According tp Dan Rafael of espn.com, Top Rank has signed 2012 Japanese Gold Medal winner Ryoa Murata.

Murata will campaign as a Moiddleweight

“He’s an exciting fighter and the people that know say he is ready for the professionals,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. “He fought like a professional when he was an amateur. He had that pro style. He’s a banger.

“The way it looks and the way we evaluated him is that within a relatively short period of time he will be able to fight [top middleweights] like [Sergio] Martinez, [Gennady] Golovkin and [Julio Cesar] Chavez Jr. Sure, he needs some seasoning but in maybe year and half he could be ready to fight for a world title. He’s a cut above most young fighters.”

“He’s probably one of the most popular athletes in Japan right now after winning the gold medal,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef said. “That was one of the things we looked at. His popularity is huge and that is very compelling for us. We believe boxing is a global product, so we will look at all boxers from all ends of the world and if it makes sense to sign somebody, and we believe in them, that is what we will do.

“He is a good looking guy, he’s big, he’s physical the way he fights and he speaks a little bit of English already.”

Boxing was back at the BB&T tonight with the second installment of Golden Boy Boxing at the BB&T Center in Sunrise Florida. This card was stacked with excellent young Golden Boy talent who all were matched with fierce competitors, … well with the exception of one disgraceful “fighter” with loose screws.

The main event showcased featherweights Brualio Santos and Derrick Wilson clash who excited the crowd with a very entertaining, hard punching, close encounters all action brawl. The two warriors answered the opening bell with big power punches and great skilled technique boxing and continued until the final bell. The early rounds found the two tactfully exchanging heavy short combinations and sharp accurate punches. Santos dug with deep body shots and short punches while Wilson used his excellent athletic skills to counter punching the hard charging Puerto Rican. The action persisted through the middle rounds with both fighters throwing heavyweight thumping punches… Santos kept his steady attack however as the fight grew Wilson started settling in with his timing and blocking the hard punches thrown by Santos. The final rounds kept tempo and were very close, with Wilson doing just a little bit more each round. Round 9 Wilson landed a great right hand to the temple that put Santos down to the delight of the crowd. Santos quickly made it to his feet and back into action and the two went back to exchanging power punches. Going into the final round I had Wilson up by two points, the final round was a bit of a chess match where both fighters looked in great shape to finish strong and close. I scored the fight 96-95 for Wilson. The final cards read 96-93 twice and 96-94.

Light middleweight Daquan Arnett 11-0(7KO) kept his 0 intact with a sensational made for highlights knockout over hard charging Hector Zuniga 10-2(7KO) who was fighting of Tijuana Mexico. Arnett showed his superior boxing skills and defense. He was sharp with his counter punches and kept Zuniga off of him, when the Mexican was able to catch him on the ropes he was gifted with a few nice shots. The knockout sequence was awesome bringing the sparsely crowded BB&T center to a roar, one would think it was a packed house. The two combatants were exchanging along the ropes when Arnett connected with a left hood, followed by another, and yet another at which time Zuniga shook his head and waved Arnett in for more, a split second later Arnett unloaded a fourth and final left hook that dropped the Mexican like a hot tamale. Arnett barely beat the count but the towel from the Mexicans corner did not as they saved their beaten fighter. The end came at 1:37 of the fifth.

Jamall “The Hitman” Charlo 14-0(10KO) had someone special watching him tonight, the original Hitman, Thomas Hearns was ringside to watching the action. The new aged Hitman did not disappoint as he crushed 39 Ecuadorian journeyman Luis Hernandez 21-6(14KO) dropping him twice in the second round. Officially scored a TKO2 at 2:26

Local favorite Steve Geffrard got off the canvas in round one and put together a nice comeback in an entertaining and tough fight for the former amateur national champion and Boca Raton native. Travis Reeves 1-1-1 ripped a big left hook that dropped Geffrard in round one Round two was very close as Geffrard got a lead later in the round which made it very hard to score. Rounds three and four was in favor of the hard hitting Geffard who found comfort in a shelled inside affair with the Baltimore based Reeves who was happy to trade shot for shot with the taller Geffrard. Each fighter caught each other during inside pot-shotting action with very close rounds three and fourth that seemed to favor Geffrard. A deflated Geffard fell to the ground when the final decision was announced in favor of the underdog, Reeves. Two judges saw the fight 38-37 for Reeves and the other 38-37 for Geffrard

2012 United States Olympian Errol Spence 6-0(5KO) from Dallas TX made quick work of Guillermo Ibarra 11-4(7KO) fighting out of Mexico. Spence landed a nice left to the head that dispensed the Mexican to the floor and out at 1:33 of round one. Spence has gotten a nice start since he entered the pro ranks in November of last year.

Highly touted amateur and “dream team” fighter Justin DeLoach 3-0(2KO) made quick and almost comical work of shamefully licensed Jonathan Olivera who looked as if he had just started boxing this morning. Honestly one of, if not the most embarrassing fighters I have ever seen, next to “Worst Boxer in the History of the World …epic mullet!!!” who entertains on YouTube, and obviously used Mullets “Cat Technique” Which was embarrassingly ineffective. I am certain once this hits YouTube it will be a rival. Just a shameful performance by Olivera, and shame on the commission and his team and corner for putting this kid in the ring in the ring with a fighter who could have killed him. This kid didn’t even look like an amateur. I understand he was a late replacement and I truly believe he was literally a last minute replacement and traded his seat for a corner stool.

Fort Lauderdales Travis Castellon 1-0(1KO) kick started his professional career and the evening with an exciting round that got the rain soaked crowd off to an upbeat start. The southpaw Castellon met Orlando’s Will Fauth 0-1-1 mid ring a second after the opening bell meaning business. The two threw early heavy punch and a clash of heads midway through the first stanza caused an ugly bump on the head of Fauth who then pressured the former amatuer standout Castellon into a corner and caught the young pugilist with his first hard professional punches. In a show of true heart that corner worked seemed to ignite the young pro who then found his distance and landed some great shots including a perfect uppercut at the bell. Between rounds Dr. Allen Fields advised the Fauth corner to cease the action. As a result Castellon earns a TKO in his debut and the BB&T Center gets an awesome appetizer to kick the night off.

