PHOENIX – It was a heavyweight main event. But a lightweight stole the show.

Victor Castro, an emerging Phoenix prospect, displayed poise and precision, a combo that overwhelmed Ivan Zavala and offset ranked heavyweight Charles Martin’s sloppy stoppage of Raphael Zumbano Love Saturday night at Celebrity Theatre.

With junior-featherweight legend Israel Vazquez as his trainer, Castro (14-0, 7 KOs), moved forward with tactical skill and a patient awareness. Zavala never had a chance.

Castro dropped Zavala (6-9-2, 2 KO), of Tijuana, with a body shot in the second round and finished him with a right hand at 2:45 of the third.

It wasn’t exactly clear who, where or when Castro would fight next. But a main event in the next Iron Boy Promotions card might be a good bet.

The cheers from a near-capacity crowd quickly turned into boos for the heavyweights. Martin (20-0-1, 18 KOs), the World Boxing Organization’s fifth-ranked heavyweight, gained an early advantage. But he could never get any leverage on his punches until an exhausted Love (35-10-1, 28 KOs) finally collapsed in the 10th.

Martin threw a succession punches, shoved Love into the ropes and then continued punching until Love went to his knees, finished aty 1:47 of the 10th and final round. Love got up and smiled. It was as if he was relieved that it had ended. Everybody else was.

On the Undercard

The Best: Phoenix junior-featherweight Francisco C De Vaca danced and smiled. Bled a little, too. In the end, he also won, scoring a unanimous decision over Saul Hernandez (6-6, 4 KOs) in an entertaining six-round bout.

De Vaca, who had former Oscar De La Hoya trainer Robert Alcazar in his corner, suffered a bloody nose in a toe-to-toe exchange midway through the third. It seemed to wake him up.

De Vaca mocked Hernandez with a wicked smile. He waved him in for another exchange. He dropped his hands. He also landed most of the punches, displaying unique precision from a variety of angles for a 60-54 advantage on one card and 59-55 on the other two.

The Rest: Albuquerque featherweight Jesus Pacheco (2-5) overcame hometown judges and fans, using patience and precision to score a majority decision over Edgar Brito (3-1-1, 2 KOs) of Phoenix.

Welterweight Daniel Garcia (2-0) of Surprise, Ariz., was no surprise, doing what he does best in outworking Stephan McCray (0-6) for a unanimous decision.

Albuquerque welterweight Brian Mendoza (4-0, 2 KOs) got in four rounds of solid work, winning a unanimous decision while dropping Javier Rivera (0-1) of Yuma, Ariz., onto his back with a quick counter in the second round of a one-sided bout.

Featherweight Jose Herrera (1-0, 1 KO) was a knockout in his debut, overwhelming Fernando Alvarez (0-1) of New Mexico with a stinging succession of punches for a stoppage at 1:26 of the first round.

San Diego, CA – February 28, 2014- Carl Frampton made the first defense of the IBF Super Bantamweight title with a 5th round stoppage over American mandatory challenger Chris Avalos in front of a sold out crowd of nearly 10,000 at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The championship bout was televised on AWE-A Wealth of Entertatinment.

After a clinch in round two, Frampton drilled Avalos with a left hook while Avalos thought there was a time out. That shot split Avlaos’ lip. Frampton continued to land hard one-two combinations. Frampton showed some battle scars as he started to develop a a mouse around the right eye.

In round five, Frampton rocked and buckled Avalos all over the ring until a hard right hurt Avalos and referee Howard Foster saved a noticeably hurt Avalos at 1:33 of round five.

Frampton, 121.9 lbs of Belfast is now 20-0 with 14 knockouts. Avalos, 122 lbs of Lancaster, CA. is now 26-3.

“It;s unbelievable. This place is my home. I knock out people when I fight here,” said Frampton.

Said Frampton’s promoter, former world champion and Hall of Famer, Barry McGuigan, “I said this before, this is the best Super Bantamweight in the world. People think its (Guillermo) Rigondeaux, but Carl is. He is a sensational fighter and over the next couple of years, we will prove that.”

Next up for Frampton could be a mega-showdown with WBA Super Bantamweight champion Scott Quigg in what would be a major domestic showdown with world wide implications.

“I want it, It’s a huge fight.”, said Frampton.

Said Quigg, who was sitting ringside, “It was a good performance. Avalos was game. I want the fight. The British people want the fight.”

McGuigan finished by saying, “I am sure Scott would come here. He has to remember who is the real champ and who packs arenas. We will compromise on some issues.”

Dillian Whyte scored a 4th round stoppage over Beka Lobjanidze in a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout.

Whyte landed a hard left to the side of the head that sent Lobjanidze to the canvas and he was unable to beat the referee’s count at 1:10 of round four.

Whyte, 247 lbs of London is now 14-0 with 11 knockouts. Lobjanidze, 228 lbs of the Georgia Republic is now 10-1.

Viktor Plotnykov scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Denton Vassell to capture the IBF Intercontinental Welterweight title.

In round ten, Plotnykov landed a big right that sent Vassell to the canvas. In round twelve, Vassell started to bleed from his nose and inside his mouth. Later in the round, Plotnykov landed another hard right that sent a hurt Vassell to the ropes and was ruled a second knockdown.

