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.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, last weekend’s Canelo Alvarex – Amir Khan fight drew a reported 600,000 Pay Per View Buys.

“It looks like it will be around 600,000 buys,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “We’re extremely happy about it. If you think about it, Canelo has had the top two pay-per-views of the last four [major] pay-per-views.”

“It’s the changing of the guard,” De La Hoya said about Alvarez, the 25-year-old Mexican star many view as the face of boxing in the post Mayweather/Pacquiao era.

“The fight did way more than that,” he said. “We know that for a fact. The numbers are still coming in, and it could be over or a little under, but it will be around 600,000.”

“The future is that the sky’s the limit for Canelo,” De La Hoya said. “He is on his way to breaking Floyd’s pay-per-view records. We are extremely proud of the work we have done at Golden Boy Promotions, but when you have a special product like Canelo, the sky is the limit. And Amir did his part. A lot of people were saying it wouldn’t be a good fight, but Amir and Canelo both came to fight, both gave everything they had, and it was a good, exciting fight, and people got their money’s worth.”

“Like I promised at the [post-fight] press conference, I called Loeffler on Sunday, and we’re going to continue talks,” De La Hoya said. “We will continue our conversations and see what we come up with. But Canelo will fight in September. We just opened up the conversations. Loffler respects the fact that Canelo just got home to Guadalajara and will take a few days off. But I know we’re under the gun with the WBC situation.”

But will the fight happen?

“Canelo wants to break records,” De La Hoya said. “He wants to be a legend. He wants to take risks. He wants to dare to be great.”

According to Dan Rafael, longtime middleweight contender, Matthew Macklin announced his retirement.

“Last month, at the O2 Arena in London, around the halfway point in my fight with Brian Rose, I knew it was time to retire,” Macklin said. “My face was marking up; I was getting frustrated at not being able to land my shots, and I knew that physically, after a long career, my body was telling me that enough was enough.

“I also knew that I didn’t want to go out like that, so with the help of my brother Seamus I decided to end my career on my terms and pulled the win out of the bag in the last few rounds. Deep down, I came to the realization on the night that it was probably going to be my last fight. I turn 34 (on Saturday) and, after much reflection, I have decided that following 24 years in the sport, over 80 amateur fights and 41 professional fights, it is time to hang up my gloves.”

“Fifteen years is a long time in professional boxing, and for me, it has been a real roller-coaster journey,” Macklin said. “I’ve had a great career but I know that now is the right time to bow out. I’m not the fighter I once was. Father Time catches up with us all eventually. I never wanted to do things the easy way or to be a big fish in a small pond. I wanted to know how good I was and test myself against the very best the sport had to offer, and I can proudly say I did that.

“I fought Sturm, Sergio Martinez and the best of them all, Gennady Golovkin. Most importantly, I fought them all in their primes. While I’m very grateful that boxing gave me such wonderful moments, it’s a sport that demands a lot of sacrifice. You miss out on a lot of things, so I’m excited to move on to the next phase of my life now. I’m happy with how I finished the Rose fight and conducted myself throughout my career.

“I’m proud of what I achieved, from winning national titles and a senior ABA title as an 18-year-old in the amateurs to winning Irish and British titles and becoming a two-time European champion as a professional. Sadly, I never managed to get my hands on that elusive world title but I should have done that night in Cologne (Germany) in 2011. I believe I was very unlucky to be on the wrong side of a bad decision to Felix Sturm.”

“There have be so many great nights, but I think the Sturm fight in 2011 — leaving aside the judges’ decision — was probably the best,” he said. “I had announced myself on the world scene in a great fight against one of the longest-serving world champions in the sport, and although we didn’t get the decision, we celebrated anyway because we knew who won the fight, and so did they.

“Another highlight has to be fighting future Hall of Famer, and then one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Sergio Martinez at the famous Madison Square Garden in 2012. The fact that it was St. Patrick’s Day made it all the more special, and I must admit to smiling hugely when I saw the HBO billboard in Times Square.”

