Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing presented the 23rd installment of the popular “Rockin Fights” series before another sellout crowd this past Saturday at The Paramount in Huntington, NY.

The main event saw Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith (21-1 17KO Mastic, NY) continue his rampage through the Light Heavyweight division, scoring a 2nd round TKO over the very game Fabiano Pena (16-5-1 12KO Los Angeles, CA) in a scheduled 10 round contest. Smith came out with a purpose at the opening bell stalking Pena behind a hard left jab. Pena did his best to try and fend him off but Smith’s relentless pressure continually backed Pena into the ropes allowing Smith to score with hard combinations. The 2nd round saw Smith land hard lefts and rights to the head and body of Pena. Pena tried answering back with wild overhand punches but Smith remained composed and his defense was tight. The non-stop action continued and near the end of the round, Smith caught Pena flush on the chin with a tremendous left hook which rocked him. Smith seized the opportunity and unleashed a barrage of 20 some odd punches on his opponent forcing referee Eddie Claudio to step in and stop the fight at 2:25 of round 2. Smith has now reeled off 15 straight wins with 10 of them by way of knockout.

Promoter Joe DeGuardia had this to say about Smith’s performance “Joe Smith looked sensational tonight against a very game, experienced opponent. I think Joe is ready to take on virtually anyone in the Light Heavyweight division and I have full confidence in Joe being in a huge Light Heavyweight fight in the very near future”.

When Joe isn’t knocking out opponents in the ring he knocks out concrete as a member of Local 66 Laborers Union.

The chief support of the card saw the “Battle for Backyard Bragging Rights” and the vacant NY State Jr. Welterweight title was up for grabs as Hicksville’s Anthony Karperis (12-2 4KO) defeated Huntington’s Alan Gotay (8-3 4KO) over 10 fast paced rounds. Each fighter brought a large contingent of fans, who were very vocal throughout this action packed contest. Karperis was the sharper of the two fighters as he boxed and effectively countered the ever charging Gotay. There were many exciting exchanges between the two local fighters but in the end Karperis came away with a decision, winning by scores of 98-92 on two cards and 100-90 on the third.

Daniel Gonzalez stopped Carlos Aguilera in round five of their scheduled 8-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

The bout was stopped at 3:00 of round five due to a cut for Gonzalez, 139.6 lbs of Woodhaven, NY is now 11-0-1 with 5 knockouts.  Aguilera, 140 lbs of Minagua, NIC is 8-16.

Patrick Day won a 6-round unanimous decision over Courtney Pennington in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Day, 154.2 lbs of Freeport, NY won by scores of 59-55 twice and 58-56 and is now 12-2-1.  Pennington, 154.2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 8-3-1.

Michael Stoute won a 4-round majority decision over Jonel Lorenzo in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Stoute, 121.8 lbs of Coram, NY won by scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38 and is now 2-0.  Lorenzo, 122 lbs of Newark, NJ was making his pro debut.

Sergio Pettis won a unanimous decision over Chris Kelades in a Flyweight bout.

Pettis, 126 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 14-2.  Kelades, 126 lbs of Cole Harbour, CAN is 9-3.

Danny Roberts won a three round unanimous decision over Dominique Steele in a Welterweight bout.

Roberts won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 13-1.  Steele, 171 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 14-7.

Former Strawweight world champion Carla Esparza won a unanimous decision over Juliana Lima.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for Esparza, 116 lbs of Irvine, CA and she is now 11-3.  Lima, 115 lbs of Brazil is 8-3.

James Vick remained perfect by winning a unanimous decision over Glaico Franca in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 twice for Vick, 155 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 9-0.  Franca, 156 lbs of Brazil is 13-4.

Walt Harris scored an explosive 1st round stoppage over Cody East in a Heavyweight bout.

Both guys landed hard shots until Harris landed a big left that sent East to the canvas.  Harris landed several flush blows and the fight was almost stopped several times until two more hard shots landed on the face of East and the fight was stopped at 4:35.

Harris, 255 1/2 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is 8-4.  East 245 1/2 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 12-2.

Marcos Rogerio De Lima made Clint Hester tap in the first round of their Light Heavyweight bout.

De Lima landed hard shots before getting Hester in an arm triangle and he tapped at 4:35 of round one.

De Lima, 205 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 14-3-1.  Hester, 205 lbs of Atlanta, GA is 11-6.

Kevin Lee won a unanimous decision over Efarin Escudero in a Lightweight fight.

Lee, 156 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 12-2.  Escudero, 155.5 lbs of Tempe, AZ is 24-11.

Nonito Donaire made the first defense of the WBO Jr. Featherweight title with a 3rd round stoppage over Zsolt Bedak in Cebu City, Philippines.