Plotnykov, 146.4 lbs of Ukraine won by scores of 118-108 twice and 115-111 and is now 32-2. Vassell, 147 lbs of Manchester, England is now 21-3.

Anthony Cacace won a 8-round decision over Santiago Bustos in a Super Featherweight bout.

In round three, Cacace landed a left and right that was followed by a shove by Cacace that sent Bustos to the canvas but it was a ruled a knockdown.

Cacace, 132.4 lbs of Belfast won by a 80-71 tally and is now 11-0. Bustos, 130.2 lbs of Spain is now 7-5.1

The show kicked off with a battle of unbeaten Featherweights that saw Conrad Cummings get a 6-round decision over Roberto Palenzuela by the score of 60-54.

Cummings is now 6-0. Palenzuela is now 3-0-1.

Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, CenturyLink Prism TV channel 470 and 1470 and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez as well as Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD and CenturyLink Prism TV channel 470 and 1470. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

It was a fight filled with good back and forth action that saw Cano get the best of the exchanges and buckle Abreu several times. Cano was cut around the right eye in round eight

Diego De La Hoya won an 8-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Manuel Roman in a Super Bantamweight bout.

De La Hoya landed some crisp shots that caused Roman to begin to bleed from his nose as early as round six.

De La Hoya, 121 1/2 lbs of Mexicali, MX won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 9-0. Roman, 122 lbs of Parmount, CA is now 17-4-3.

Heavyweight Taishan scored a 4-round unanimous decision over Roy McCrary.

Taishan, 282 lbs of Beijing, CHN won by scores of 40-34 twice and 39-35 and is now 3-0. McCrary 269 lbs of Memphis, TN is now 3-3.

Cletus Seldin scored a 5th round stoppage over Johnny Garica in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Welterweight bout at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, NY.

It was a competitive fight early until Seldin landed a hard right that buckled Garcia. Garcia was buckled several times in the round. Seldin rocked Garcia repeatedly in round five and continued to pour on the punishment against a game Garcia. Garcia did well to stay on his feet but took many flush power shots until the bout was stopped at 2:29 of round five.

Seldin, 139.2 lbs of Huntington, NY is now 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Garcia, 139.4 lbs is 19-3-1.

Raymond Serrano scored a 10-round majority decision over Jeremy Bryan in a Welterweight bout.

At the end of round two, Bryan landed a right to the jaw that sent Serrano to the canvas. Serrano evened up the knockdown count by landing a lopping right that he followed up with a left that sent Bryan sprawling to the deck.

In round six, the two clashed heads that caused a cut on the left side of Serrano’s forehead.

Serrano, 145 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 97-91 96-92 and 94-94 and is now 21-2. Bryan, 145 lbs of South Carolina is now 17-6.

Daniel Gonzalez won a 6-round unanimous decision over Ken Alvarez in a battle of undefeated Jr. Welterweights.

In round three, Gonzalez was cut over the right eye.

In round four, Gonzalez sent Alvarez to the canvas from a left hook. Gonzalez scored a 2nd knockdown in the final seconds of round six when he landed a right to the side of the face that was followed by a left hook.

Gonzalez, 140.4 lbs of Woodhaven, New York won by scores of 59-53 and 58-54 twice and is now 8-0-1. Alvarez, 140 1/2 lbs is now 6-1-2.

Ronda Rousey 135 – Cat Zingano 134.5
(Women’s bantamweight title)
Holly Holm 135.5 – Raquel Pennington 135.5
Josh Koscheck 170.5 – Jake Ellenberger 171
Alan Jouban 170.5 – Richard Walsh 171
Tony Ferguson 156 – Gleison Tibau 155
Mark Munoz 187.25 Roan Carneiro 184.5
Kid Yamamoto 136 – Roman Salazar 135
Dhiego Lima 170 – Tim Means 170
Derrick Lewis 263 – Ruan Potts 253
James Krause 155 – Valmir Lozaro 155.5
Masio Fullen 145 – Alexander Torres 145.5

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Unbeaten American heavyweight Charles Martin (19-0, 17 KOs) faces Raphael Zumbano Love (35-9-1, 28 KOs) of Brazil Saturday night Celebrity Theatre in the main event of a 10-fight card staged by Iron Boy Promotions.

Martin, of St. Louis, is ranked No. 5 by the World Boxing Organization. He won a national Police Athletic League title in 2012.

The Iron Boy card also will feature promising Phoenix lightweight Victor Castro (13-0, 6 KOs), who is trained by junior-featherweight legend Israel Vazquez. Castro is scheduled to fight Ivan Zavala (6-8-2, 2 KOs) of Mexico. First bell is scheduled for 5 p.m. (MST).

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will arrive in Los Angles on before his expected March 8 arrival for his May 2 mega showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

“Manny called me and said it’s been so crazy in the Philippines that he is going to come over here early and probably start at Wild Card on March 2,” Roach told ESPN.com on Thursday. “Having him early is really nice for me. We’ll have Justin Fortune doing strength work with him, and then we’ll begin the boxing part and start sparring.”

Roach will not be at the gym for the first several days after Pacquiao’s arrival because he is going to Macau on Friday. Roach will be with two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (6-0, 1 KO) for his bid to win a flyweight world title from Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs) on March 7 at the Cotai Arena.