“Finally, I want to thank all the fans that watched me and supported me throughout the years, many of them traveling far and wide to do so,” he said. “Without you, there would have been no journey. Thank you.”

Recently disposed WBO Super Middleweight champion, Arthur Abraham will be back in the ring on July 16 in Germany.

“I’m not ready to say goodbye to the sport I love so much,” Abraham (44-5, 29 KOs), 36, of Germany, said. “‘The fight with Ramirez did not go as planned, but I promise this will not happen again. I will show that I can do better and that I can become world champion again. That is my greatest wish.”

“I was not happy with Arthur’s performance against Ramirez, but I have decided to give the boy another chance,” Wegner said. “He did not do enough in Las Vegas to retain his title and call himself a champion. Now he must work harder and show that this was just a blip in his character.”

“Arthur has overcome many obstacles in his career — fighting through a broken jaw to defend his middleweight title against Edison Miranda (in 2006) and suffering defeat in the Super Six on his way to becoming a two-weight world champion.

“He has come back from defeat before, and we’re sure he can do it again. It’s now about his legacy and how he wants to be remembered as a boxer. He must show that the fire still burns and that he’s willing to put in the work to become world champion again.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Super Middleweight champion Giovanni De Carolis will defend his title against Tyron Zeuge on July 16 in Berlin, Germany.

“Tyron Zeuge is leading the way for a new generation of world-class German boxers, and by beating De Carolis, he can take his place among the best in the world,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Zeuge said. “Whether I’m ready for it, other people will have to judge. But one thing is for certain: On July 16 I will give everything to fulfill my dream of becoming world champion.”

A deal has been reached for a WBA Interim Heavyweight title bout between champion Luis Ortiz and Alexander Ustinov according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We have a deal in place with Frank Warren,” said Golden Boy Promotions vice-president Eric Gomez, referring to Ustinov’s promoter. “We have an agreement in principle, but nothing is signed. We are going to contract this week, and we will notify the WBA that we have a deal.”

“So we kept negotiating with Frank Warren, and we were able to come to an agreement,” Gomez said. “The fight will be on HBO, and we’re looking at August or September.”

“King Kong is ready, willing and able to fight anybody. He will fight anyone,” Gomez said. “We are looking forward to getting this fight with Ustinov on.”

LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez had none of the speed. None of the footwork. But he had one punch. It was enough and now he has it all.

Canelo’s power was summed up Saturday night in one mighty strike that sent Amir Khan bouncing off the canvas like a flat board off a concrete floor midway through a bout that re-asserted the Mexican’s ability to dictate what’s next. Who’s next.

As a statement, it was as definitive as it was dramatic. It showed just how quickly Canelo (47-1-1, 33 KOs) can turn things, everything and anything, in his favor. For weeks, there was a debate about a 155-pound catch weight for a bout that was his first defense of the WBC’s 160-pound title.

Five pounds here, five pounds there. The power is heavy on any scale. It landed, lightning bolt-like, just when it looked as if a major upset was brewing. Khan’s hand speed and agile feet were giving Canelo fits throughout the first five rounds. In the second round, a knot appeared on Canelo’s right cheek bone. But it was there long enough to become a critical target for Khan’s long and accurate jab.

“I was getting in the ring with a big guy,’’ said Khan, who was taken to a nearby emergency room for observation after the bout. “Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the end.’’

In one momentary lapse, Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) ducked and Canelo threw a right hand counter that landed like a bomb on a chin that has long been a target. At 2:37 of the sixth round, it was over in knockout in an HBO pay-per-view bout, the first at the new T-Mobile Arena.

The crowd went wild. For a few scary moments, Khan never heard the roar. He was out. The back of his head had bounced off the canvas at least once. A crowd of Nevada officials and corner men surrounded him like paramedics. They waved a white towel in what looked to be desperate attempt at getting him to regain consciousness. It looked like an accident scene.