Chris “SugarBoy” Valez improved to 5-0-1(3KO) by prowling and landing clean shots almost at will on tough as nails Jose Segura in a bloody welterweight affair. Valez looked sharp throughout the bout picking his shots. The cards read 40-36 for Valez who remained undefeated.

Former world champions Joan Guzman and Vicente Mosquera will fight for a vacant 140 lb title on June 28th in Kissemee, Florida according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Guzman worked had in his last fight and fell short due to injury,” said Acquinity Sports chief executive Gary Jonas, Guzman’s promoter, who made a deal with Zabala to place the bout on his show. “He is a two-time world champion who knows what to do in the ring very well. This is a very interesting fight. I feel Guzman will win this fight and get another shot at Allakhverdiev and his world title.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former world title challenger Derek Chisora will take on undefeated Malik Scott on July 20th in London.

“We have made offers to many of the top heavyweights, but it was Scott who called Chisora out and wants the fight, so now he’s got his wish,” said promoter Frank Warren.

“These are the type of fights that get you that next level,” said Scott’s promoter Dan Goossen. “Dereck has a great name and has been in there with great fighters. He went the distance with (heavyweight titleholder) Vitali Klitschko and he got robbed against Robert Helenius (in a European title fight). It’s a very good fight for Malik. It’s the type of fight he needs right now.”

“I can’t wait for the fight,” Chisora said. “Scott is a great name to have on my record. He’s big (6-foot-4, 225 pounds), unbeaten and dangerous. I’m just looking forward to going out there and doing a real good job on him. I’m disappointed that the other guys turned the opportunity down, but I will make a real statement against Scott and show that I’m back on track for the world title (opportunity).

Appearing in the undercard will be Carl Frampton. Frampton recently joined Warren after beng promoted my Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sports

“We have enjoyed our time working with Carl Frampton as promoter of his boxing career,” Hearn said in a statement. “However, after the success of the last Frampton fight, we were informed by (manager and Hall of Fame former featherweight champion) Barry McGuigan that he wanted to be joint promoter in future Frampton fights.

“Whilst we had no problem whatsoever in agreeing (on) purses for Carl Frampton, we felt that such a relationship with Barry McGuigan represented a potential conflict of interest with Barry’s role as Carl’s manager and we could therefore not agree to be involved on this basis.”

“I’m really excited to be on the show at Wembley and for the opportunity to be showcased on great channel like BoxNation,” Frampton said. “I want to be a world champion and BoxNation will give me the platform to do it. I’ve got to keep winning and doing the business, but this is great time for me.”

Said Warren: “I’m really pleased that Carl will be on the Wembley Arena show on a great night of action with some of Britain’s best boxers. Carl has impressed me with his thrilling performances and is a world-class fighter on the verge of fighting for the world title.”

McGuigan told ESPN.com that the move was simply because they got a better offer.
“After the Martinez fight, our negotiations with Eddie Hearn ground to a halt and as a result Carl has been inactive. This is not acceptable,” McGuigan said. “We took the decision to move to another network because we got a substantially better offer and, importantly, more freedom to plot Carl’s accent to the top of world boxing.

“Our aim is to get Carl into a mandatory (position) for a world title within the next two fights, win the title, have our fights at home and then take him to America and make him a star.”

Bradley
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez will now fight on October 12 and stead of September 14th due to the announcement of the showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez.

“What happened was Mayweather reserved Sept. 14 with the (pay-per-view) industry and we always said that we will respect that reservation and that if he went against anybody we would move,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum. “We had a second hold on that date. Now, once he elected to go on that date then we shifted to Oct. 12. That is why we had Thomas & Mack on hold for both dates. This is something we completely anticipated.”

“I didn’t care and I talked to Tim (on Wednesday night) and he was like, ‘That’s fine. Hey, (Mayweather-Alvarez is) great for boxing, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s a huge fight. You don’t really care about moving do you?’ He said no,” said Cameron Dunkin, Bradley’s manager. “Whether Timmy and Marquez are fighting in September or October doesn’t matter to me and Tim doesn’t care either. We both said the same thing — that (Mayweather-Alvarez) is great for boxing and who cares if we have to move a month.”

“He said he’ll start doing some light workouts in early June,” Dunkin said. “Nothing crazy. He just wants to keep his weight down and do some running. But he’s got to be careful not to overtrain because he loves to fight and he gets excited about a fight and wants to train like 10 or 12 weeks when he should be doing about eight weeks.”

It was also found out that Welterweights Jesse Vargas and Mikael Zewski will appear on the undercard in seperate bouts.

“Vargas will be on the pay-per-view if he fights somebody,” Arum said. “We’re not doing appearance fights on the pay-per-view. If he fights somebody real he will be on the pay-per-view, like (newly signed Top Rank fighter Luis Carlos) Abregu. That’s a good fight. You don’t want us to put on junk on the pay-per-view. Zewski, same thing. He is fine to be on the pay-per-view but is he ready for prime time and will he fight somebody?”

Arum said another fighter who could be on the pay-per-view telecast is light heavyweight brawler Seanie Monaghan (18-0, 11 KOs), a New Yorker who is a popular ticket seller in New York.

“We’re talking about having him on,” Arum said. “We want to put on somebody that the New York papers will write about. He’s a pretty good draw and he makes great fights, so that’s somebody we are considering.”

According to his official Twitter account, Pound for Pound King Floyd Mayweather will take on WBC/WBA Super Welterweight champion Saul Alvarez on September 14th in Las Vegas.

The official statement read: “I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez. I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand”

The rumor is the bout will be contested at 152 lbs.

Carl Froch extracted revenge and retained the IBF and won the WBA Super Middleweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Mikkel Kessler in a terrific fight at the O2 Arena in London.

The bout was very competitive with Froch’s volume and come forward style being the difference in the outcome.

Froch was effective early with Kessler only looking for one shot. Kessler started to come forward and landed some vicious right hands that the Nottingham, Englad native Froch walked right through. The two had frequent toe to toe exchanges throughout the second half of the fight the had the capacity crowd of 19,000 people on the edge of their seats for much of the bout. The fight mirrored the first fight, which was won by Kessler on April 24, 2010 in Denmark in a thrilling battle.

