands. But not for a remake of some old hostility. This time, it’s all about business, Arthur said.

Arthur foresees a long-term partnership, which would be a lot better for their financials and their brain cells than a rematch ever could be.

“We’ll do a lot more of these, no doubt,’’ Toney said.

With the Martinez-Prosper Ankrah bout off the card because of a concussion and back injury suffered by Martinez during an accident in Tijuana, the show went on with Emmanuel Robles in an eight-rounder against Pipino Cuevas in a junior welterweight bout.

In his first bout since signing with Roy Jones Jr. in early March, Robles (15-0, 4 KOs) made it look easy against an out of-shape Cuevas

Robles floored Cuevas (17-16-1, 15 KOs), winless over his last seven bouts, with a crushing left in the third round. Cuevas got up, but blood poured from his nose. He looked beaten. in the fourth, he would be.

At 25 second of the round, referee Tony Zaino stopped it when Robles landed a series of blows against a defenseless Cuevas.

On The Undercard

Keenan Carbajal (11-2, 6 KOs) wore red-and-white trunks cut in the style of his Hall of Fame relative, junior-flyweight legend Michael Carbajal. Flashed a little bit of his power, too.

Keenan Carbajal, bigger and more confident than ever, delivered a lethal succession of combinations, overwhelming an overmatched Lorenzo Trejo in the second round.

The featherweight bout was scheduled for eight rounds. Carbajal, of Phoenix, could have put Trejo (35-31, 22 KOs), of Mexico, onto the canvas that many times or more, if not for referee Rocky Burke, who ended it at 2:21 of the second and Trejo on the canvas for the third time in the round.

An introduction of Randy Moreno’s power was warning enough for Christopher Turton. Moreno (3-0, 2 KOs), of Las Vegas, rocked him, sending Turton stumbling across the canvas midway through the first round of a lightweight bout scheduled for four. A dazed Turton (2-3, 1 KO), of Colony, Tex., took a seat after the first and quit before the second ever began.

Tucson cruiserweight Jesus Santamario’s debut was a knockout, but not exactly the kind of knockout a young fighter envisions for his first pro bout. Edgar Ramirez (3-0, 1 KO), of Mexico City, crushed him with power he had never encountered, bouncing him off the ropes and onto the canvas for a quick knockdown, then finishing him with short right to the back of the head at 1:13 of the first.

Before the CBS telecast, Phoenix super-flyweight Elihu Soto (5-0, 3 KOs) employed precise and painful body blows to score a four-round unanimous decision over Yezber Romero (2-2, 1 KO) of Eugene, Ore.

WBO Welterweight champion Jessie Vargas and IBF champ Kello Brook have agreed to a unificayopn bout, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We have agreed terms so to speak and are now progressing to contract,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promotes Brook. “Obviously not done until it’s signed, but things are looking very good.”

“I’m looking forward to giving my fans a great fight and bringing two titles back home,” Vargas told ESPN.com on Friday. “At the same time, I am hoping to make new fans in the U.K. My team and I will start preparing to KO Brook.”

“Everybody is on board,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. “We got the money straightened out and then a lot of other details. Now we are waiting to see the paperwork from Eddie. This is a great opportunity for Jessie Vargas. He’ll make his biggest purse [$1.7 million] by a lot. I’m really happy we could deliver this kind of fight for the kid. He can win this fight.”

Former two division champion Arthur Abraham will face Tim-Robin Lihaug on July 16, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“My goal is to become world champion again, and I will not let anyone stand in my way,” said Abraham, who is also a former middleweight titleholder. “Tim-Robin Lihaug is a good, young fighter but he will learn the hard way what it takes to make it to the top.”

“I never underestimate any of my opponents, and I will prepare myself to be in top shape,” Abraham said. “I want to put the disappointment of losing to Ramirez behind me and prove I still have more to give. I’m looking to the future now, and that starts with a good win on July 16.”