All the while, Canelo paraded from one side of the ring to the other, celebrating his victory. He waved at Gennady Golovkin, who was in a ringside seat.

“i invited him into the ring,’’ Canelo said. “Like we say in Mexico: ‘We don’t f— around.’

“I don’t fear anyone. We don’t come to play in this sport. I fear no one in this sport.’’

When asked if he would fight GGG this year in a title defense mandated by the WBC, Canelo said he was ready.

“Right now,’’ he said. “Right now, I’ll put on the gloves.’’

That didn’t happen, of course. And there’s still doubt about whether it will happen later this year. Canelo has all the leverage, which means he could continue to demand a 155-pound catch-weight, even at the risk of having the WBC title stripped from his thick waist.

“Gennady, Gennady where are you?’’ Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya said from the ring after the bout. “We want to talk to you, talk to and your representatives tomorrow.’’

According to the WBC, Canelo has 15 days to negotiate a deal with GGG.

“I am old school,’’ Golovkin said before opening bell. “Middleweight is 160. I respect the sport of boxing.”

But Canelo holds the upper hand at the negotiating table, especially if the pay-per-view audience is anywhere near the one million mark.

For now, all of boxing’s respect and its perks are on Canelo’s side of the table. That’s power, too.
Attachments area

David Lemieux says it’s a beginning.

Frankie Gomez finally passed a test that will allow him to graduate from prospect to contender.

Curtis Stevens changed his nickname.

Diego De La Hoya has more than a legend’s last name. He has some speed and sting in his hands too.

Jason Quigley waved an Irish flag. Danced to Irish music.

Rashidi Ellis walked out of T-Mobile Arena the way he walked in.

It was a double debut.

Anthony Crolla scored a stunning 7th round stoppage over Ismael Barroso to retain his WBA Lightweight title at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

The bout headlined a seven bout telecast on AWE.

Barroso raced out and set a fast pace over the first four rounds.  Crolla was biding his time landing some good shots on the the middle of the ring and he started to take over on a fading Barroso towards the end of round five.  In round six, Crolla began to hurt Barroso and the Venezuelan challenger started to break down and seemed spent as he walked to his corner.  Crolla jumped on Barroso and landed a tremendous flurry of punches that put Barroso on the canvas for the ten count.

It was the second straight stunning knockout for Crolla on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment as he won his title with a knockout over Darleys Perez in November.

Crolla is now 31-4-3 with 13 knockouts.  Barroso is 19-1-2.

“What a day for boxing on AWE.  Once again, AWE had a stellar show that was headlined by a great knockout by Anthony Crolla.  We continue to put on exciting world title bouts and we should have some announcements about more great boxing action the coming months,” said AWE President, Charles Herring.

In the televised co-feature from Hamburg, Germany, Kubrat Pulev won the European Heavyweight title and an IBF Elimination Heavyweight bout by winning a 12-round split decision over Dereck Chisora.

Pulev controlled the action with quick combinations and Chisora was never able to get in a groove to land any hard power shots.

Pulev won by scores of 118-110  and 116-112.  Somehow a judge saw the fight for Chisora by 115-113.

Pulev is 23-1.  Chisora is 25-6.

Shayne Singleton stopped Anwil Anwar in round eight of their ten round welterweight contest.

Singleton looked like he was going to make it a quick and easy night as he dropped Anwar in round one from a left hook.  Anwar was able to steady himself and have success over the next handful of rounds by getting in some good right hands.  With the fight being on an even level, Singleton landed a big left that sent Anwar down in round eight.  Anwar was clearly hurt, and Singleton jumped all over him and the fight was quickly stopped at 1:37 of round right.

Singleton is now 23-1 with eight knockouts.  Anwar is 22-6.

Martin Murray tuned up for a June 25 showdown with George Groves by stopping an overmatched Cedric Spera in a scheduled 8-round Super Middleweight bout.

Murray dropped Spera with a left to the body in round two and finished him off with hard right that sent Spera down and out at 1:47 of round two.