Froch won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 and is now 31-2. Kessler of Denmark fought a tremendous fight but came up short and is now 46-3.

Delvin Rodriguez scored an eighth round stoppage over Freddy Hernandez in what was a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut

In round two, Hernandez started getting through with the left hook. Rodriguez started to bleed over his right eye as early as round three from a headbutt. Rodriguez did well in spurts while Hernandez landed the cleaner blows. Those Rodriguez landed a hard right hand that opened up nasty gash above the left eye of Hernandez but the referee ruled a headbutt and the fight was stopped.

It was a close fight as one judge ruled it even at 76-76 while two judges ruled in favor of Rodriguez by scores of 78-74 and 77-75. The stoppage was originally ruled from a headbutt but later changed to a stoppage for Rodriguez

Rodriguez, 154 lbs of Danbury, CT is now 28-6-3 with 16 knockouts. Hernandez, 154 lbs is 30-5

Chris Howard scored a technical decision over previously undefeated Issouf Kinda in an aborted ten round Jr. Welterweight bout.

It was a close fight that saw Howard work the body early but Kinda came on in the later rounds with effective right hands. Swelling started around the left eye of Howard in the fifth round due to an accidental headbutt.

Howard was unable to come out for round seven and they went to the scorecards which read 58-56 on two cards for Howard while a third card read 59-55 for Kinda.

Howard, 140 lbs of Crossville, TN is now 16-2-1. Kinda, 139 1/4 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 16-1.

Canstantin Bejenaru and Excell Holmes fought to a no decision as a headbutt in round two forced a bad cut on the forehead of Bejenaru.

Benjearu had what looked liked a sure win taken away from him as he dropped Holmes in round two and was all over him with a barrage of punches before the headbutt stopped the bout.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former three-division champion Miguel Cotto could return September 28th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“Nothing set. We are holding a date (at Barclays Center), that’s all,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Welterweight champion Devon Alexander suffered a broken left hand during his 7th round stoppage over Lee Purdy this past Saturday in Atlantic City.

“He hit Purdy on top of the head in the first round, and that’s when it happened,” said Alexander’s manager/trainer Kevin Cunningham. “Purdy dipped his head down, and Devon hit him right on top of the head. He knew it was broken. We came home and went straight from the airport to the emergency room and had X-rays, and they showed the break.”

“He’s going to see one of the top guys who works with the Cardinals baseball players on Wednesday,” Cunningham said of the St. Louis MLB team. “I think Devon will be ready to fight in late September or October, any time around that time.”

When Alexander (25-1, 14 KOs), 26, does return, there’s a good chance his next defense will take place Dec. 7 against England’s Amir Khan, the former unified junior welterweight titleholder who was ringside to scout Alexander and also to watch his younger brother, Haroon Khan, get a first-round knockout victory on the undercard in his second professional fight.

Cunningham said he likes the possible fight with Khan.

“I think it’s a really intriguing fight,” Cunningham said, adding he knew Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer was also interested in making the fight. He said that he would sit down with Alexander adviser Al Haymon and “see what direction we want to go in. But we have no problem with that fight.”

“We have no problem fighting Amir Khan next,” Cunningham said. “Everyone wants the shot against Floyd Mayweather, but if we have to deal with Amir Khan first, no problem. Amir Khan can be next. If Amir Khan thinks he’s going to use Devon Alexander to get to Floyd Mayweather, well, he’s never gonna see Floyd.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Middleweight champion Daniel Geale will take on Darren Barker on August 17th at The Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY and will be televised by HBO.

“Fighting in the United States for the first time is truly an honor,” Geale said. “I’m going to give the fans a great night of boxing while representing my country with dignity.”

“Barker has to be one of the toughest opponents I’ve faced on paper, but I’ve been in the ring with world titlists and it remains to be seen whether or not Barker can offer up anything extra,” Geale said. “He is a top-rated fighter amongst 160-pounders, but in the middleweight division that’s saying a lot because the entire division is dangerous. A guy in the top 10 at middleweight would be top 3-4 in almost any other division.”

Said Geale’s American promoter Gary Shaw: “This division is so good that everywhere you look you see tough fights, but Daniel could’ve taken an easier fight. There are easier fights out there compared to Barker, but Daniel wanted this fight. The winner will be in a position to be considered the best middleweight out there.”

“I’m going to have my hands full, that’s for sure,” Geale said. “Barker gave Martinez all sorts of fits, but he is an even better fighter now, and I think he has improved a great deal since the Martinez fight. I’m not sure Martinez could beat Barker now. Maybe Martinez planned on fighting Barker before he got too good? I want the fights that will give me the biggest challenges, and I plan on handling Barker better than anyone has. It won’t be easy, but that’s what I’ll attempt to do.”

“This is a golden opportunity for me, and I feel it’s my time to shine,” Barker said. “It’s been a tough journey for me, but I’m one fight away from realizing my dream and becoming world champion. I’ve dedicated my entire life to this sport, and since the Sergio Martinez fight I really feel like I’ve grown as a fighter. I can’t wait to bring that IBF world title back to the U.K.”

“This is the fight that Darren wanted so badly, and now he’s got it,” said Barker’s promoter Eddie Hearn. “This is a wonderful fight between two incredibly gifted middleweights, it’s a pure 50-50 fight, and I know Darren is going to bring it home.”

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored round stoppage over Luis Becerra in a scheduled eight round Jr. Lightweight bout.

Gonzalez, 135 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 9-0 with 8 eight knockouts. Becerra, 123 3/4 lbs Quetero, MX is 9-6-1.

Sergio Thompson scored a fourth round stoppage over Gustavo Sandoval in round four of a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout.

Thompson came out in round four and landed a heavy barrage of punches flush on a visibly tired Sandoval and the fight was stopped at 1:20 of round four.

Thompson, 135 lbs of Chetumai, MX is 26-2 with 24 knockouts. Sandoval, 133 1/2 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 12-4-1.