In round two, Donaire landed a hard left hook that sent Bedak to the canvas.  Bedak had a bloody nose when later in the round he took another left to the top of the head and he was sent to the canvas for a second time.  In round three, Donaire landed a little right hand that was ruled a knockdown by referee Russell Mora.  Upon getting to his feet, Mora deemed Bedak unable to continue and the fight was stopped at 2:44 of round three.

Donaire is now 37-3 with 24 knockouts.  Bedak of Hungry is now 25-2.

Paul Fleming shook off a first minute knockdown to comeback and win a 10-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Gonzalez in a Super Featherweight bout.

Gonzalez landed the first punch of the fight to the top of Fleming’s head that sent the Australian to the canvas.  Fleming came back to box his way and take most of the remaining rounds and won by scores of 97-92 twice and 96-93.

Fleming of Sydney, Australia is now 22-0.  Gonzalez of Guadalajara, MX is 22-8-1.

Mark Magsayo remained undefeated by stopping former world title challenger Chris Avalos in round six of their scheduled 12-round Featherweight bout.

In round two, Magsayo rocked Avalos several times from right hands.  In round three, Avalos was able to gather himself and land a big left hook to the head that sent Magsayo to the canvas.  In round five, Magsayo rocked Avalos again with a left hand that had the American wobbling all over the ring.  In round six, Magsayo came out looking for the stoppage and he got it by landing two hard left hooks that hurt Avalos and Avalos  corner threw in the towel at 1:55 of round six.

Magsayo is now 14-0 with 11 knockouts.  Avalos is now 26-5.

Jon Jones 205 – Ovince Saint Preaux 205
(UFC Interim Light Heavyweight Title
Demetrious Johnson 125 – Henry Cejudo 125
(UFC FLYWEIGHT TITLE)
Anthony Pettis 156 – Edson Barboza 155
Robert Whittaker 185.5 – Rafael Natal 186
Yair Rodriguez 145.5 – Andre Fili 146
Sergio Pettis 126 – Chris Kelades 126
Danny Roberts 170.5 – Dominique Steele 171
Carla Esparza 116 – Juliana Lima 115
Glaico Franco 156 – James Vick 155
Walt Harris 255.5 – Cody East 245.5
Marcos Rogerio de Lima 205 – Clint Hester 205
Efrain Escudero 155.5 – Kevin Lee 156

WBO Jr. Welterweight champion, Terence Crawford has signed on to fight Viktor Postol in a unification bout on July 23, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Crawford had signed, and everything is virtually resolved with Postol,” Arum said. “There are a couple of little issues we have to iron out, but the big stuff is done. The money is done.

“The reason these little issues are not resolved yet is because [manager] Vadim [Kornilov] has to get our take on things and then go back to Elite Promotions and get their take,” Arum said, referring to Postol’s Ukrainian co-promoter. “It takes some times. There’s a language barrier. But it’s nothing of any serious consequence. All the major terms have been agreed to.”

“I told them they can go to the Nevada commission and ask for two neutral judges, but we can’t tell the commission who to appoint,” Arum said. “They’ll understand that. It will get worked out. We want fair judging.”

A former lightweight champion and the 2014 fighter of the year, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, will be making his third 140-pound title defense. Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), 32, of Ukraine, will be making the first defense of the world title belt he won in upset fashion by knocking out Lucas Matthysse in the 10th round on Oct. 3 in Carson, California. Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager, confirmed to ESPN.com that Crawford signed the contract.

“He signed, and it’s a terrific fight,” Dunkin said. “I’m glad he is fighting. Postol is the toughest guy out there in the division, and not only do you get Postol, but you also have to go up against his trainer, Freddie Roach, one of the best in the business. But I believe in my guy. I believe he’s the best fighter in the world right now, and we win this fight and move on to bigger and better things.”

“We expect a few thousand people to make the trip from Omaha to Las Vegas for the fight,” Arum said.

Kenny Bayless has been appointed to referee the May 7th bout between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Appointed to serve as judges on the fight were Adalaide Byrd and Glenn Trowbridge, both from Las Vegas, and Connecticut’s Glenn Feldman, all of whom have extensive world title experience.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the April 9 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley generated between 400,000 and 500,000 Pay Per View buys.

“It will be somewhere between those numbers, 400,000 and 500,000. It’s all being added up, but it will be closer to 400,000 than 500,000. Terrible,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum.

Yes, it loses money,” Arum said. “It was not one of our big successes. It happens. We’re big boys. Do I feel good about it? No.”

“Certainly the pushback from Manny’s gay remarks killed us,” Arum said. “It hurt us a lot. But I think it was also less a reaction to the match than a reaction to the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. It was a reaction like Mayweather got. Mayweather also got punished [by consumers].”

Bryant Cruz won an 8-round unanimous decision over Moises Delgadillo in a Lightweight bout at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, New York.