Murray is now 33-3-1 with 16 knockouts.  Spera is 12-5.

Marcus Morrison scored a 2nd round stoppage over Jefferson De Souza in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Morrison dropped De Souza with a left hook in round one and the bout was stopped in the 2nd.

Morrison is now 11-0.  De Souza is now 16-2-2.

Hosea Burton scored a 4th round stoppage over Michal Ludwiczak in a scheduled 6-round light heavyweight bout.

Burton dropped Ludwiczak with a left hook in round three.  Burton scored another knockdown from a left hook in round four and the fight was stopped shortly after at 2:58.

Burton is now 16-0.  Ludwiczak is 13-4.

Tommy Coyle (22-3) won a decision over Reynaldo Mora (7-13-1) in a super lightweight bout via referee score of 59-55.

Philadelphia, PA (May 6, 2016)–Kermit Cintron pounded out a 6-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Flores in a junior middleweight bout.

Cintron was systematic with his punches and worked well to the body and head. Flores was a game opponent who tried and got in a few decent shots of his own.

In the end, Cintron a former world champion making his first start in 27-months, fought well and got some needed rounds in and won all cards by 60-54 scores.

Cintron of Reading, PA is now 36-5-2. Flores is 23-21-3.

Naim Nelson won a 6-round unanimous decision over Carlos Velasquez in a junior welterweight bout.

Nelson of Philadelphia won all cards 60-54 and is now 13-1, 1 NC. Velasquez of Managua, Nicaragua is 24-24-2.

Scott Kelleher thrilled the crowd with a three-round beatdown of Terrell James in a scheduled four round junior welterweight bout.

Kelleher landed hard power shots over the first two rounds as he dived up his punches between the body and head. Kelleher landed some vicious body shots in round three and assaulted James with a hard flurry in the corner until referee Blair Talmidge stopped the bout at 2:23 of round three.

Kelleher of Philadelphia is 5-0 with three knockouts. James of Philadelphia is 1-4-1.

Erik Spring won a 6-round split decision over Justin Johnson in a junior middleweight bout.

Spring controlled the bout, yet somehow Johnson took a card 59-55. That was overruled by 60-54 and 59-55 scores in favor of Spring.

Spring of Reading, PA. is now 7-1. Johnson of Pittsburgh is 6-12-4.

Aaron Brooks made a successful pro debut with a 4-round unanimous decision over Ryan Bivins in a battle of Philadelphia based super middleweights.

In round three, Brooks landed a couple of right hands that hurt Bivins and his glove ultimately touched the canvas for a knockdown. In the fourth round, another right hand hurt Bivins and he went down on a slow reaction.

Brooks won by scores of 40-34 twice and 39-36. Bivins falls to 0-2-1.

Thomas Velasquez scored a thudding second round stoppage over Grashino Yancy in a scheduled four round junior lightweight bout.

Velasquez landed a perfect left hook to the head that sent Yancy down in the corner. he could not beat referee Shawn Clark’s count at 1:39 of round two.

Velasquez, 131.4 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-0 with four knockouts. Yancy, 131.2 lbs of Staten Island, NY is 1-1

Tyrone Crawley Jr. pounded out a 4-round unanimous decision over Korey Sloane in a lightweight bout.

Crawley of Philadelphia won by 40-36 tallies on all cards and is now 5-0. Sloane of Philadelphia is 2-9-2.

Emmanuel Folly scored a stoppage after round one of his scheduled 4-round featherweight bout with Bryan Perez.

Perez injured his hand and the bout was stopped in the corner.

Folly of Philadelphia is 7-0 with five knockouts. Perez of Carolina, PR is 2-4-1.

Amir Shabazz won a 4-round unanimous decision over Tahlik Taylor in a Lightweight bout.

Shabazz scored a knockdown in round one from a right hand.

Shabazz, 174.4 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 39-36 on all cards and is now 4-0. Taylor, 174.9 lbs of Freeport, NY is now 1-4.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the July 23 HBO PPV fight between WBO 140 lb champion and WBC titleholder Viktor Postol is now set for Las Vegas.