With Pacquiao coming to camp early, Roach initially told him he was going to stay in California and have assistant Marvin Somodio, who has been training Shiming in Shanghai, finish camp and run the corner.

However, Roach said that Pacquiao “insisted that I go help Shiming. Manny said, ‘I can train for a few days by myself and with the staff.'”

So Somodio will fly from China to Los Angeles to oversee the first few days of Pacquiao’s camp at Wild Card.

“Manny told me I should be with Zou because he knows how important this fight is for him,” Roach said. “The thing is, Manny is that type of guy. He cares about other people. He knows Shiming has a better chance to win if I’m there with him.”

“I’m very happy, and I’m very confident we will win the fight,” Roach said. “I have a good game plan for Manny, and I’ve altered the game plan some over the last five to six years since this fight has been something everyone wanted to see. I’ve made adjustments to it since both guys are a little older. I’m watching tape on their last two fights each.

“They’re not the same as they were five years ago, but it’s a winnable fight for us if we fight the right fight. This is the biggest fight of my life. There’s a lot of pressure, but I’m not going to be nervous. Pressure is good. I want to perform, and I want my fighter to do the best he can.

We just need to have the right strategy to beat this solid fighter,” Roach said. “Mayweather is a slick guy, and he is not the easiest guy in the world to fight. He’s undefeated for a reason. He’s very smart. The thing is we have to attack him a lot and have that ring generalship, and Manny has to work on cutting off the ring. Everything will come together. Manny and me have already been talking about the strategy. Once he gets here, he knows what I want from him.”

Roach said he already has two sparring partners lined up for Pacquiao in 21-year-old pros Kenneth Sims Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs), a junior welterweight and former amateur standout from Chicago, and Rashidi Ellis (13-0, 10 KOs), a welterweight out of Lynn, Massachusetts, both of whom he said have worked out at Wild Card and caught his eye.

“They arrive on March 8,” Roach said. “I’m very impressed with their talent. I know they’re young guys, but they’re good. They have that Mayweather look a little bit. I have four other guys in mind for later on in camp.

“There’s a lot riding on this fight. It’s a big one. It’s exciting. People are congratulating me that we got the fight. I said, ‘Don’t congratulate me now. Congratulate me when we win it.'”

Lucas Matthysse’s April 26 knockout over John Molina was named The Fight of The Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

They will be honored on April 24 in New York along with previously announced Fighter of the Year Terence Crawford.
• International Boxing Hall of Famer Freddie Roach won his record seventh Eddie Futch trainer of the year award after a 2014 in which his most notable accomplishments were leading Miguel Cotto to the middleweight championship and Manny Pacquiao to two victories. Roach also won the award in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013.

“Words cannot express how much winning an award with Eddie Futch’s name on it means to me,” said Roach, who was trained by the Hall of Famer during his boxing career and was later his assistant. “I’d like to thank the BWAA for this honor. My name may be on the plaque, but I am just a representative of the collective hard work and dedication from the most talented and hardest-working fighters and assistant trainers in the world. It is a privilege to work with them.”

• Al Haymon, boxing’s most powerful person, was voted winner of the Cus D’Amato manager of the year for a record fourth time and the third year in a row. Haymon’s stable of includes more than 180 fighters, including many of the sport’s biggest names.

• Promoter Dan Goossen was posthumously voted winner of the Marvin Kohn Good Guy award. Goossen died on Sept. 29 at age 64 after a short battle with liver cancer.

“It just hurts that he’s not here,” said Tom Brown, Goossen’s brother-in-law, who was his right-hand man at Goossen Promotions and took over running the family business after he died.

“He was an honorable, honest, good guy in a business where it’s not easy to have that kind of personality. There’s no one more deserving. There is so much going on with the game that he’d be so excited about. It’s just hard to talk about it. We all loved him so much.”

• Heavyweight contender and former cruiserweight titleholder Steve Cunningham and his wife/manager, Livvy Cunningham, were selected as co-winners of the Bill Crawford courage award for the grace they showed as their 9-year-old daughter, Kennedy, who has had heart problems since she was born, underwent a heart transplant in December.

“This shows that boxing, which is supposed to be such a heartless sport, has a humane side and that there are really good people who do care about others,” Steve Cunningham said. “We know the boxing world knows our struggle, and they can feel for us.

“I looked at Kennedy, and just as she was about to undergo the surgery, I asked if she was OK, and she said she was fine — and we were about to break down. I’ve always said that she’s so much tougher than me, and I take punches for a living.”

Said Livvy, “It’s an amazing honor, and it shows how much the people in boxing have been behind us through this whole thing. It’s really been heartwarming and inspiring. Kennedy has helped us through everything. Even on the worst day, you look at this 9-year-old girl and you cringe at what’s she’s going through and how strong she is. We had to rise to the occasion and show that there weren’t any cracks in our armor and forge forward. We got a lot of support through the boxing community. Kennedy is a very special girl.”

• Former HBO Sports president Seth Abraham, who helped build the network into a boxing powerhouse in the 1980s and ’90s, will receive the Sam Taub award for excellence in broadcast journalism.