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Lihaug said. “Abraham has been a great champion for many years, but I wouldn’t have taken this fight if I didn’t think I could win. He is beatable and I’m coming to Berlin to win.

“Abraham is 36 years old and has already won a lot of titles and made a lot of money, whereas I’m a young, hungry fighter, and I think that will give me an advantage. This is like a world title fight to me. It means everything. I’ve been in training camp since the beginning of January and I will be in the best shape of my life on July 16. I want to prove myself and there is no better way of doing that than by beating Abraham.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Top Rank and Al Haymon have confidentially settled Top Rank’s $100 million lawsuit.

“The stipulation of dismissal was filed in federal court in Los Angeles, and it’s a matter of public record,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “We settled, but the terms of the settlement are confidential, and I’m not going to talk about it. I’d be pissed if they said anything about it, and I am not going to.”

“If I was still working for the U.S. Attorney’s office, I might have seen this through to the end, but I’m a private citizen,” said Arum, who worked in Robert Kennedy’s Justice Department before becoming a boxing promoter 50 years ago.

The sides had been deep into the discovery process and had been exchanging documents when they stopped about two weeks ago. Then came the settlement.

“Plaintiff Top Rank, Inc. and Defendants Alan Haymon, Haymon Boxing LLC, Haymon Sports LLC, Haymon Holdings LLC, and Alan Haymon Development, Inc. hereby stipulate to the dismissal with prejudice of all claims between them in this action, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(ii), and subject to the terms of a confidential agreement,” the ruling said.

Arum said early in the case that he had a face-to-face meeting with Haymon, one of the rare times they have met in person since their relationship soured in 2006, when Haymon helped engineer Floyd Mayweather’s exit from Top Rank.

“It was very civil,” Arum said of the meeting with Haymon. “It was early on, and then it was carried on by our lawyers.”

“I can say categorically, absolutely, no,” Arum said. “[A potential rematch] had no part at all in any negotiations for the settlement or anything like that. It was not an issue and it was never raised.”

“As a legal basis, there is no impediment,” Arum said. “As a practical basis, it’s certainly a big possibility, but then again, it will depend on the ability of the two of us to work together to bring that about. It would make sense for both us.

“I’m optimistic that everybody is going to work together and make big fights. I think there’s a realization on everybody’s part that in order to get big fights, you’re gonna have to work together.”

By Norm Frauenheim-
Hanzel Martinez suffered undisclosed injuries in a reported auto accident Wednesday night, forcing him to withdraw from a main event Friday night at Tucson’s Casino Del Sol on a card televised by the CBS Sports Network.

Martinez, 23-2 with 18 KOs as a junior featherweight, was reported to have been involved in the accident while leaving Tijuana, Mexico, on his way to Tucson.

Martinez, a former brother-in-law to Antonio Margarito, was scheduled to face Posper Ankrah (24-7, 15 KOs) of Ghana.

With Martinez-Ankrah off the Roy Jones Jr.-promoted card (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT), the main event will feature junior welterweight Emmanuel Robles (14-0-1, 4 KOs) against Gerardo Cuevas (17-15-1, 15 KOs).

In another Arizona card Friday night, Phoenix super-bantamweight Panchito De Vaca (14-0 4 KOs) faces Gustavo Molina (22-11, 9 KOs) for a NABF junior title at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. The Iron Boy Promotions card is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Guillermo Rigondeaux was re-installed as the WBBA 122 lb champion.

“We’re pleased that the WBA has reinstated Guillermo as their (junior featherweight) world champion,” Roc Nation Boxing COO David Itskowitch told ESPN.com. “He’s the best fighter in the division, as well as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and should be recognized as such.”

As a result, the WBA reinstated Rigondeaux and ordered him to face interim titleholder Moises Flores (24-0, 17 KOs), of Mexico, in a mandatory fight by Aug. 1.

“If either Flores or Rigondeaux wish to face any other opponent, the WBA may consider an application for a special permit consistent with WBA rules,” the WBA wrote in its ruling.