In round two, Cruz landed a perfect right that made Delgadillo’s glove hit the canvas for a knockdown.

Cruz, 132.8 lbs of Port Chester, NY won by scores of 80-71, 79-72 and 77-75 to raise his mark to 17-1. Delgadillo, 132.4 lbs of Jalisco, MX is 17-15-2.

Noel Murphy remained undefeated by winning a 6-round unanimous decision over Ariel Vasquez in a Welterweight bout.

In round five, Murphy dropped Vasquez with a straight left.

Murphy, 144.8 lbs of Woodlawn, NY won by scores of 60-52 on all cards and is now 6-0. Vasquez, 145 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 11-13-2.

Cruiserweight Stivens Bujaj remained undefeated by stopping Harvey Jolly in round three of their scheduled six round bout.

In round two, Bujaj landed a nice combination in the corner that dropped Jolly to a knee. In round three, Bujaj landed a hard right hand that sent Jolly down for a second time. Halfway through the round, Bujaj landed a perfect uppercut that sent Jolly down again and the fight was over at 1:51.

Bujaj, 193.6 lbs of New York is now 15-0-1 with 10 knockouts. Jolly, 197.8 lbs of Nashville, TN is 15-24-1.

Billel Dob won a 8-round majority decision over Jose Salinas in a Lightweight bout.

Dib, 132.6 lbs of Sydney, Australia won by scores of 79-73, 77-75 and 76-76 and is now 19-1. Salinas, 132 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 9-2-1.

Wesley Ferrer scored a second round stoppage over Luis Alberto Pelayo in a scheduled six-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

In round one, Pelayo was cut over the left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round two, Ferrer dropped Pelayo with a left hook. Ferrer landed nine more punches and referee Johnny Callus stopped the bout.

Ferrer, 137.6 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 11-0 with six knockouts. Pelayo, 137.6 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 12-7-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, an IBF elimination bout between undefeated’s Errol Spence and Konstantin Ponomarev will be ordered for the mandatory shot against champion Kell Brook.

First, however, the camps — promoter Tom Brown on behalf of Spence and Top Rank’s Carl Moretti on behalf of Ponomarev — have to negotiate a deal. If they don’t make one, the IBF will order a purse bid.

“We were notified about the eliminator and we let Ponomarev’s management know about it,” Moretti told ESPN.com. “We are interested in the fight, so let’s see where it goes. We’ll explore it for sure and while Spence is a great prospect, we feel confident that Konstantin would do very well against him.”

Luis Cruz and Ivan Redkach battled to a 10-round split decision in a Lightweight bout at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

In round two, Cruz landed a nice one-two that sent Redkach to the canvas.

In round eight, Redkach started to bleed under the right eye. Just seconds later, Redkach landed a booming left that sent Cruz to the canvas. Redkach scored another knockdown in round nine, when he landed a right hook to the top of the head. Crus boxed well throughout but the second knockdown could have been disputed as replays showed it was more of a cuffing shot behind the head.

The disputed knockdown cost Cruz as the each guy won a card 94-93 while a third card read 94-94.

Redkach, 135.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 19-1-1. Cruz, 134.9 lbs is 22-4-1.

In a Middleweight slug-fest, Immanuel Aleem remained undefeated by pounding a 8-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Cepeda

In round two, Aleem landed a short left hook that opened up a cut over the right eye of Cepeda. Cepeda showed tremendous heart by absorbing an astonishing amount of flush shots (272-107 punch stat advantage for Aleem). Cepeda hung tough and landed some solid punches of his own, but it was not enough as Aleem won by scores of 79-73 on all cards.

Aleem, 158.9 lbs of Richmond, VA is 16-0. Cepeda, 160.4 lbs of New York, NY is 17-2.

In a battle of undefeated Middleweights, Junior Castillo won an 8-round unanimous decision over Kyrone Davis

In round four, Castillo landed a hard left that sent Davis to the canvas. Both guys landed heavy shots with Castillo landing the more effective blows.

Castillo, 157.8 lbs of Houston, TX won by scores of 78-73, 77-74 and 76-75 and is now 10-0. Davis, 158.2 lbs of Wilmington, DE is 10-1.

Former Middleweight & Super Middleweight world champion, Felix Sturm has tested positive for a banned substance following his title winning fight with Fedor Chudinov on February 20th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’ve been tested hundreds of times in my career and always the results were negative,” said Sturm, who has been tested as a professional as well during an amateur career that culminated with an appearance in the 2000 Olympics. “The fact that after two months such news comes and the [Germany boxing commission] wasn’t informed — how can this be? I will bring in the lawyers and open the ‘B’ sample.”

“At first I was shocked,” Sturm told the German news agency SID. “This is all very strange. I was tested hundreds of times tested in my career, with both blood and urine samples. There has never been anything and I have an absolutely clear conscience. I did not work 26 years for this. I always like to fight in the ring like a lion.”

WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN.com that the status of Sturm’s world title will remain unchanged until such time that the ‘B’ sample test comes back positive.

“[Sturm] will exercise his right to open the ‘B’ sample,” Mendoza said. “I will let every boxer and his team make their defense cases. However, reviewing the past cases all boxers who tested positive have being stripped.”

Former world junior welterweight champion Mike Alvarado will take on Josh Torres on June 25 in Dallas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Henry Delgado, Alvarado’s manager and co-trainer, told ESPN.com on Monday that Alvarado has been clean and sober for a little over a year, and “he’s doing everything right. This is the first time he’s really training seriously since the [Mauricio] Herrera fight. That’s why I’m looking forward to see this Mike fight again.”

“Mike finally has his life together, and he’s taking care of business. He recently got married, and he’s doing great,” Delgado said. “He won a world title in spite of everything he was doing. Imagine Mike clean and focused 100 percent? Now he beats me to the gym, and I have to tell him to slow down and take it easy sometimes so he doesn’t kill himself in the gym.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undefeated Featherweights Julian Ramirez and Abraham Lopez will be the televised co-feature to the much anticipated showdown between WBC Super Featherweight champion Francisco Vargas’defense against Orlando Salido at StubHub Center in Carson, California and on HBO.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.com on Monday that the rumored fight has been finalized.

“These are two of our young, undefeated kids and they fight in the same weight class as two of our other prospects in the same weight class,” De La Hoya said, referring to his nephew, Diego De La Hoya, and 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph Diaz. “So, eventually, the winner will be facing off with one of those fighters. At some point we want to match them all up.”

“It’s an action fight,” De La Hoya said. “Both guys don’t how to take a step backwards. Both guys have good punching power. Both guys throw a lot of punches, so it should call for an exciting fight. Neither of these guys hesitated when we said we wanted to make this fight. We strongly feel with developing these kids in L.A., there’s a like a turf war going on. They want to prove they are the best in Los Angeles in that weight class and they will have the chance.”

WBA Heavyweight champion Lucas Browne says he passed a polygraph test that should help prove that he knowingly did no take any banned substances for his fight with Ruslan Chagaev on March 5th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I am pleased that the polygraph test confirmed that I am telling the truth,” Browne said. “The result is not a surprise to me as I have always said I am a clean athlete. I know I arrived in Grozny a clean athlete and I know I did nothing wrong when I was there.

“It should never be forgotten that I requested the VADA testing for the fight. Whilst the result is not a surprise to me, I consider this test another step towards proving my innocence. I remain grateful for the ongoing support of the public, my manager and my promoter. Together we are fighting this injustice.”

“I have been saying since it happened I am 100 percent behind Lucas,” Hatton said. “The whole thing just doesn’t stack up. The results of the lie detector test don’t surprise me at all. Lucas knows he didn’t do it, I know he didn’t do it and now we have a test conducted by experts that confirms he is telling the truth.

“We will keep going and do all that we can do to prove his innocence. Matters are in the hands of the lawyers and the WBA.”

Chris Van Heerden won a 10-round majority decision over Steve Claggett in a Welterweight bout at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It appeared that Claggett may have got the better of the action but Van Heerden got the nod by tallies of 97-93 twice and 95-95.

Van Heerden of South Africa is now 24-2-1. Claggett of Calgary, CAN is 23-4-1.

Neeco Macias remained undefeated by scoring a 8-round unanimous decision over Limberth Ponce in a Super Welterweight bout.

Macias won by scores of 79-73 on all cards and is now 12-0. Ponce is 10-3.

Welterweight Malik Hawkins stopped Errol Sidney Jr. in the final scheduled round.

Hawkins landed a right to the body that sent Sidney to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:02.

Hawkins of Baltimore is 7-0 with six knockouts. Sidney of New Orleans, LA 6-2-2.

Felix Verdejo remained perfect by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Rodriguez in a Lightweight bout at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Verdejo won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 21-0. Rodriguez is 18-9.

Christopher Diaz won a 8-round unanimous decision over Ray Ximenez in a battle of undefeated featherweights.

Diaz of Barrinquita, PR won by scores of 80-72, 78-74 and 77-75 and is now 16-0. Ximenez of Dallas, TX is 13-1.

Errol Spence Jr. scored the highest profile win of his career as he stopped former world champion Chris Algieri in round five of their scheduled ten round Welterweight bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Soence dropped Algieri in round four from a straight left hand. Spence came out and sent Algieri with another left hand. Spence finished Aligiero off with a barrage of punches on the ropes that was capped off by a left to the jaw that sent Algieri down for a third and final time and referee Benjy Esteves stopped the bout at 48 seconds of round five.