• Jack Hirsch, who left office on Dec. 31 after serving six terms as BWAA president, will receive the John F.X. Condon award for long and meritorious service to boxing.

• Longtime New York Times sports columnist Ira Berkow won the A.J. Liebling award for outstanding boxing writing.

• In previously announced award winners, lightweight champion Terence Crawford was voted the Sugar Ray Robinson fighter of the year, and journalist Mark Whicker, a sports columnist for various outlets in Southern California for nearly 30 years, will receive the Nat Fleischer award for lifetime excellence in boxing journalism, an award voted on only by past winners.

Former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr. will return to the ring on March 6 against Willie Williams in a Cruiserweight bout in Charlotte, North Carolina according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.

“What I am doing is staying busy because Marco Huck said he will fight me in the fall,” Jones told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “I ain’t no spring chicken and I need to be properly prepared to fight Huck. If I get that fight it will probably be my last stab at (a world title) and then I’d call it a day. But I want to make sure I am ready as can be.”

“He said he would love to give me the opportunity,” Jones said. “He is going to fight a fight and I’m gonna fight once or twice and make sure I am right and ready to fight. He said he would fight me in the fall, toward the end of the year. He’s the champ so I need to wait until he’s ready. But I want to make sure I am ready.”

“If you don’t have a goal you can’t fight,” Jones said. “So I decided to go for the cruiserweight title. That’s my new goal and has been for a little bit. I won a lot of titles but I never won the cruiserweight title or tried to win it. Now I have a goal. Without a goal, there ain’t no sense in fighting.”

“I know Marco Huck is a totally different animal,” Jones said. “That’s why I want him. If I beat Marco Huck I’ve done something. Marco Huck is my man. I don’t pay no mind to the critics.

According to Dan Rafael, Lightweight titlist Terence Crawford has been named 2014 Fighter of The Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

“It’s a surprise to me because that’s something I never thought I’d be able to accomplish,” Crawford said. “Now that it’s happened, it kind of feels like it’s not real. But I will say that my performance in the ring on those three nights last year brought the best out of me.

“I was as sharp as I could be. Everything fell into place at the right time, and I’m looking for a big year again in 2015.”

“I’m going to continue taking the biggest and best fights out there. I don’t want to take no step down,” said Crawford, a native of Omaha, Nebraska. “I want to prove I’m the best fighter in and around my division and one of the best in any division. To be great, you got to set your sights on the Pacquiaos and the Mayweathers. Those are the kind of guys I want to fight and beat.

Frank Mir knocked out Antonio Silva in the 1st round of their scheduled 5-round Heavyweight bout in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Mir landed a huge shot that knocked Silva to the ground and quickly landed two crushing shots while Silva was on the ground and the fight was stopped.

Mir, 261 lbs of Las Vegas is now 17-9. Silva 264 lbs of Brazil is now 18-7-1.

Michael Johnson scored a unanimous decision over Edson Barris Jr. in a Lightweight bout.

Johnson, 155 lbs of Boca Raton, FL won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 16-8. Barros, 156 lbs of Brazil is now 15-3.

Sam Alvey scored an explosive 1st round stoppage over Cezar Ferreria in a Lightweight bout.

Alvey got hit with a back elbow but in the process he landed a perfect right and left that sent Ferreria to the canvas. He then landed two more shots on a prone Ferreria and the fight was stopped at 3:34.

Alvey, 186 lbs of Temecula, CA is now 25-6. Ferreria, 186 lbs is now 8-4.

Adriano Martines scored a 3-round split decision over Rustam Khabilov in a Lightweight bout.

Martines, 156 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 29-28 on two cards while Khabilov won a card 29-28.

Martines is now 2707. Khabilov, 156 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 17-3.

Santiago Ponzinibbo scored a 3-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sean Strickland in a Welterweight bout.

Both guys landed heavy blows and each had their nose bloodied.

Ponzinibbio, 171 lbs of Rio de Jeaneiro, BRA won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 21-2. Strickland, 171 lbs of Corona, CA is now 15-1.

Marion Reneau scored a 1st round tap out over Jessica Andrade in a Bantamweight bout.

Andrade landed a right hand that sent Reneau to the ground but Reneau was able to get Andrade in a triangle choke. Reneau landed a few shots while on the ground that bloodied the nose of Andrade. Shortly after, Reneau was able to lock in the choke and Andrade tapped out at 1:54.

Reneau, 134 lbs of Visalia, CA is now 6-1. Amdrade, 135 lbs of Rio de Janiero, BRA is now 12-4.

Matt Dwyer scored a shocking 1st round stoppage over William Patolino in a Welterweight bout.

Dwyer landed a “Superman Punch” right hand on the temple and knocked off the equilibrium off of Patolino and he fell face first to the canvas and the bout was stopped after one landed punch by Dwyer at 3:14.

Dwyer, 170 lbs of Keloina, BC, CAN is now 8-2. Patolino, 168 lbs of Rio de Janeiro, BRA is 7-3

Mike De La Torre punched out Tiago Trator in the first round of their Featerweight bout.

De La Torre dropped Trator with a left hook and then connected with seven unanswered blows while Trator was on his back and the bout was stopped at 2:59.

De La Torre, 146 lbs of Glendale, AZ is now 13-4. Trator, 146 lbs of Rio de Janeiro, BRA is now 19-5-2.