Murat Gassiev scored a 1st round destruction over Jordan Shimmell in a scheduled 10-round Cruiserweight bout at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, Minnesota.

Gassiev landed a pulverizing left hook that put Shimmell viciously on the canvas. Shimmell was knocked out cold and had oxygen applied to him. The end of the bout was 2:54.

Gassiev is now 23-0 with 17 knockouts. Shimmell is 20-2.

Joey Abell stopped previously undefeated Wes Nofire in round three of a scheduled 8-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Abell clocked Nofire with a left hand and follow up shots put Nofire on the canvas. Abell was cut over his left eye. In round three, Abell dropped Nofire with a right hook. Later in the round, Abell landed a big left that sent Nofire to the canvas again and his corner stopped the bout at 2:12.

Abell, 257 lbs of Coon Rapids, MN is 32-9 with 30 knockouts. Nofire, 231 lbs of Oklahoma is 19-1.

Stephen Shaw won a 6-round unanimous decision over Danny Kelly in a heavyweight bout.

Shaw, 252 lbs of St. Louis, MO won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 7-0. Kelly, 232 lbs of Washington, DC is 9-3-1.

Leduan Barthelemy scored a 2nd round stoppage over Rafael Reyes in a Super Featherweight bout.

Barthelemy landed a right hook that dropped Reyes. Reyes twisted his ankle and the bout was stopped at 2:59.

Barthelemy is 10-0 with 6 knockouts. Reyes is now 7-8.

In a battle of undefeated welterweights, Gilbert Venegas Jr. won a 4-round unanimous decision over Deonte Wilson.

Venegas scored a knocked Wilson down in round one and went on to win by scores of 39-36, 37-37 and 38-37 and is now 6-0. Wilson is 4-1.

Due to a recent test failure for PED’s by mandatory challenger, Alexander Povetkin, The fight with Povetkin challenging WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has set for next Saturday has been postponed by the WBC, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The World Boxing Council is diligently addressing the positive test result from the [WBC’s] clean boxing program for mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement. “Keeping the priority of safety and also the principle of justice, the WBC will continue the investigation into the case. Consequently, the event scheduled for May 21 in Moscow is hereby officially postponed. The WBC will be releasing more information in the coming days regarding the final ruling on the matter.”

“I’m very disappointed that due to Povetkin’s failed drug test the fight is not going to happen on May 21 in Moscow,” Wilder said in a statement. “I had worked very hard to prepare myself for this important title defense, spending the last two weeks training in England to get accustomed to fighting in Europe. I wanted to give the fans a great show, but we understand the WBC’s position that the fight occur on an even playing field.

“This is a huge disappointment and a setback to my goals in boxing. I want to be an active heavyweight champion and it is still my goal to collect all the belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

“The guy tested positive for a dangerous drug and the health and safety of Deontay was paramount, so the fight could not take place on May 21,” Wilder promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN.com. “Deontay would have fought King Kong without any regard for what substance was being used, but Povetkin’s use of this banned substance and the breach of the contract deprived Deontay of an opportunity to defend his title on a fair playing field. As a result, Deontay has suffered significant damages.

“He has gone through his entire training camp and expended a tremendous amount of time and money and energy. It’s awful.”

“Any talk from Ryabinsky of a rescheduled date is both unfounded and premature,” DiBella said. “We need to sit back and await further rulings from the WBC, but we will weigh all of our options.”

“He has not taken it since Jan. 1. The situation is ambiguous,” Ryabinsky told Russia’s TASS news agency before the fight was called off. “The blood sample was taken in April this year.”

Stipe Miocic won the UFC Heavyweight title with a 1st round knockout over Fabrico Wedum in front of over 45,000 in Brazil.

Miocic landed a crushing right that knocked Werdum completely out and the fight was stopped at 2:47.

Miocic is now 15-2. Werdum is 20-6-1.

Jacare Souza stopped former world champion Vitor Belfort in the 1st round of their middleweight bout.