ATLANTIC CITY–In a fight between two reigning beltholders, Lucas Matthysse made a bold statement by wrecking IBF Jr. Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson in round three of their twelve round fight at Boardwalk Hall

Matthysse dropped Peterson with a vicious left hook in round two. Peterson fought back and landed some shots but Matthysse’s power Made a huge impact as he dumped Peterson in span of seconds from two huge left hooks and referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at 2:14.

Matthysse who was looking a potential September 7th bout with Danny Garcia now with this performance could vault to the head of the line to fight pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather.

Matthysse of Argentina is now 34-2 with 32 knockouts. Peterson of Washington, DC is now 31-2-1.

After the fight, Matthysse spoke through a translator, “The first round I was trying to find out what I was bringing to the fight. After the second round I started connecting with more force. I had two and a half months of preparation for this fight and that was the difference.”

Feeling confident, Matthysse boasted, “Now I know I am the best at 140 pounds because no one has ever dominated Peterson the way I did tonight.”

When asked by SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray if he would like to fight Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia, who was in attendance at Boardwalk Hall, Matthysse responded, “Golden Boy and Al Haymon will get me that fight. I’m ready for that fight. I want to fight him.”

Gray also spoke with Peterson right after the fight and asked how he felt following the three knockdowns. Peterson said, “I feel good. There is nothing physically wrong with me right now. Of course I am upset that I lost, but so far I feel good.”

On his performance, “I think I got a little lazy with the jab. I started relaxing a little bit…I guess he hit me with a good shot. He did a good job. I recovered from that first knockdown and I was okay for a while and then, eventually, he hit me again and he hurt me again. I still thought I could have fought through it but the ref did the right thing. I guess tonight he was (the better fighter). He won the fight fair and square tonight. He’s a good fighter.”

In round one, Alexander looked to be dominant as he landed some hard body shots to start the round and then some scraping lefts and uppercuts to close the stanza. Alexander continued to outclass the visitor while standing in the pocket and landing some great shots. Purdy was game and landed a few left hooks on the inside. The accumulation of blows began to show in round six as blood came down from the nostrils of Purdy.

Alexander continued using Purdy for target practice in round seven to the point that fight was stopped in the corner following that frame.

Alexander, 146.7 lbs of St. Louis is now 25-1 with 14 knockouts. Purdy, 147.8 lbs of Colchester, UK is now 20-4-1.

The fight was to be contested for Alexander’s IBF Welterweight title but Purdy weighed in one pound over the limit. He could only lose one-quarter of a pound and was fined ten percent of his reported $150,000 purse

Alexander admitted that he wasn’t able to fight to the best of his ability due to an injury. “I hurt my left hand in the first round actually. I hit him on top of the head. I hurt my hand, but I had to get that out of my mind. I had to fight to win. I wanted to impress tonight. My left hand was on point in camp. When I hurt my biceps, that strengthened my left hand so it would have been popping real hard, but I hurt it. I had to set it up softly. I wanted to use my hook and my upper cut but I couldn’t.”

He continued, “There are going to be a lot of critics saying Purdy wasn’t all that anyway, but he’s a good fighter. Over in the U.K. he beat some good guys and I think he was very suitable. He came to fight and he gave me a good fight. I got the win. I got the technical knockout.”

Haroon needed just fifty-seven seconds to dispatch of Vicente Medellin in a scheduled four round Bantamweight bout.

Khan dropped Medellin twice and the fight was stopped.

Khan, 116 1/2 lbs of Bolton, Englans is 2-0 with 1 knockout, Medellin, 115 lbs of Riverside, CA is 0-6.

In a battle of undefeated Welterweights, Shawn Porter had a relatively easy time with Phil Lo Greco as pounded out a unanimous decision.

In round one, Porter tried to back up Lo Greco with some solid body work. In round two, Porter landed a hard combination that backed up Lo Greco which led to two hard uppercuts on the ropes. Porter came out and in round four and landed some hard combinations. Later in the round, Porter ripped Lo Greco with a hard one-two combination. Porter then rocked Lo Greco with hard left hook in the fifth.

Porter continued to dominate and score a dubious knockdown with what looked like a left hook. In the tenth, Porter scored a more emphatic knockdown when he dropped Porter with a left hook. After that, Lo Greco did well to hold on to last the distance.

Porter, 150 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 100-88 on two cards and 99-89 and is now 21-1-1. Lo Greco, 150 lbs of Toronto is now 25-1.

Thomas Williams Jr. scored an eight round unanimous decision over veteran Otis Griffin in Light Heavyweight bout.

Williams boxed well over the first few rounds. He then opened up and hurt Griffin on the ropes in the fourth. Williams landed some of his best power shots in the seventh and eighth and had Griffin reeling several times but was not able to come close to the stoppage.

Williams, 175 lbs of Washington, won by scores of 8-72, 79-73 and 79-73 and is now 14-0. Griffin, 175 lbs of Sacramento is now 24-13-2.

2012 Olympic Bronze medal winner Anthony Ogogo pounded out a six round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez in a Middleweight bout

In round two, Ogogo started landing the power punches at range. Ogogo continued to use his range and mix up his punches over the next several rounds. Ogogo was never tested and boxed his way to the decision via scores at 60-54; 60-54 and 60-53 for Ogogo.

Ogogo, 159 lbs of East Anglia, UK is 2-0. Perez, 159 lbs of Arecibo, PR is now 5-5.

Cesar Seda banged out an eight round unanimous decision over Miguel Tamayo in a Bantamweight bout.

Seda, 117 1/2 lbs of Juana Diaz, PR won by scores of 80-70, 80-72 and 79-73 and is now 25-1. Tamayao, 117 1/2 lbs of Ciudad, MX is now 13-6-2.

Former world title challenger Anthony Peterson scored a stoppage over Dominic Salcido after round two of their scheduled ten round Lightweight bout

Peterson came out landing hard power punches in round one. In round two he scored with a vicious body shot that led to a hard barrage in the corner. Peterson continued to land with pummeling shots to the head. After the round, the fight was stopped after Salcido was deemed to have a broken nose.

Peterson, 136 1/2 lbs of Washington, D.C. is now 32-1 with 21 knockouts. Salcido, 136 1/2 lbs of Rialto, CA is now 18-5.