Douglas Silva de Andrade won a unanimous decision over Cody Gibson in a Bantamweight bout.

Andrade, 135 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice and is now 23-1-1. Gibson, 135 lbs of Visalia, CA is now 12-6.

Gennady Golovkin continued his dominant run by scoring his 19th consecutive stoppage as he took out Martin Murray in round eleven of their Middleweight title bout in Monte Carlo

In round four, Golovkin dropped Murray with a body shot. Second later, Murray was dropped again from a flurry of punches. In round five, Murray’s nose began to bleed as a result of an uppercut.

Golovkin continued to beat a batter Murray until Golovkin sent Murray to the deck in round ten from a hard right hand to the top of the head. Golovkin landed a hard combination on the ropes in round eleven and referee Luis Pabon stopped the bout at 2:10 of round 11.

Golovkin, 159.9 lbs is now 32-0 with 29 knockouts. Murray, 159.9 lbs of England 29-2-1.

The following are some details and quotes according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making this fight happen helped get the deal done,” Mayweather said, referring to a chance Jan. 27 meeting with Pacquiao at a Miami Heat game followed by a private discussion after the game. “Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport.”

The networks resultingly will come together to produce and distribute a joint pay-per-view telecast, which is expected to cost a record-high $89.95 (and probably $10 more for high definition).

“I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years,” Pacquiao said. “They have waited long enough and they deserve it. It is an honor to be part of this historic event. I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world.”

“Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2,” Mayweather said. “I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won’t be successful. He will be number 48.”

On Friday afternoon, Top Rank was notified and Mayweather made the announcement about an hour later, though the deal had been done for a couple of days with both sides having signed the paperwork. Contracts were also signed by broadcasters HBO and Showtime, who will team for a historic joint pay-per-view.

“It’s hasn’t been easy,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “But I think in some strange way the inability to get the fight done before now enhances its value and this is one event that the public all over the world has been talking about and discussing for years. The interest in the fight will be absolutely red-hot. I’ve been promoting boxing for nearly 50 years and there is nothing that has come close to this because there has been nothing that has been so difficult to come to fruition. As interest is concerned, this is akin to the first (Muhammad) Ali-(Joe) Frazier fight.

“You have to be grateful that this is finally happening. You can’t bemoan the false starts and the inability to do this before. It’s here now.”

“Everyone involved, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, knows this fight simply had to happen,” said Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports. “All of us are thrilled to be able to deliver this event to boxing fans around the world.

“Now, for the second time under his current deal with Showtime Networks, Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight an opponent that many people thought he’d never face. We set an all-time pay-per-view record with the first event back in September 2013 (with Alvarez) and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2.”

Said HBO Sports president Ken Hershman: “Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other.

“And now, on May 2, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all time, fight fans have been granted their wish. May 2 will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event. I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective.”

“The reason I like my guy’s chances so much is because of his speed, the tremendous number of punches he throws, the quality of his punches and the fact that he is left-handed,” Arum said. “Top Rank promoted Floyd Mayweather for 10½ years and we recognized that he had difficulty handling a speedy, left-handed fighter and that he and his father (and trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr.) were insistent that we not match Floyd with a southpaw. I remember two fights he had with southpaws who didn’t have the ability Mann has but who gave him trouble — (DeMarcus) ‘Chop Chop’ Corley, who buzzed him and had him in real trouble and Zab Judah.”

Said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame trainer: “Floyd should enjoy being the A-Side while he can because on May 2 Manny is going to put him on his backside.”

Sammy Vasquez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Emmanuel Lartey in a Welterweight bout at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Vasquez, 146 1/4 lbs won by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 twice and is now 18-0. Lartey, 146 1/2 lbs is now 16-3-1.

Craig Baker scored a stunning 2nd round stoppage over world rated Light Heavyweight Humberto Savingne in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

Baker landed a big uppercut in the middle of a flurry that sent Savigne face-first to the canvas. Savigne got to his feet but staggered all over the ring and the bout was stopped at 1:51 of round two.

Baker, 174 lbs of Baytown, TX is now 16-0 with 12 knockouts. Savigne, 176 lbs of Guantanamo, CUB is 12-2-1.

Claudio Marrero win an 8-round unanimous decision over Orlando Rizo in a Featherweight bout.

Marrero dropped Rizo in round two from straight left. Marrero scored two knockdowns in round three from a combination and then again froma perfect left. Marrero dropped Rizo in round five from a straight left. Rizo’s right was cut in round eight.

Marrero, 126 1/4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 80-68, 78-70 and 78-71 and is now 18-1. Rizo, 126 lbs of Managua, NIC is now 18-6.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com. IBF Featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich will defend his title against mandatory challenger Lee Selby on April 25 in London.

“We’ve all agreed to the deal,” Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, Gradovich’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “Gradovich is the true definition of a world champion because he fights anybody, anywhere, and it should be a great fight.

“It is a mandatory bout, so should Gradovich win, I’d like to make a unification bout for him after this. We expect him to beat Selby.”

“We are at this second finalizing contracts and will make a formal announcement next week,” Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, Selby’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “I can’t wait to bring this fight to the U.K. It’s a great fight, a true 50-50 bout, but I believe there is so much more to see from a Lee Selby. I’m very confident we will see a new IBF featherweight champion come April 25.”