Souza cut Belfort’s nose with a hard series of ground punches. Belfort continued to take hard blows until the bout was stopped at 4:38.

Souza is now 23-4-1. Belfort is 25-12.

Cris Cyborg made a sucessful UFC debut by taking out Leslie Smith in 81 seconds.

Cyborg landed some vicious shots that knocked Smith to the ground. Cyborg landed some hard ground shots and the fight was stopped.

Cyborg is now 16-1-1. Smith is 8-7-1.

Mauricio Rua won a split decision over Corey Anderson in a light heavyweight bout.

Rua won two cards 29-28. Anderson took a card 29-28.

Rua is 24-10. Anderson is 8-2.

Bryan Barberena won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Warlley Alves in a welterweight bout.

Barberena won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 12-3. Alves is 10-1.

Demian Maia choked out Matt Brown in the 3rd round of their welterweight bout.

Maia is now23-6. Brown falls to 20-14.

Thiago Santos stopped Nate Marquardt in the 1st round of their middleweight fight.

Santos dominated the fight and dropped Marquardt with a big left and the fight was stopped at 3:39.

Santos is 13-3. Marquardt is 34-16-2.

In a wildly entertaining lightweight bout, Francisco Trinaldo won a unanimous decision over Yancy Medeiros.

Both guys were almost knocked out on several occasions but Trinaldo took rounds one and three.

Trinaldo is 20-4. Mediros is 12-4.

John Lineker won a unanimous decision over Rob Font in a Bantamweight bout.

Linker is now 27-7. Font is 13-2.

Number-one ranked heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin tested positive for a banned substance, putting his fight title fight with Deontay Wilder, scheduled for next Saturday in Russia in doubt, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“This letter is to advise you that the ‘A’ sample urine specimen number 3969608 collected from Alexander Povetkin on April 27, 2016 in Chekhov, Russia through his participation in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) program has been analyzed for anabolic agents, diuretics, beta-2 agonists, stimulants and drugs of abuse,” Goodman wrote. “The results of the analysis are as follows: Adverse. Urine specimen contains meldonium.”

“Mr. Povetkin has the right to promptly request analysis of the ‘B’ sample at his expense,” Goodman wrote. “Please be aware that VADA does not adjudicate results nor determine whether sanctions are appropriate. As with all results, adverse findings are reported to the relevant commission(s) who may make such determinations.”

“Traces of extremely low concentration of meldonium have been found in his blood. He consumed it in September last year,” Povetkin promoter Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing said, according to the Russian TASS news agency. “He has not taken it since Jan. 1. The situation is ambiguous. The blood sample was taken in April this year. We have been in contact with the World Boxing Council, which is to decide if Povetkin’s boxing bout against Deontay Wilder will take place or not.”

Promoter Lou DiBella, representing Wilder, told ESPN that he and the Wilder team were still gathering information on the situation.

“We literally have received this in the last hour and have not even had a chance to discuss this with our team,” DiBella said. “We’re in the process of doing this right now. But it’s extremely upsetting and disappointing and while I am angry, I am certainly not shocked. We’ll make a more detailed statement and figure things out when we discuss this among ourselves and with the WBC. We haven’t had enough time to digest this. We’ll have more to say later.”

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman issued a statement after learning of Povetkin’s positive test.

“The WBC’s priority is and will always be safety, fair play and justice,” Sulaiman said. “In order to continue to strive for the absolute safety of the boxers and for a just and fair outcome for all parties involved, the WBC is conducting an in-depth investigation of this matter. The WBC will make a public announcement in the very near future concerning the results of its investigation and any appropriate steps that it will take.”

Earlier this week on a media teleconference to discuss the fight, DiBella was asked about the testing.

“Deontay’s always said, a million times, he’s never been hesitant to get involved in testing,” DiBella said. “And we wanted testing to begin, frankly, before it did. But it began with what we believe is plenty of time to make sure that everything is on the up-and-up. There’s been already a number of random tests of both athletes that have turned out negative. So we’re not concerned about that as an issue. And the testing is being done by VADA and they’ve been very buttoned up and everything’s been handled appropriately.