“It’s a very good matchup, the best you can make in the junior welterweight division,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “What it really is is a fight for supremacy in the division. I’m very pleased with it, and I think it will be a very competitive fight.”

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140 pounds,” Crawford said.

Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager, said he was pleased to get Crawford such a meaningful fight.

“This is a great fight, and Terence will prove he’s not only the best 140-pound fighter in the world but that he is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world,” he said.

Said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager: “We are going to show the world how basic Postol really is and that he got very lucky against (Lucas) Matthysse.”

“I have asked for this fight for some time,” Postol said. “I am very confident, and this will be a great fight for me. I want to thank my promoters, Elite Boxing and Top Rank, for making this fight a reality for the fans.”

Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager, said he believes the fight is about as even a matchup as one could ask for.

“This fight is pay-per-view view material because no one knows what to expect,” Kornilov said. “Both guys are 28-0. Either one of these guys can win and go on to become the next star in the division. It’s the type of fight fans don’t get to see often these days.”

In one undercard bout, newly minted WBO Super Middleweight champion, Gilberto Ramirez will take on Dominick Britsch.

Badou Jack retained the WBC Super Middleweight title via a dubious 12-round majority draw with former IBF champion Lucian Bute

Bute was cut around the right eye in round three from an elbow.  It seemed like Jack controlled the first ten rounds with superior boxing ability and worked the body.  Bute worked hard but he didn’t seem to make the imprint that Jack was making.  It looked like Jack was get to the finish with a comfortable decision but two judges saw it differently as they saw it 114-114.  Jack deservedly won a card 117-111.

Jack, 167.4 lbs of Stickholm, SWE is now 20-1-2.  Bute, 167 lbs of Laval, CAN is 32-3-1.

“Let’s unify the decision and see who the best is,” DeGale said to Jack in a post-fight interview moderated by SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray.

“I’m ready in September, ready in August,” responded Jack.” “I’m ready whenever. Let’s do it where it makes the most sense financially.”

“Bullshit, but is what it is. Ask Bute as well, he knows what time it is,” said Jack, who landed nearly 100 more punches than Bute, including 61 percent of his power punches, and 40 percent total of his total shots. “His punches weren’t hurting me. I feel I won the fight. Maybe I lost the last round. He’s a great guy and a great champion, but I know I won the fight.

“It’s not Bute’s fault, it’s the judges. People saw I won the fight.”

“It was a close fight,” said Bute, who connected at just a 21 percent rate with his total punches. “Believe me, it was very close fight. My last fight with DeGale was very close, tonight was a very close fight. I showed everyone I’m still at the top.”

James DeGale retained the IBF Super Middleweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over Rogelio Medina.

DeGale won on skills as he landed a the sharper punches but Medina pressed the action and stayed in the chest of DeGale.  DeGale fought well as he showcased some nice upper cuts as Medina worked the body effectively.

DeGale, 167.6 lbs of Harlesdon, UK won by scores of 117-111 twice and 115-113.  Medina, 167.8 lbs of Hermosillo, MX is 36-7.

“The boxing skills are too good,” DeGale said. “If I’m being honest, he’s a very strong fighter, but skills pay the bills. I watched this guy years ago and he didn’t have the engine like that. He’s gotten better and stronger in the last year and a half.

“I’m a bit disappointed – I should be taking out people like Porky Medina, no disrespect to him.

“I’m always learning in the gym. My inside work, my defense, my concentration. I’m going to go back to the gym, I’m going to work and I’ll be ready in September.

“I want Badou Jack. I want a fresh name on my record.”

“The boxing skills are too good,” DeGale said. “If I’m being honest, he’s a very strong fighter, but skills pay the bills. I watched this guy years ago and he didn’t have the engine like that. He’s gotten better and stronger in the last year and a half.

“I’m a bit disappointed – I should be taking out people like Porky Medina, no disrespect to him.