Three-time U.S Olympian Rau’She Warren scored a fourth round stoppage over Angel Carvajal in a scheduled four round Bantamweight bout.

Warren dropped Carvajal in round’s two and four and the bout was stopped at 2:05 of the final round.

Warren, 118 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is now 4-0 with 2 knockouts. Caravjal, 116 lbs of Chicago, IL is now 2-2.

It took two rounds and alot of vicious shots but Robert Easter Jr. scored a second round stoppage over Eduardo Guillen in a scheduled four round Light bout.

Easter landed a many hard lefts and rights that would have put most men down in the first round as Guillen was bouncing and flopping all over the ring from those shots. In round two, Easter landed a cruching left hook that looked like it almost spun Gullien’s head around before he dropped to the canvas. he was able to get up but that was not a good thing for him as another booming left hook sent him to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:30 of round two.

Easter, 133 1/2 lbs of Toledo, OH is now 4-0 with all wins coming early. Guillen, 132 lbs of Brownsville, TX is now 0-3.

2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring opened the show with a one round beatdown over Victor Galindo in a scheduled four round Light weight bout.

Herring dropped Galindo with a hard riht to the body. Galidno continued only to absorb massive shots and finally went to his knee form another body shot. Galindo’s corner then stopped the fight at 2:01 of round one.

Herring, 134 lbs of Coram, NY is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts. Galindo, 134 1/2 lbs of San Juan, PR is 1-2

B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grille played host to another Broadway Boxing event put together by Dibella Entertainment. The event generated a buzz, as Andy Lee was set to continue his comeback after suffering a loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. eleven months ago.

Lee (29-2, 20 KO’s) squared off against Darryl Cunningham (28-4, 11 KO’s) in a middleweight matchup. Cunningham was set to upset Lee, as going up against a solid young middleweight is nothing new to him. In Cunningham’s losses, his opponent’s records combined for 44-1. So he was no stranger to going up against a good looking record.

Things didn’t go as planned for Cunningham. Lee entered the ring with a fierce look on his face. As the first bell rang, his shoulders were a bit more square than usual; showing that he was prepared to make an early statement. A fast left hand found it’s way through Cunningham’s guard, staggering him into a corner. Lee immediately jumped on the opportunity to send Cunningham down, and unleashed a flurry of punches. Cunningham had nothing in response, and the referee jumped in to call the fight off. The stoppage came a bit early, but it would have only prolonged the inevitable. Andy Lee came away victorious with a TKO victory at the 1:27 point of the first round.

The co-feature of the evening showcased an exciting clash of styles between middleweights Delen Parsley 10-0, 3 KO’s) against Louis Rose (5-1, 1 KO). Parsley is a tall and athletic fighter who works behind his rangy punches, while Rose was much shorter and worked behind a slightly unorthodox style of having squared shoulders and threw punches in flurries. The action was close throughout the first half of the fight. Both fighters were able to generate success. Parsley was able to land from a distance, and when his punches came, and the distance closed, Rose would counter with hooks. Parsley was the hometown fighter, and there was a tension in the air over the possibility of an upset.

In the fourth round, Louis was able to position Parsley near the ropes, and as Parsley tried angling himself away and toward the center of the ring, Louis threw a barrage of punches that sent Parsley down. Parsley did not seem badly hurt, and was able to make it to his feet.

The remainder of the fight saw more close action, with both fighters looking strong. The venue went silent as the scorecards were announced. 77-74 for Parsley, 76-75 for Rose, and 76-75 for Rose. The deciding factor was the knockdown in the fourth round, giving Rose a split decision victory.

Tor Hamer (19-2, 12 KO’s) had his first fight after an embarrassing defeat six months earlier. He had a good test on paper in Maurenzo Smith (11-5-2, 8 KO’s); a solid fighter with a decent record, and who possesses a punching threat. Hamer started the fight tentatively. He is most known for his aggressive style, but he seemed to take a more calculated approach, landing numerous well timed left hooks. Towards the end of the second round, it became obvious that Smith was completely outclassed. As the third round opened, Hamer left his corner aggressively and began throwing combinations. After Hamer landed a right hand, Smith turned away and seemed to complain that he had injured his hand. He hadn’t landed a punch for a round and a half, so it wasn’t clear how exactly he hurt the hand. Either way, Hamer was credited with a TKO victory at 1:31 of the third round.

Super Middleweight Lamar Russ (12-0, 7 KO’s) took a step up when he faced Russell Jordan (15-9, 10 KO’s) in a bout scheduled for eight rounds. The bout saw both fighters being active, but it was Russ who landed the better punches and at a higher rate. As the bout headed into the middle rounds, Russ hand landed dozens of powerful blows that would only stagger Jordan slightly. It seemed clear at this point that a knockout wasn’t coming. Jordan, on the other hand forced russ to show him respect by landing hard counter punches of his own. They came few and far between. In the final round, Russ made a statement by staggering Jordan seconds before the final bell rang. The final scores read 79-73, 79, 73, and 78-74.

Neuky Santelises (4-0, 3 KO’s) continued his winning ways. This time it was against the over-matched Aaron Chavez (2-2-1, 1 KO). Santelises is a strong puncher at the Jr. Lighweight division, and came out swinging. He hurt Chavez badly very early on, and Chavez slumped onto the ropes, forcing the referee to rule it a knockdown. After Chavez made it to his feet, Santelises seized the opportunity and landed a barrage of left hooks that sent Chavez down and out. The time of the stoppage was 2:15 of the first round, giving Santelises a TKO victory.

Cruiserweights Jay Rodriguez (debut) and Andre Ward (1-1-2, 1 KO) fought to an exciting four round draw. They both wowed the crowd with their powerful punches and strong chins. The final scorecards read 38-38, 38-38, and one card reading 39-37 for Ward, officially making it a majority draw.

Eliezer Agosto (1-2, 1 KO) knocked out Angel Suarez(debut) cold in the second round of their bout. The time of the knockout was 2:59.

Louis Cruz (2-0, 2 KO’s) defeated Michael Carreras (debut) over the course of four rounds. Cruz couldn’t add another knockout to his record, but boxed wonderfully en route to a victory with scorecards reading 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37 for the unanimous decision victory.