David Sanchez retained the WBA Interim Super Flyweight title with a a 10th round stoppage over Juan Alberto Rosas in a scheduled 12-round bout at Palenque de la Expogan, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

Sanchez landed many flush shots until he landed a huge flurry in the corner and the bout was stopped at 33 seconds of round 10.

Sanchez, 114 3/4 lbs is 27-2-2 with 21 knockouts. Rosas, 114 3/4 lbs is now 40-9.

Adrian Young scored a 1st round stoppage over Josue Veraza in a scheduled 10-round Super Featherweight bout.

Young dropped Veraza with a left hook to the body that put Veraza on his knees for the ten count at 2:39 of round one.

Young, 130 1/4 lbs is 21-1-2 with 17 knockouts. Veraza, 130 lbs is 14-6-1.

Victor Olivo scored a 4-round majority decision over Angel Montes in a Super Flyweight bout.

Olivo, 119 1/2 lbs won by scores of 39-36 twice and 39-39 and is now 7-0. Montes, 118 1/2 lbs is 0-10.

WBA Lightweight champion Richar Abril has a viral infection and he will not be able to defend his WBA Lightweight title against Derry Matthews March 6 in Liverpool.

“It’s very unfortunate that this has happened and Derry will have to wait just a little longer to get his world title opportunity,” said promoter Frank Warren said. “We hope that Richar recovers from his viral infection quickly and is able to get back into training to defend his title against Derry as soon as possible, which we are all really looking forward to.”

“We definitely want to have Abril defend his title against Derry Mathews and it is our hope that we can reschedule the fight for early April or as close to that time frame as possible,” said Abril’s attorney Gregory Bloom said.

Even with Abril-Mathews off, Warren said the show will go on with the other world title bout scheduled serving as the headliner as South Africa’s Zolani Tete (19-3, 16 KOs) is due to defend his junior bantamweight belt against England’s Paul Butler (17-0, 8 KOs), a former bantamweight titlist dropping down in weight to challenge for another belt.

“Despite Richar’s withdrawal, it’s a fantastic show with Paul aiming to be the first British fighter in nearly a hundred years to win a second world title in a lighter weight division,” Warren said.

Jessie Magdaleno remained undefeated with a 8-round unanimous decision over Erik Ruiz in a Super Bantamweight bout at the Texas Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Magdaleno, 121 3/4 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 20-0. Ruiz of Oxnard, CA is now 12-2.

Rodrigo Garcia stopped Jailton De Jesus 77 seconds into their scheduled 8-round Super Welterweight bout.

Garcia connected on a left hook in close that sent De Jesus flat on his back.

Garcia, 148 1/2 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is now 17-0 with 12 knockouts. De Jesus, 149 1/2 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 13-4.

Vic Pasillas scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Karl Garcia in a Featherweight bout.

Pasillas, 125 1/2 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA is now 9-0. Garica, 124 1/4 lbs of Guaynabo, PR is now 4-4.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former 4-division world champion Nonito Donaire will return to the ring when he takes on William Prado on March 28 in Pasay City, Philippines.

“I’m excited to be back at 122 pounds,” said Donaire, who is training with his father, Nonito Donaire Sr., in Oakland, California. “I’m hoping the training to be at 122 will bring me more speed and power. This camp has been different. I have been in training since December, so I’ve been in shape longer and working on more boxing instead of the usual eight weeks only of camp.”

“Nonito is very determined to re-establish his career and he believes 122 pounds is the perfect weight for him,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said.

Said Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin, “Nonito is training very hard. He has his weight down and he can’t wait to fight again. Nonito is an extremely proud guy, a great fighter, and that really hurt going up in weight and losing and he couldn’t wait to get back in there. He’s motivated. That loss to Walters woke him up. He wants to show that he can still fight and I think he can. He trained hard for Walters but the guy was too big and too strong and he realizes that.”

Daniel Sandoval scored a 3rd round stoppage over Grady Brewer in a scheduled 10-round Super Welterweight bout at Coliseo Olimpico de la UG in Guadalajara, MX.

Sandoval dropped Brewer in round three from a short left hook on the inside. Sandoval scored a 2nd knockdown when he had Brewer in trouble and landed a hard right. Brewer was in trouble and the fight was ended when Brewer was staggered again and the fight was called at 1:21.

Sandoval, 154 lbs is now 37-3 with 34 knockouts. Brewer, 154 lbs is now 32-20.

Carlos Diaz scored a stoppage after round three of his scheduled 10-round Lightweight bout with Rafael Reyes.

Diaz dropped Reyes with a body shot in round three. The fight was called in the corner after the round three.

Diaz, 131 lbs is now 17-0 with 9 knockouts. Reyes, 130 lbs is 14-4.

Jesus Macias won a 4-round unanimous decision over Jose Francisco Zuniga in a Lightweight bout.

Macias registered a knockdown in round one from a combination.

Macias won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 15-3-1. Zuniga is 4-4-2.

Juan Carlos Raygoza won a 6-round unanimous decision over Alexis Salazar in a Super Welterweight bout.