“I’m always learning in the gym. My inside work, my defense, my concentration. I’m going to go back to the gym, I’m going to work and I’ll be ready in September.

“I want Badou Jack. I want a fresh name on my record.”

Anabel Ortiz made the seventh defense of the WBA Minimumweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Katia Gutierrez at the Interview with San Fernando Gymnasium in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.

Ortiz won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 20-3. Gutierrez is now 19-7.

Pedro Campa stopped former world champion Jose Alfaro when Alfaro stayed on his stool and took a count as the fifth round started.

Campa, 140 lbs is now 21-0 with 17 knockouts. Alfaro, 140 lbs is now 28-10-1.

Andre Berto avenged his first professional loss as he stopped Victor Ortiz in round four of their scheduled 12-round Welterweight bout.

In round one, a clash of heads caused a cut on the hairline of Ortiz,  In  round two, Ortiz dropped Berto with a straight left.  In round four, Berto dropped Ortiz with a straight right hand.  Ortiz was in trouble and took punishment on the ropes and a hard uppercut put Ortiz on the canvas for a second time.  Ortiz was if he wanted to continue by referee Jack Reiss but Ortiz didn’t answer and the fight was stopped at 1:14 of round 4

Berto of Winter Haven, CA is 31-4 with 24 knockouts.  Ortiz of Ventura, CA is 31-6-2.

Thomas Williams Jr. scored the biggest win of his career when he scored a stunning 2nd round stoppage over Edwin Rodriguez in a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout.

It was a firefight from the word go, as both guys landed huge bombs that had each other rocked and hurt on several occasions.  Just before the end of the 2nd frame, Williams nailed Rodriguez with a booming right hook that sent Rodriguez to the canvas.  Rodriguez got to his feet, but was wobbly and referee Wayne Hedgepeth stopped the bout at 2:59 of round two.

Williams, 177 lbs of Laurel, MD is now 20-1 with 14 knockouts.  Rodriguez, 177 lbs of Worcester, MA is 28-2.

Jorge Lara took out former world champion Fernando Montiel by registering 4 knockdowns in a just over a minute of their Featherweight bout.

Lara dropped Montiel seconds in with a right hook.  Montiel was wobbly when he got up and was dropped two more times with right hooks.  He was allowed to continue after the third knockdown only to be leveled with anrother rght hook and he went down face first and the fight was stopped at 1:37.

Lara, 124 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 28-0-2 with 20 knockouts.  Montiel, 126 lbs lbs of Los Mochis, MX has seen better days and his record now stands at 54-6-2.

Good looking Super Middleweight prospect David Benavidez stopped Phil Jackson in round two of their scheduled eight round bout.

Benavidez systematically beat down Jackson over the first round and a half until he landed a uppercut and shot to the body that softened Jackson up for a follow up left hook that sent Jackson down face first and the fight was stopped at 2:07.

Benavidez of Phoenix, AZ is now 14-0 with 13 knockouts.  Benson is now 16-3.

Gerald Washington remained undefeated by scoring a 8-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Eddie Chambers.

Washington of Los Angeles won by scores of 8-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 17-0-1.  Chambers of Philadelphia is 44-3.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 30, 2016) – Olympic Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) defeated Australia’s Blake Caparello (22-2-1, 6 KOs) by unanimous decision (98-91 X 3) in a 10-round super middleweight attraction in the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike main event from the Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In a bout that started off with a lot of back and forth action, Caparello struck first with a left in the second round that sent Dirrell to the canvas.

“The knockdown I got in the second round felt good,” said Caparello. “I knew I had him hurt, but I wasn’t able to capitalize on it.”

Caparello again got Dirrell against the ropes and seemingly into a bit of trouble with a similar left in round three, but eventually Dirrell settled in and managed to gain control of the fight.

Dirrell said, “My focus, determination and my drive got me the win tonight. I know I’ve got more work to do, but I never stopped grinding in there tonight.”

Caparello continued to go to work and battle, but it was clear who the ring general was from the close of the third round and until the final bell rang.