2012 Olympic Gold Medal winner Luke Campbell is set to make his pro debut on July 13 in Hull, England according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

That bout will be paired with the rematch that will see Welterweights Kell Brook and Carson Jones square off in a bout for which Jones will look to get even after Brook scored an exciting victory last year.

“This is going to be a special night for Hull and a massive night for British boxing,” said promoter Eddie Hearn said.

“The whole city will have a chance to witness the start of Luke’s professional journey whilst also watching a huge card.”

“Kell Brook returns after a frustrating period, re-matching Carson Jones following their epic battle last July,” Hearn said.

“We took the fight for 20 percent of what he got in the first fight because he wanted the fight so badly,” Bobby Dobbs, Jones’ manager, said. “He left for camp [Tuesday] and Kell Brook is in trouble if he doesn’t pull out.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undefeated Middleweight J’Leon love failed a post fight drug test when he tested positive for a banned diuretic following his split decision victory over Gabriel Rosado on May 4th.

“Floyd Mayweather nor myself condone this behavior and whatever the Nevada commission sees necessary as punishment we fully support it,” Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN.com. “In addition, there will be repercussions behind this as it relates to Mayweather Promotions and our fighter. This news is disgusting.”

Rosado tweeted, “I just got news that J’Leon Love tested positive for (an) illegal substance. So not only did the judges cheat me but so did Love.”

Love was two hours late for the weigh-in and then was 161½ pounds on his first attempt to make weight. He returned to the scale nearly an hour later — almost maxing out the time allotted to make weight — and was 160 pounds.

“My guess is that’s when he took it, allegedly. He may have taken it then or right before the weigh-in, because he was two hours late,” said Nevad boxing Czar Keith Kizer

“The usual suspension for a diuretic is seven to eight months, but the commission can go up to a year, depending on the circumstances,” Kizer said..

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former two division world champion David Haye had to withdraw from his June 29th fight with former world Heavyweight title challenger Manuel Charr due to a left hand injury.

“I’m absolutely gutted to have to pull out of this fight on June 29,” Haye said. “I pick up injuries now and again in training, and sometimes carry them into fights, but this was one I simply couldn’t recover from in time. I need to rest it up for at least four weeks.

“I apologize to Manuel Charr and to everybody involved with the promotion. But most of all I want to say sorry to the thousands of fans who bought tickets to the fight. I felt it was important to let them know about the cancellation as soon as possible, so they can now make other plans. As soon as I am told I can resume full training, my loyal fans will be the first to know.”

Omar Figueroa will take on Japan’s Nihito Arakawa for the vacant WBC Interim Lightweight championship on July 27th in San Antonio on Showtime according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We got everything confirmed,” said Golden Boy Promotions Schaefer said. “Mr. (Akahiro) Honda is an honorable guy and we have a deal. I talked to [Showtime Sports boss] Stephen [Espinoza] to see if the fight would be OK with him for that card. He likes Figueroa very much and he liked it a lot. He saw what a big hit Omar was on the Canelo-Trout undercard.”

“I think the likelihood of Broner going back to 135 pounds after the fight with Paulie is remote, which means he would vacate the title and the (Figueroa-Arakawa) winner would have the title,” Schaefer said. “Broner probably would stay at welterweight or go down to junior welterweight, but I don’t think he will go back to lightweight.

“I’m excited for Omar. He obviously has been coming along very nicely. He’s a very exciting fighter. Now, to be able to bring him back to San Antonio, where he obviously has a fan base and had almost 40,000 people cheering for him last month, is amazing. I’m happy for the young man to get an opportunity to fight for a world title. Omar takes risks when he fights and, as his promoter, I’m on the edge of my seat watching him. He goes for it and that’s what people want to see. So I’m happy for him to get this chance.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Zou Shiming will headline his second card in Macau, China on July 27th that will also feature two world title bouts and be televised on HBO 2 and Uni Mas.

“We’re very pleased with the way the show came together,” said Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum, who has long wanted to open the potentially lucrative Chinese market to world-class boxing. “I think everyone enjoyed our first show there and we’re looking forward to doing more.”

Featherweight Evgeny Gradovich (16-0, 8 KOs) of Russia will make his first title defense against mandatory challenger Mauricio Munoz of Argentina (26-3, 12 KOs) in one of the title bouts. Also, Juan Francisco Estrada (24-2, 18 KOs), who won a decision against Brian Viloria to claim a pair of world flyweight title belts on the April 6 undercard, will return to Macau for his first defense, a mandatory against the Philippines’ Milan Melindo (29-0, 12 KOs), who also won on the April undercard by knocking out Tommy Seran in the fourth round.

“I think Estrada-Melindo will be well-anticipated [in Macau] because Estrada looked so good there against Viloria and Melindo knocked a guy cold on the undercard and now they are fighting each other,” Arum said.

Also on the card — in a fight that will air in the United States on same-day tape delay on UniMas’ “Solo Boxeo Tecate” series — undefeated heavyweight prospects Andy Ruiz (18-0, 12 KOs), born in Mexico and living in California, and Joe Hanks (21-0, 14 KOs), of Newark, N.J., will square off in a scheduled 10-round bout that could go a long way to producing a heavyweight prospect to watch.

“After the first show, that night, they asked us when could we come back,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said of Venetian officials.

“I’m looking forward to every one of these fights. Estrada-Melindo is a guaranteed fight of the year candidate with the way these guys like to go at it. Gradovich is in an interesting division against a good opponent. When you can put together two undefeated heavyweights it means something and has an immediate impact on the division and then you have Zou, who they love in China.”

“[Top Rank matchmaker] Bruce [Trampler] says that Andy Ruiz is a future heavyweight champion in the post-Klitschko era,” Arum said. With three Macau cards scheduled, Arum said his company is not done.

“We’ll have three in Macau this year and we’re working on a show at the Venetian in Singapore for whenever they want it, maybe October,” Arum said.