Spence of DeSoto, TX is 20-0 with 17 knockouts. Algieri is 21-3.

Krysztof Glowacki retained the WBO Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former two-time champion Steve Cunningham

In round two, Glowacki dropped Cunningham with a counter right. Cunningham went down seconds later from a right to the head. In round six, Cunningham was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt.

In round two, Glowacki landed a short right that sent Cunningham to the ground. Glowacki iced the bout with a straight left hand to the body that sent Cunningham to the canvas for a fourth time. Cunningham had some good moments in the fight as he rocked the champion with several hard right hands but it was not enough as Glowacki won by scores of 116-108 and 115-109 twice.

Glowacki is 26-0. Cunningham is 28-8-1.

In a battle of previously undefeated Light Heavyweights, Marcus Browne had to squeak by with a 8-round split decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic.

Browne dropped Kalajdzic in round one from a straight left.

In round six, Kalajdzic dropped Browne with a short right hand.

scores were 76-74 Browne, 76-74 for Kalajdzic and 76-75 for Browne.

Browne is now 18-0. Kalajdzic is 21-1.

IBF #15 super-featherweight ranked contender, Mario Barrios, remained undefeated with a dominating unanimous decision victory over Edgar Gabejan (26-33-6, 9 KOs) a veteran of over 500 ronds, improving his record to (15-0, 8 KOs).

Barrios, who hails from San Antonio, TX, came out guns blazing, dropping Gabejan in round one. Towering over his opponent, Barrios, who stands over six feet tall, used his height and reach to perfection as he landed precise punches throughout the remainder of the fight. Gabejan made it to the final bell but was severely beaten up. Scorecards read 80-71 across the board, all in favor of Barrios.

This marks the first fight for Barrios in 2016. With the win, Barrios hope to get back in the ring as soon as possible. A world title fight by the end of the year is what Barrios has is mind set on.

“I’m happy with my performance tonight,” said Mario Barrios. “My opponent showed a lot of heart making it to the final bell. Going the full eight rounds was great experience for me. I feel I’m improving with each fight and I’m hoping by the end of the year I’ll be ready to challenge any of the champions in my division.”

Luis Nery won a 10-round unanimous decision over Martin Casillas in a Bantamweight bout at Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City.

Nery scored a knockdown in round one from a body shot. He scored another knockdown in round four.

Nery, 118 lbs of Tijuana, MX won by scores of 100-88, 99-89 and 98-90 and is now 19-0. Casillas, 118 lbs of Mexico City is 15-7-1

Jose Zepeda won a 10-round unanimous decision over Pedro Navarrete in a super lightweight bout.

Zepeda registered a knockdown in the final frame with a body shot and he went on to win by scores of 98-92 ans 97-92 twice.

Zepeda, 137 1/2 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 25-1. Navarrete, 137 1/2 lbs of Zampragon, MX is 29-22-3.

Michael Chiesa scored a 2nd round chokeout over Beneil Dariush in a Lightweight bout.

The bout was stopped at 1:20 of round two.

Raquel Pennington scored a split decision over Beth Correia in a Bantamweight bout.

Pennington won two cards 29-28 while Correia won a card 29-28.

John Dodson made quick work of Manvel Gamburyan in a Bantamweight bout.

Dodson ran out and landed a hard left that rocked Gamburyan and he followed it up with a barrage of flush punches and the bout was stopped at 28 seconds.

Nikolay Potapov and Stephon Young battled to a 10-round draw in a bantamweight bout at The Turning Stone Resort Casino.

Potapov won a card 96-94 but that was overruled by two scores that were 95-95.

Potapov, 117 lbs of Russia is 14-0-1. Young, 116 1/2 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 14-0-3.

Mason Menard scored a scary third round stoppage over previously undefeated Eudy Bernardo in a scheduled 8-round lightweight bout.

In round two, Menard landed a hard right that sent Bernardo to the canvas. In round three, Menard landed a huge right that sent Bernardo down viciously with Bernardo’s head bouncing off the canvas and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:11.

Menard, 135 lbs of Raine, LA is now 31-1 with 23 knockouts. Bernardo, 135.5 lbs of the Dominican Republic us 21-1.

In a battle of undefeated Cruiserweights, Constantin Bejenaru won a 8-round unanimous decision over Alexey Zubov.

In round seven, Zubov landed a little right hand that sent Bejenaru to the canvas.

Bejenaru, 198 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 78-73 twice and 77-74 and is now 11-0-1. Zubov of Russia is 10-1.

Featherweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko will move up in weight to challenge WBO 130-lb world champion Rocky Martinez on June 11 in Madison Square Garden, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, Lomachenko’s promoter, is in Puerto Rico this weekend for lightweight prospect Felix Verdejo’s fight Saturday night, and while he’s there, he met Friday with Martinez and Peter Rivera of Puerto Rico Best Boxing Promotions, Martinez’s promoter, to work out the details.