Dirrell exclaimed, “I wanted to send the boxing world and this whole division a message. I’m coming for anyone with a belt. I’ll take on anyone who’s a champion. I know I’ll be a world champion. I have to be a champion. I don’t slow down for anyone. I’m going to keep pushing to get where I’m going.”

On his struggles in the later rounds, Caparello said, “I continued to look for the same left hand all night, it just didn’t come again. Andre has a lot of tricks, he is both good and fast. I am not happy with my performance.”

Dirrell concluded, “Tonight my brother and I were both able to display our talents in front of a national audience on Spike. Anthony is strong as an ox and got the win quickly tonight. I got the win on determination and heart. I had to use my toughness in this fight, and I pushed myself as hard as I could to get the win.”

In the second televised bout of the evening, former world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (29-1-1, 23 KOs) met former world title challenger Caleb “Golden” Truax (26-3-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight affair.

The former 168-pound titleholder Dirrell got off to a quick start, scoring two knockdowns in the first round, causing referee Harvey Dock to stop the fight at just 1:49 into the first round.

Dirrell said of the dominating performance, “What helped me tonight was landing my shots early. I was right on top of him with combinations and controlling my jab and that set the tone. I showed tonight that I work hard in the gym, and it paid off. If I work like I did this time leading up to the fight, then I know nobody can beat me.”

A stunned Truax said, “Everything was great leading up to the fight. I don’t know what happened tonight. He just caught me early. I think it was an overhand right.”

Reflecting on what the victory means for his struggling hometown, Dirrell said, “My work tonight inside the ring made a big statement for what my brother and I are doing outside of the ring. A lot of people were watching tonight, and now they know a little bit more about what’s going on with the Flint Water Crisis back home.”

The opening televised bout featured undefeated knockout artist Jonathan Guzman (21-0, 21 KOs) continuing his hot streak in a 12-round super bantamweight title eliminator against Mexico’s Daniel Rosas (20-3, 12 KOs).

Guzman, an unbeaten fighter out of the Dominican Republic and now training in Massachusetts, stabilized early and easily controlled the action in the second half of the fight.

Guzman said, “I used a lot of concentration early and let him make errors so I could see what he was planning to do. Once I saw the mistakes he was making I let my hands go.”

Rosas was stunned in the third round, but Guzman was unable to close on a wobbled Rosas. In the fifth round, Guzman landed a left that knocked Rosas back and followed it with another, dropping Rosas just before the bell.

“I wanted to let him throw some punches early. It helped me gain confidence and learn his tendencies,” said Guzman. “I saw him dropping that right hand, and I knew it would open up the opportunity for me to land my left.”

Rounds six and seven saw Rosas take a pummeling, but miraculously stay on his feet. At the end of the eighth frame, Guzman dropped Rosas for a second time, and again Rosas was saved by the bell.

However, referee Benjy Esteves had seen enough and stopped the fight following the close of round eight.

When asked about the stoppage, Rosas said, “The Ref stopped the fight. I thought the fight should have continued, but he decided to stop it.” Rosas continued, “(Guzman) knocked me down, but I kept on fighting. I was never hurt. Guzman is a strong fighter, but I felt I could have continued and come back in the rest of the rounds.”

Eddie Ramirez scored a 2nd round stoppage over Osumanu Akaba in a scheduled 8-round Super Lightweight bout.

Ramirez, 139.8 lbs of Aurora, IL is now 13-0 with 9 knockouts. Akaba, 143.2 lbs of Prichard, AL is 32-10-1.

Anthony Young won a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Rodriguez in a Welterweight bout.

In round two, Young landed a flush left that sent Rodriguez to the canvas.

Chris Thomas scored a first round stoppage over Jessie Singletary in a scheduled four-round Middleweight bout.

Thomas dumped Singletary with a jumping right had that supplanted him on the canvas and the fight was stopped at 2:26.