Rances Barthelemy will meet Fahsi Sakkreerin on June 21st in Minnesota in an IBF Jr. Lightweight elimination bout that will be broadcasted on ESPN Friday Night Fights according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The main event [is] between two of the world’s top 130-pound fighters,” Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules said in announcing the card. “While ‘Mountain Boy’ Sakkreerin is a lesser-known commodity over here, he’s well known in Asia as a very tough fighter. Rances is coming off a closer-than-expected performance in his last fight, so he’ll be looking to return to his dominant form. I expect both main event fighters to show up ready for all-out action. They both know what’s on the line. The winner will fight for a world championship.”

In the co-feature, middleweight Caleb Truax (21-1-1, 12 KOs), 29, from Osseo, Minn., will take on Chicago’s Donovan George (24-3-2, 21 KOs), 28, in a scheduled 10-rounder.

“The co-main event between one of our local heroes, Caleb Truax, and Donovan George will be huge for fight fans in this area,” said Tony Grygelko of Seconds Out Promotions. “Caleb is a very hard puncher and so is Donovan, so we don’t expect a distance fight. It will be bombs away in there. This will be a good old-fashioned middleweight war, and I’m very happy to be promoting it for Minnesota fight fans.”

Former world champion Vic Darchinyan scored an impressive third round stoppage over Javier Gallo in a scheduled ten round Super Bantamweight bout in Laredo, TX.

Darchinyan dropped Gallo three times in round two and finished the bout with a perfect left hand that dropped Gallo for a fourth time in round three.

Darchinya, 123 1/2 lbs of Armenia is now 39-5-1 with twenty-eight knockouts. Gallo, 123 1/2 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 18-7-1

2012 Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez scored an explosive first round knockout over Rocco Espinoza in a scheduled six round Featherweight bout.

Espinoza scored three knockdowns with the first coming from a body shot, the second from a right to the head and third coming from a booming right hand and the fight was stopped at 2:58 of round one.

Valdez, 127 3/4 lbs of Nogales, MX s now 5-0 with four knockouts. Espinoza, 127 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is now 4-7

In a battle of undefeated Jr. Welterweights, Kendo Castaneda scored a four round majority decision over Victor Rosas.

Scores were 40-36, 39-37 and 38-38 for Castaneda, 139 lbs of San Antonio, TX and is now 4-0. Rosas, 140 1/4 lbs of New Laredo, TX is 2-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the May 4th showdown that saw Floyd Mayweather record a unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero did over 1 million Pay Per View Purchases

“We still don’t have complete numbers, but we’ve seen the dish numbers and some of the cable numbers to be comfortable saying we will definitely exceed 1 million buys,” said head of Showtime Sports Stephen Espinoza on Friday. “We can’t tell how much it will exceed 1 million, though. That’s going to be determined by the reporting [from cable systems] that will come in over the next few weeks.

“We are absolutely satisfied,” Espinoza said. “We are pleased with the result. From a financial perspective, we are completely satisfied. We consider it a success. From a programming and fight fan standpoint, we consider it to be a very successful event.

“Looking at the numbers, for Floyd do to a million buys, and conceivably more, when it was one of his lesser-known pay-per-view opponents in the last six or seven years, that is a testament to his drawing power. Would we have liked to match the Cotto numbers or the De La Hoya numbers? Absolutely. Was that realistic? No, not with an opponent not nearly as well-known as Cotto or De La Hoya.

“I would have loved to [do 1.5 million buys] but the more accurate fight to compare it to is Ortiz. I take nothing away from Guerrero. He was a game competitor. He fought hard and belongs in the top tier at 147 pounds, but from a pure business perspective, he is not particularly well known and [has] not been in huge, marquee fights. So we are happy with the results.”

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Espinoza said of getting a Mayweather-Alvarez fight finalized. “There’s a lot of negotiating left to do, but often the biggest hurdle is convincing one fighter or the other to take the fight. That hurdle has been cleared. I truly believe Mayweather wants Canelo and that Canelo wants Mayweather, and that’s half the battle.”

Dierry Jean secured a world title shot as he scored a fourth round stoppage over Cleotis Pendarvis in an IBF Jr. Welterweight elimination bout at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

It was a competitive fight for the first two plus round as Pendarvis landed some nice hooks to the body and Jean landed some solid rights. Jean was cut badly around the right eye from a headbutt in round three.

In round four, Jean landed a booming right hand to the head that dumped Pendarvis on his back. Pendarvis stumbled to his feet but was able to continue. It did not last long as Jean jumped all over Pendarvis and hit him with with some vicious shots before referee Garry Ritter stopped the bout at 2:01 of round four.

Jean, 139 1/2 lbs of Port Au Prince Haiti will now look for a world title shot with a record of 25-0 with 17 knockouts. Pendarvis, 139 3/4 lbs of Long Beach, CA is now 17-4-1.

“The cut was bad,’’ said the 31-year-old Jean, who was born in Haiti but has lived in Canada since he was 10. “I couldn’t see anything. But my corner did a great job with it, and then I caught him with a perfect right hand. I was very surprised the referee let it go so long after the first knockdown but I knew I had to keep fighting and finish the job.

“I’m just so excited to finally be in a position to be getting a shot at the world title. I don’t care who it comes against. I feel I’m ready for anybody.

“Pendarvis was a good fighter and he surprised me a little bit with his counter-punching. But I thought I was winning all the rounds. So the fact he was ahead on one scorecard is surprising to me.’’

The loss snapped a six-fight winning streak for Pendarvis. “This is very disappointing,’’ he said, “but I just got caught with a great punch. I went into a shell after I got up and felt I was blocking most of his punches, but there are no excuses. I’ll be back.’’

In a battle between undefeated Jr. Middleweights, John Thompson scored a eight round unanimous decision over Geovanni Rodriguez.

Thompson boxed well over the first three rounds. In round four, Thompson landed a little right hand that made Rodriguez glove hit the canvas and was correctly ruled a knockdown. Later in the round, when it seemed Rodriguez steadied himself, he was dropped again form a hard jab.

Rodriguez started to get a little closer in round’s five and six and landed some good shots with both hands in those rounds. Thompson came back to have a solid round seven with his jab. Rodriguez came out in round eight and fought with some passion for the first time in the fight. That was short lived as Thompson landed a big right hand that sent Rodriguez to the canvas. With Rodriguez clearly hurt, Thompson landed a booming right that sent Rodriguez down for a fourth time in the bout. Rodriguez was able to make it to the final bell but Thompson was comfortably ahead and won by scores of 78-70, 78-70 and 78-71.