“We worked things out, and the paperwork was sent out this evening,” Moretti told ESPN.com. “Rocky came up to my room after the Verdejo weigh-in, and it was myself, Rocky, Peter, and we got [Top Rank chairman Bob Arum] on a conference call, and we ironed everything out.”

“Earlier in the week, Rocky didn’t agree to the terms, so we didn’t know if he was going to, so we had to look for an alternative, and Fortuna was on the list,” Moretti said. “I want to thank Fortuna and his promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, for their professionalism. Perhaps Fortuna can fight the winner of this bout in the future.”

“The edict from Lomachenko and Egis is they only want meaningful fights,” Moretti said. “In today’s world, that is not that easy. He wanted to unify world titles at 126 pounds. If he wins this title at 130, he will want to unify those titles. Lomachenko is looking for the biggest challenge he can get every time out, and if that means fighting in another weight class for a world title, that’s what he will do.”

“Egis said whoever it is, Lomachenko just wants to fight for a title at 130. We preferred Rocky because the fight is on the Puerto Rican parade weekend,” Moretti said.

“Martinez obviously has the home-field advantage with the fight being on the Puerto Rican parade weekend, and he’s a veteran with a good right hand,” Moretti said. “It’s a great step up for Lomachenko, given that Martinez beat Salido and Salido beat Lomachenko. So we’ll see where this goes. If Lomachenko wins, it just will add to the list of accomplishments he has and will clearly establish him as the best fighter between 126 and 130 pounds.”

Former four division champion Adrien Broner has been jailed in Ohio on a parole violation, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

He will serve a 10-day jail sentence.

In July 2015, Broner was sentenced to six months’ probation in connection to a drunken driving arrest. Broner later entered a plea of no contest to reckless driving and was given probation.

Broner, 26, appeared in court Tuesday morning, pleaded guilty to the probation violation and began serving his sentence.

World Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin has landed a coveted endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’m very happy to be sponsored by Jordan and to join their other great athletes,” said Golovkin, who is also sponsored by technology giant Apple and has appeared in its national ads for the Apple Watch.

“We are excited to add Gennady to the Jordan Brand family,” Jordan Brand president Larry Miller said. “Gennady’s work ethic, dedication to his craft and style make him a perfect fit.”

K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter, who helped negotiate the deal, told ESPN.com they worked on the deal for more than a year before finalizing it last week and announcing it Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed.

“They flew him up to [company headquarters in] Portland, Oregon, twice while we were working on this,” Loeffler said. “When we were going through who would be the right athletic wear company for him, it was Gennady’s dream to sign with Jordan Brand because Michael Jordan was one of the athletes he held in high regard. He associated the Jordan Brand athletes with being the best on the court.”

“There is definitely financial and product compensation in this deal, but more important is the marketing campaign,” Loeffler said. “They want to have an international marketing campaign also. They see his popularity in the U.S. and overseas. They see his international appeal.

“He’s a good ambassador for the sport of boxing and for their brand. When you have the combination of being that exciting in the ring and being such a likable and respectful person outside the ring, that’s the type of athlete they want represent their brand.”

LAS VEGAS – If it was a farewell fight, it will be remembered for how Manny Pacquiao kept the good in bye.

Pacquiao flashed some moments of his best days as a fighter, knocking down Timothy Bradley twice and scoring a unanimous decision in a one-sided fight Saturday night that left no questions, other than perhaps why these welterweights ever had to fight three times.

Pacquiao’s speed and power began to assert their superiority in the fourth and left Bradley looking resigned and even somewhat demoralized after knockdowns in the seventh and again in the ninth. The second knockdown, the result of wicked left hand from Pacquiao, nearly set Bradley head over heels.

Above all, Pacquiao’s victory provided further evidence of just how wrong those scorecards were when Bradley won a split decision in 2012.

In the immediate aftermath of hearing the scores 116-110 on all three cards, there wasn’t much celebration from Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), who won a clear-cut decision in a 2014 rematch. If anything, he was subdued, uncertain perhaps about what he’ll do next.

He’s a Filipino Congressman. He faces an election for his country’s Senate on May 9. It looks as if he is moving into his life after boxing.

“Yes, I am retired,’’ he said in the middle of the ring. “I want to go home and spend time with my family and serve the people.’’

If the crowd of 14,665 at the MGM Grand represented his people, they want him to serve by continuing his ring career. They cahnted “Manny, Manny”” from round to round. They stood and applauded through the final minute of the bout. Their roaring affection for him could make it very hard for him to stay retired.

Meanwhile, Bradley (33-2-1, 13 KOs) seemed to have as much affection for him as anyone. Pacquiao invited him to payer meeting Sunday morning and, according to a publicist, Bradley was planning to go.