Raygoza won by scores of 59-55 on all cards ans is now 10-7-1. Salazar is now 9-2.

Former world title challenger Pablo Cesar Cano scored a 1st round stoppage over Jorge Silva in the 1st round of a scheduled 10-round Super Welterweight bout at Domo del Palacio Municipal, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cano landed a flurry of punches in the corner that sent Silva to a knee. He did not beat the referee’s count and the fight was over at 2:05 of round one.

Cano, 148 1/4 lbs is now 28-4-1 with 21 knockouts. Silva, 150 3/4 is now 20-7-2,

Vic Darchinyan scored a 9th round stoppage over Juan Jimenez in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Jimenez dropped Darchinyan in round three from a left hook. Darchinyan came back to land a hard flurry and drop Jiminez with a body shot in round nine. Darchinyan is now 40-7-1 with 29 knockouts. Jimenez, 122 1/4 lbs is now 19-9.

Luis Sanchez won a 8-round split decision over Alfonso Torres in a Super Featherweight.

Sanchez, 132 1/4 lbs won by scores of 80-72 and 77-77 while Torres, 128 1/2 lbs took a card at 77-75.

Sanchez is now 16-3-1. Torres is now 5-10-1.

Arturo Hernandez won a 6-round unanimous decision over Alberto Cupido in a Super Featherweight bout.

Hernandez, 130 1/2 lbs won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 and is now 4-2-1. Cupido, 129 1/2 lbs is 8-12-2.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jermain Taylor has been stripped of his Middleweight championship due to his legal issues of the last couple months.

In stripping Taylor of its title, the IBF invoked its rule 5.C., which says, in part, “Any boxer who is ill, injured, under a legal impediment which would prevent the bout from taking place, or on suspension at the time the championships chairman and president order a bout under this rule shall be considered unavailable.”

On Monday, the IBF would have ordered his mandatory defense against former titlist Hassan N’Dam. Because Taylor is in police custody and unavailable, his handlers cannot negotiate the bout, which would have also caused the IBF to vacate the title.

“The IBF wishes Jermain the best of luck and hopes that he is able to resolve these matters quickly,” IBF president Daryl Peoples said in a statement. “Jermain Taylor’s promoter, Lou DiBella, was advised to notify the organization when Mr. Taylor resumes his boxing career.”

“I have not even a thought into the future of his boxing career or whether he retains the title,” DiBella said. “It’s about whether he can maintain control over his own life.”

Fernando Saucedo scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Leandro Mendes Pinto in a Lightweight bout in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Saucedo won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice and is now 54-6-3. Pinto is now 16-6-2.

Gabriel Calfin scored a 6-round majority decision over Guillermo Paz in a Welterweight bout.

Calfin, 146 1/4 lbs won by scores of 59-58, 58 1/2 – 57 1/2 and 57-57 and is now 21-6-3. Paz, 145 1/2 lbs is now 22-25-3.

Sergio Mora scored a 12-round split decision over Abie Han in a 12-round Middleweight bout at the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort in Bilox, Mississippi.

Mora boxed and moved well throughout the battle. He got caught in round ten when Han landed a right hand to the shoulder while Mora was off balance and Mora hit the canvas. Han pressed over the last three rounds but it was not enough as each fighter took a card by a 115-112 tally and Mora won the third score to the razor thin 114–13.

Mora, 160 lbs is now 28-3-2. Han, 160 lbs is now 23-2.

Erickson Lubin remained undefeated by pounding out a 8-round unanimous decision over late replacement Michael Finney in a Jr, Middleweight bout.

Lubin, 153 lbs won by scored of 80-72 on all cards and is now 9-0. Finney, 157 3/4 lbs is now 12-2-1.

Ahmed Elbiali scored a 2nd round stoppage over Dustin Echard in a scheduled 6-round Light Heavyweight bout.

In round two, Elbiali landed a hard right that sent Echard through the ropes. Elbiali jumped on Echard and landed a some pulverizing blows. At one point Echard looked around as he was getting pummeled and referee Bill Clancy stopped the fight at 44 seconds of round two

Elbiali, 176 1/4 lbs is 9-0 with 9 knockoouts. Echard, 178 3/4 lbs is now 10-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Middleweight champion Andy Lee will defend his crown against Peter Quillin.

The bout could only take place after a deal was reached with mandatory contender Billy Joe Saunders to step aside. The rumored date for the bout is April 11 with Barclays Center being mentioned as a possible Venue.

“After tens of hours of work we completed a step-aside agreement and executed it,” DiBella said. “Lee versus Quillin will be for the WBO championship and Billy Joe Saunders gets the next shot.

“That’s part of the deal. It’s possible Saunders could be on the undercard of Lee-Quillin, but he will get an interim fight regardless, possibly in the States. The date, venue and television network will be forthcoming.”

And if I didn’t step aside Andy lee was vacating his world title,” Saunders wrote. “I want to fight a champion. Not for vacant belt.”

“It’s a great match and it’s a huge opportunity for Andy, who wanted to defend his title,” DiBella said. “It’s also a great opportunity for Quillin to get the title back. But it’s a really good matchup of styles. They aren’t going to run from each other. There will be bombs thrown. Pete is strong and a come forward kind of guy, but Andy is a go-to-battle warrior with a good chin and he’s got that tremendous equalizer, the killer right hook. That may play into one of Peter’s weaknesses.