Thomas, 165.6 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 2-0 with 1 knockout. Singletary, 163.8 lbs of Washington, DC is 0-2.

Abraham Nova made a successful pro debut by stopping Weusi Johnson in the first round of their Super Lightweight bout.

At the end of round one, Nova landed a vicious right that sent Johnson to the canvas. Johnson got to his feet but referee David Fields stopped the bout at 2:56.

Nova, 131.6 lbs of Baintree, MA is now 1-0 with one knockout. Johnson, 128.4 lbs is 1-1.

Luther Smith remained perfect by winning a 4-round split decision over Solomon Maye in a Heavyweight bout.

Smith, 211 lbs of Washingtin, DC won by scores of 39-37 for Maye, 39-37 for Smith and 40-36 for Smith and is now 5-0. Maye, 224.2 lbs of New Haven, CT is now 1-6-1.

Chordale Booker remained undefeated by scoring a 2nd round knockdown over Tolutomi Agunbiade in a scheduled 4-round Super Welterweight bout.

In round one, Booker dropped Agunbiade with a straight left. In round two, Booker dropped Agunbiade with a body and referee Earl Brown reached the cunt of ten at 1:41 of round two.

Booker, 152.6 lbs of Brooklyn is 2-0 with two knockouts. Agunbiade, 153.2 lbs of Wichita Falls, TX is 3-7.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the WBC won’t sanction any fights in Ontario, Canada, citing safety issues.

The WBC said it has tried to communicate with the Ontario Athletic Commission but has had little luck in persuading it to follow the norms of boxing, which call for weigh-ins to take place the day before fights rather than the morning of fights.

“The WBC considers the Ontario Athletic Commission’s boxing regulations to be dangerous for the participants,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said. “Accordingly, the WBC has pleaded with the OAC to comply with the established world safety standards applicable to professional boxing.

“The OAC conducts its official weigh-in ceremony the very day of the fight. There is ample medical evidence that the OAC’s weigh-in practice is dangerous and can be detrimental to the health and safety of the fighters. Ontario also limits the amount and length of material that can be used to wrap the hands of the boxers. Again, that practice goes against the widely accepted standards around the world.”

“He is bedridden at St. Michaels Hospital ?in Toronto,” Sulaiman said.

Sulaiman said there were “several irregularities” related to the bout, including that Herrera was allowed to travel from Mexico to Toronto “without the required permit from the competent Mexican authorities.”

“While Mr. Herrera fights as a cruiserweight, the OAC licensed him to fight in the lower light heavyweight division,” he said. “Therefore, he was forced to lose a substantial amount of weight the day of the fight. At this point, it is uncertain whether the event’s promoter had medical insurance. That is one of several facts that are being investigated.”

Gennady Golovkin retained his IBF/WBA/WBC Interim Middleweight titles with an emphatic 2nd round blowout over Dominic Wade at the Forum in Inglewood, California

Golovkin dropped wade with a right to the top of the head.  The knockdown came at the end of the round.  In round two, it was inevitable as Golovkin drilled Wade with a couple of left’s followed by a right and Wade went to the canvas for a 2nd time.  Seconds later Golovkin ended Wade’s night when he landed a big right to the jaw and Wade crumpled to the canvas.  He could not and would not beat referee Jack Reiss’ count at 2:37 of round two.

Golovkin, 159 lbs of Karaganda, KZ made his 17th defense and registered his 22nd straight knockout.  He is now 35-0 with knockouts.  Wade, 159.6 lbs Largo, MD is 18-1.

Roman Gonzalez retained the WBC Flyweight title with a comfortable unanimous decision over McWilliams Arroyo.

Arroyo started off being competitive, but Gonzalez picked up the pace as early as round two and dived up hit shots to the head and body.  Arroyo was game but he was no match for the constant pressure of the undefeated champion.

Gonzalez, 111.4 lbs of Minagua, NIC won by scores of 120-108 and 119-109  and is 45-0.  Arroyo, 111.6 lbs of Fajardo, PR is now 16-3.