They smiled and embraced like old buddies after the final bell. The loss leaves uncertainty about his career. He said he would discuss what to do next with wife and manager Monica.

“I can still fight,’’ Bradley said.

He can, but not against Pacquiao anymore.

Mexico 3, Trump 0

The No Trump Undercard was Bob Arum’s way of expressing his opposition to presidential candidate Donald Trump’s controversial comments about Mexicans and the Republican front-runner’s promise to build a wall along the United States’ southern border.

It was a message that needed a follow-up.

The follow-up was delivered, a three-punch combo, before the Pacquiao-Bradley main event.

Three bouts featured fighters of Mexican descent. All three won with power and precision that could have knocked down just about any old wall.

Gilberto Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs) became the first Mexican to win a super-middleweight title by scoring a shutout, 120-108 on all three scorecards, over Germany’s Arthur Abraham (44-5, 29 KOs) for the WBO’s version of the 168-pound title.

Two-time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez (19-0, 17 KOs), who began boxing in Tucson, put himself in line for a shot at a world featherweight title by throwing the best left from a fighter with Arizona roots since Michael Carbajal for a fourth-round TKO of Evgeny Gradovich, who calls himself the Mexican Russian. After Valdez dropped him, Gradovich (21-2-1, 9 KOs) looked like neither. He only looked finished

Super-lightweight Jose Ramirez (17-0, 12 KOs) , a 2012 U.S. Olympian who fights for water conservation in central California when he isn’t fighting in the ring, punished Manny Perez (25-12-1, 6 KOs) of Denver in a sustained beating throughout 10 rounds for a 97-93, 98-92, 99-1 decision.
Best of the Undercard

Oleksandr Gvozdyk calls himself The Nail. Nadjib Mohammedi knows why.

Gvozdyk (9-0, 7 KOs), a Ukrainian light-heavyweight and a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, nailed him with straight right that dropped Mohammedi (39-5, 24 KOs), face-first and unconscious, onto the canvas at 2:06 of the second round.

Mohammedi speaks French. Jay Nady gave the 10-count in English. Didn’t matter. Mohammedi never heard it.

The Rest

Welterweight Egidijus Kavaliauskas (13-0, 11 KOs), a Lithuanian training at Robert Garcia’s gym in Oxnard, Calif., was better in every way, scoring a unanimous decision over Deniz Ibay (15-1, 9 KOs) of Germany

Youth was served with German teenager Leon Bauer’s unanimous decision over Russian super-middleweight Hshat Khusnulgatin (12-2, 6 KOs) in a bout that set one record. The 17-year-old Bauer (8-0, 6 KOs) was 10 days younger than Jose Benavidez Jr. was in his in 2010 debut.

There was a second helping of youth with another 17-year-old, Las Vegas super-featherweight Devin Haney (4-0, 2 KOs) winning a unanimous decision over Puerto Rican Rafael Vazquez (2-5)

Russian welterweight Konstantin Ponomarev (30-0, 13 KOs) stayed unbeaten, but keeping that 0 intact was tough and controversial in a 10-round split decision over Brad Solomon, a Lafayette, LA fighter who left the ring once beaten.

According to Dan Rafael of espn, Cruiserweights Murat Gassiev and Jordan Shimmell will meet in a Cruiserweight elimination bout on May 17 in Carlton, Minnesota.

“I have seen Jordan Shimmell in the ring, and I feel like this is a good fight for me,” Gassiev said. “I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring after the mistake I made last fight. I’m going to be real sharp on May 17, and I will not disappoint.”

“I’m excited to get back in the ring and fight in another televised bout,” he said. “I know I’m in there with a tough, strong opponent, but with my skills and ability, it shouldn’t be a problem. As long as I fight smart and do the things I’ve been training to do, I will come out with the win.”

In other televised bouts, Miami’s John Wesley Nofire (19-0, 15 KOs), 29, and Joey Abell (31-9, 29 KOs), 34, of Champlin, Minnesota, will meet in an eight-round heavyweight fight. Javontae Starks (13-1, 7 KOs), 27, of Minneapolis, will face Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs), 28, a 2008 Cuban Olympic bronze medalist based in Miami, in an eight-round junior middleweight bout.

“In light of Frampton’s announced intention to face an opponent other than his mandatory and for failing to respond to WBA inquiries as to his intent, Frampton’s recognition as champion is removed,” WBA championships chairman Gilberto Jesus Mendoza said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia and promoter Top Rank have parted ways following a 28-month standstill.

“All parties came to a mutual agreement,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com. “Details of that agreement are a confidential matter. We all move on and do what we do.”

By Norm Fraueheim-

LAS VEGAS – Timothy Bradley stepped onto the scale and gestured as if to say there wouldn’t be any surprises

There weren’t.