“So I think it’s a sensational fight. There are certain fights you know will be action fights and this is gonna be an action fight, a fan-friendly action fight between two of the best middleweights in world.”

Carl Froch vacated his IBF Super Middleweight title due an elbow injury according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks with terms agreed for the Chavez fight only for me to be unable to proceed in camp due to injury,” Froch said. “I know what it’s like to wait for a shot, and I didn’t want to hold James up in fighting for a world title. James is a great fighter, and I hope he can go out and win that title, and who knows, we may even meet later in the year.”

“Talks continue with the Chavez camp regarding a summer clash in Las Vegas, and discussions have taken place with Golden Boy Promotions regarding a bumper clash in [Froch’s hometown of] Nottingham with two-weight world champion legend Bernard Hopkins in the summer,” Hearn said.

James DeGale could face Andre Dirrell for the vacant belt.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, there is no imminent announcement for the much talked about fight featuring Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“The thing that really concerns me is that we are running out of time for May 2,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, told ESPN.com on Monday. “If you want to drag this out a little longer then move the fight to later in May — May 30 is a good date — or go in June. We agreed to go on May 2 because that is the date Mayweather is hung up on, but if we’re going to go on May 2 we need to get this done.”

“There are issues that should be solved in 10 minutes, but it’s a slow dance,” Arum said. “We send one draft to their side and their lawyer sends back a draft with something else that’s an issue. And there doesn’t seem to be any urgency about it on their side. It’s terrible.”

Arum has negotiated many of the deal points for the bout through CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves, who has acted as a go-between for Mayweather and his adviser, Al Haymon. Arum said he continues to remain in touch with Moonves and that they exchanged emails on Monday trying to work out the issues.

“I’ve asked Les to expeditiously handle the points there are issues with,” said Arum, who declined to go into the specific issues. “Moonves can handle it. The question is whether the Mayweather side will listen to him. If they’re sincere about trying to make the fight it shouldn’t be an issue, or are they playing a game? I don’t know. I go back and forth. I thought they were always playing a game, that Floyd didn’t want the fight.

“Then Manny and (adviser) Michael (Koncz) spent an hour or so with Mayweather in the hotel suite and they read it that, no, Mayweather really wants the fight. But I don’t know. If people were really concentrating on this it could be done in no time.

“There are unresolved issues on both the fighter deal and the network deal. (The fighters are) on the same page regarding basic deal points but there are lot of meaningful items still unresolved,” said one source involved in the negotiations.

Stung by recent media reports that it is holding up a deal, HBO, which has not even publicly acknowledged the negotiations in the first place, issued a surprising statement on Monday in which it essentially said that nobody should blame it if the deal doesn’t get done.

“We are not an impediment to this fight. We stand ready to go. The principals need to agree to terms and come to a deal,” HBO Sports said in the statement.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com former Super Middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler has retired.

“I have thought long and hard over the options, which have been made available, but none of these options are enough to get me motivated,” Kessler wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday. “My promoter (Sauerland Event) has done a great job in creating these, but unfortunately the opportunities in the division are currently limited. I said at the time when I would fight on that I would need the right fights to motivate me. This is not a question of money. In fact these offers have been for great purses, but it is about motivation. After all if you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?

“I need big events to make me train to get me to the standard that I have been used to presenting my fans with. I said I would like nothing more than to avenge my loss against Andre Ward and also to have the decider against Carl Froch. These are fights that motivate me, but for one reason or another, they do not want to fight me. I am always in training. It is part of my life, but I consider myself in a state of retirement. Finally, I would like to thank all of my fans for supporting me throughout my career. It has been an absolute pleasure stepping into the ring, home as well as abroad.”

“I’ve talked with my team, the people around me, and they are ready to support me on the journey to become world champion again. I still have a desire for boxing. I still love to train, and I believe that I can become a world champion again. Now that I’ve made the decision, it’s all in. I’m ready for all the big names out there.”

Gary Shaw left Roc Nation after just under a month according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

As part of that agreement, Shaw resigned from the company on Friday and they are in the process of completing their separation in a deal in which Shaw will leave with his fighters and staff and continue doing business as Gary Shaw Productions.

“We gave it a try and unfortunately it did not work out for both parties,” Shaw told ESPN.com on Monday. “It is an amicable separation. Roc Nation was very professional at our meeting and they allowed me to keep all of my fighters and my company, and terminate any agreements we had together. They gave me back my company.”

Roc Nation Sports spokesman Ron Berkowitz told ESPN.com, “Both parties decided to go their own way and we wish Gary nothing but the best.”

Francisco Rodriguez scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Jomar Fajardo in a Flyweight bout at Palenque de la Feria in Chiapas, Mexico.

Rodriguez, 110 lbs of Mexico won by scores of 99-90, 97-92 and 100-92 and is now 17-2-1. Fajardo, 110 lbs is 14-6-2.

Aaron Herrera scored an 8-round unanimous decision over Wilfrido Buelvas in a Super Lightweight bout.

Herrera, 141 lbs won by scores of 79-77, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 28-3-1. Buelvas, 141 1/2 lbs is now 15-4