“In a perfect world, we might have liked it to start a little bit earlier, but that’s not an issue. … It’s in the hands of VADA, and we’re very comfortable with it in the hands of VADA.”

“I’m going to tell you right now I am super-excited about going to Moscow, Russia, defending my title,” Wilder said. “You know it seems like every time I turn around — when I have the big stage and the cameras — it’s always a moment for me. And this moment right here’s putting me down in history as the first American ever to defend his title in Russia. And I’m looking to do it in great fashion and to represent my country.”

Carlos Diaz won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Riberto Marroquin at Gimnasio in Reynosa, Mexico.

Diaz won by scores of 96-94, 96-95 and 98-91 and is now 20-0.  Marroquin of Dallas, TX is 25-4-1.

Patricio Moreno won an 8-round majority decision over Carlos Jimenez in a lightweight bout.

Moreno won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 76-76 and is now 19-1.  Jimenez is 10-6-1.

Yazmin Rivas and Ana Maria Lozano fought to a no-contest when in the 3rd round a headbutt caused a bad cutt over Rivas’left eye.

Mike Dallas Jr. and Dusty Hernandez battled to a split draw in a 10-round Heavyweight bout at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

In round three, Harrison was cut around the right eye. In round five, a big right hand put Harrison on the deck.

In round eight, Harrison landed what appeared to be a low blow but referee Malike Waleed ruled a low blow. The two had some terrific exchanges and appeared that Dallas may have deserved the nod.

It wasn’t to be as Dallas took a card 96-92, Harrison took a card 95-94 and one card was even at 94-94.

Dallas, 146.6 lbs of Bakersfield, CA is now 21-3-2. Harrison, 146.6 lbs of Washington, DC is 29-0-1.

Orlando Del Valle won a 8-round unanimous decision over Thomas Snow in a featherweight bout.

In round two, Del Valle landed a couple rights to the body that put Snow on the canvas. In round three, Del Valle landed a perfect right that dropped Snow.

Del Valle was cut on the bridge of the nose and over his left eye in round five.

Del Valle, 122.2 lbs of Dorado, PR won by scores of 76-74 on all cards and is now 21-2. Snow, 121.8 lbs of Washington, DC is 18-3.

Darmani Rock made a successful pro debut by stopping Carlos Black in the first round of their scheduled 4-round Heavyweight bout.

Rock hurt Black with a left hook and jumped all over him. Rock landed a hard right hand that sent Black to the canvas. When Black got to his feet, but he was wobbly and referee Michelle Myers stopped the bout at 1:54.

Rock, 246.6 lbs of Philadelphia is 1-0 with 1 knockout. Black, 231.4 lbs of Rockville, MD is 1-4.

The B-Sample for Lucas Browne after testing positive after WBA Heavyweight title winning effort against Ruslan Chagaev in Russia came back positive and he was stripped of he newly won title.

“I’m leaving everything to my lawyer,” Browne said in a statement. “I thank everyone for their support, especially the people and fans of Australia.”

“Browne did challenge the ‘B’ sample, but there were no flaws in the VADA process,” WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN.com. “It was disappointing since he was the first heavyweight champion born in Australia.”

“The minimum suspension is appropriate due to the circumstances of the negative pre-bout testing only one week before the bout and Browne’s arguments relating to the minimal levels detected and lack of any logical competitive advantage,” the WBA wrote in its ruling.

“Notwithstanding, Browne participated in the bout with a prohibited substance in his system, and regardless of any arguments to the contrary, athletes do not always act rationally or logically when it comes to striving for that competitive edge in competition, whether real or merely perceived.

“Whether Browne knowingly or voluntarily took the prohibited substance is of no consequence concerning the no contest ruling and only carries any weight for purposes of determining the suspension period. The boxer and his representatives are ultimately responsible for what the boxer ingests.”