At a weigh-in without an ounce of the unexpected, Bradley and Manny Pacquiao both came in under the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for their third fight Saturday in an HBO pay-per-view bout at the MGM Grand.

Bradley, his face a serene mask of confidence and his upper body sculpted like an ancient statue, came in at 146.5 pounds. Pacquiao, a little less sculpted yet smiling as he always has, was one pound lighter at 145.5.

There was no trash talk. No threats. History stood between them and perhaps in front of them. Roberto Duran was there, holding a WBO belt specially made for the occasion.

Pacquiao was to his right, Bradley to his left. After posing for the requisite photographs, they turned and left Duran, standing alone with the belt and alone in his undisputed place among history’s all-time greats.

For Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) and Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs), history isn’t the issue. Only Saturday night is. For them, it’s one last chance to settle some of the questions that have been there since Bradley’s controversial victory by split decision in their first meeting in 2012.

It’s a chance for Bradley to prove that maybe it wasn’t quite as controversial as everybody thought it was four years ago. For Pacquiao, it’s a chance to put a final punctuation point on what is perceived to be a rivalry, despite his clearcut decision in their first rematch. The Filipino can prove, once and for all, that he has always been the better fight.

“I have a lot to prove,’’ Pacquiao, a slight favorite, said Friday in what has become a refrain throughout the last few weeks.

Enough proof might be a definitive reason for him to walk away, say farewell, to a career that has already made its own share of history in the ring and for the Philippines. He’s a Congressman and candidate for his country’s Senate. There’s talk he might be president one day.

On Saturday, however, the current Congressman, would-be Senator and wanna-be President only hopes to be the winner.

Bradley, who has endorsed him as politician, is confident that the canvas-covered district between the ropes will belong to him this time around

“Got to get ready for tomorrow, baby,’’ Bradley said. “I think there are going to be a lot of disappointed fans out there.’’

Bradley was talking to Pacquiao’s constituency, a deeply loyal crowd whose faith in him as a Filipino icon remains unshaken by his controversial comments about gays in February.

Questions linger, of course. At opening bell, the biggest one will be about Pacquiao’s right shoulder.

He underwent surgery for a reported muscle tear after a disappointing loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May. How strong is the shoulder? Pacquiao’s promoters say he has fought with the tear since his 2008 victory over Oscar De La Hoya. There are questions about why he didn’t undergo surgery then.

If he had undergone surgery earlier, would he have avoided his long knockout drought? He hasn’t scored stoppage since 2009.

“I don’t know,’’ Pacquiao said.

The guess is that Bradley will test the surgically-repaired shoulder often and early. But the other guess is that Bradley could encounter twice as much power and from more angles from Pacquiao now than he did before surgery.

There are a lot of guesses now. In the end, maybe there’s a surprise.

HBO’s pay-per-view telecast is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with junior-welterweight Jose Ramirez (16-012 KOs of Avenal, Calif., against Manny Perez (25-11-1, 6 KOs) of Denver. Ramirez was 138 pounds and Perez was 137.5 Friday.

The telecast’s second bout features Mexican featherweight Oscar Valdez (19-0, 16 KOs) of Nogales against ex-IBF champion Evgeny Gradovich (21-1-1, (KOs) of Russia. Valdez was 125 ½ pounds, Gradovich 126.

The third televised bout features WBO super-middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (44-4, 29 KOs) of Berlin against Mexican Gilberto Ramirez (33-0, 24 KOs). Both were at 168 pounds Friday.

Former four-division champion, Adrien Broner surrendered to Cincinnati Police following his arrest warrant for alleged assault in January, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

According to Hamilton County online records, Broner was taken into custody at 9:32 a.m. ET Monday.

Earlier Monday, Broner posted a message on his Instagram and Twitter accounts about turning himself in. About 2½ hours later, he had been freed on $100,000 bail and tweeted, “They let me out y’all.”

Broner is scheduled for his arraignment on Tuesday morning at the Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati, where he will be asked to enter a plea, Julie Wilson, chief assistant prosecutor and public information officer for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, told ESPN.com.

On Friday night, the 26-year-old Broner knocked out England’s Ashley Theophane in the ninth round in a dominant performance in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C., which Broner considers a second home.

Francisco Santana won a 10-rouund unanimous decision over Ed Paredes in a Super Welterweight bout at the Oceanview Pavillion in Port Hueneme, California.

Santana, 147 1/2 lbs won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 24-4-1. Paredes, 148 lbs is 36-6-1.

Xavier Martinez remained undefeated by stopping Gabriel Gutierrez in round four of their scheduled 6-round super lightweight bout.

Martinez dropped Gutierrez in round’s three and four and the bout was stopped at 2:00 of round 4.

Martinez, 130 3/4 lbs is now 6-0 with three knockouts. Gutierrez, 132 lbs is 3-2.