Thompson of Irvington, NJ is now 12-0. Rodriguez, 155 1/2 lbs of Trujillo, PR is now 8-1.

“I’m happy with the win but I know I can do better,’’ he said. “I still need to jab more. I should be able to dominate with the jab. But he was a good fighter. I definitely felt I had him out in the final round, but once he started to hold I knew the fight was going the distance. My speed and defense were the keys to my win tonight.’’

Vernon Paris scored a ten round unanimous decision over Manuel Perez in a Welterweight bout at the Masonic Temple in Detroit

It was Perez who was consistent early as he worked a nice jab and then worked the body of Paris. Paris started being more active in the middle rounds as he looked to counter with the right hand. The action picked up both ways with Perez landing well on the ropes. The fight was close but that was not indicative on the scores which read 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94.

Paris, 146 lbs of Detroit is now 28-1. Perez, 145 1/2 lbs of Denver is now 19-9-1.

Cornelius Lock have to overcome two dubious knockdowns and score a ten round unanimous decision over Lonnie Smith in a Lightweight bout.

Lock landed the more telling blows and threw a lot more punches. He was very effective with the uppsercut as Smith would be bent over leaving himself exposed for that shot. Smith scored two “knockdowns” in rounds four and five where he landed a shot but replays clearly showed that the fighters feet had become tangled in both instances leading to Lock hitting the canvas.

Lock gathered himself and fought well down the stretch and hurt Smith on several occasions in the late rounds. Smith had spit his mouthpiece out a handful of time leading to him being deducted a point in round ten. The last minute was entertaining with both guys throwing hard shots.

Lock, 132 lbs of Detroit won by scores of 97-91, 96-92 and 95-92 and is now 21-6-1. Smith, 132 lbs of Las Vegas is now 14-5-3.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, talks are underway for a possible Fall showdown between world champions Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez

“I am working on the fight,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “I’m crunching the numbers. You should see my calculator — it’s red-hot. I am working on a lot of fights, but this is my No. 1 priority.”

“This is something I am pursuing and I am having conversations with both sides,” Schaefer said. “Canelo wants the fight and Floyd has never turned down an opponent.”

“We’re going to be back in September,” Mayweather said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com reports that Manny Pacquiao will be back in the ring on November 24th when he takes on former Lightweight champion Brandon Rios in Macau, China.

“People know what Rios brings to the table,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. “People want to see a real fight, and that is what you get with Rios. We’re building a business in Macau and China and these are the kinds of fights — real action fights — that they want to see.”

“I think it’s a good match. People who watch boxing have differing views of the sport,” Arum said. “Some like to see an artistic performance like Floyd Mayweather gave [against Robert Guerrero on Saturday night] and other people like to see two guys knocking the s— out of each other. Me, I love a match when the guys go after each other and throw bombs. That’s my preference. It doesn’t mean it’s the right preference, but this is one of those kinds of fights.”

“The two fights with Alvarado were both very close fights and either guy could have won either fight,” said Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz. “We looked at styles and Rios has the better style for Manny. He’ll come forward and throw a lot of punches. Whether it goes five rounds or 12 rounds, it is going to be entertaining for the fans, and that is what Manny wants. Rios was Manny’s choice after Marquez and [Timothy] Bradley turned it down.”

“Manny is definitely going to get his mojo back with this fight,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told ESPN.com. “Brandon Rios likes to fight in the pocket and exchange, and Manny is very good in the pocket, too. I think it’ll be an exciting fight but that Manny is going to land in the pocket at some point and knock this guy out somewhere along the way. Rios likes to exchange and his style is not really difficult to figure out, so Manny’s gonna hit him.”

“After Marquez and Bradley turned down our offers, Rios was next in line and he took the fight,” Koncz said. “Manny is happy to get back in the ring, so he’s looking forward to this, but right now his major focus is on politics.

Said Arum, “Bradley and Marquez preferred to fight each other and they didn’t really want to go to Asia. The only one that benefits from the fight being outside the U.S. is Pacquiao because an American like Bradley still has to pay taxes in the U.S., and for Marquez [he] still has to pay taxes in Mexico, where the rate is about the same as in the U.S. For Pacquiao, it’s a big deal because the tax rates in the Philippines are much lower.”

“What’s gonna happen with this fight and event will be monumental from the standpoint of economics in boxing,” Arum said. “We have a whole program of how to market pay-per-view in China, and we’re gonna go on a barnstorming tour of China. In the United States, we market essentially only through cable and satellite systems, but in China, where they have about 1.4 billion people, it’s all on the Internet, on iPhones, iPads and computers. If this thing works like we expect that it will, the boxing business will never be the same.”

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t exactly easy money. More like seed money.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. planted what he hopes will blossom into five
more Showtime fights for $250 million with a decision more one-sided
than unanimous Saturday night over Robert Guerrero in a welterweight
bout at the MGM Grand.

“Five more to go,’’ Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs) said. “Let’s do it.’’

Can he? That answer was the key to Mayweather’s first fight since
his release from jail late last summer and his first bout since
beating Miguel Cotto a year ago.

Guerrero (31-2-1, 18 KOs) was there, perhaps, because he is as
tough as he was overmatched. His lack of speed and limited athleticism
made a Mayweather victory likely. It was the same on all three cards.
Judges Julie Lederman, Jerry Roth and Duane Ford scored it 117-111,
each for Mayweather.

On the 15 Rounds card, Mayweather was a 120-109 winner with
Guerrero failing to win a round. 15 Rounds scored the first round
even. Guerrero appeared to be winning the second, but that proved to
be the beginning of the inevitable when Mayweather stole the round by
landing the first right hand in what turned into avalanche of rights.

Guerrero wound up bloodied above one eye. The ringside physician
looked at the eye after the eighth. But the doctor decided that
Guerrero could continue.

“He was hard to hit,’’ Geurrero said. “But I’ll be back. Maybe
back for a rematch.’’

Guerrero was hurt, yet upright. In hindsight, that’s why he was
picked to be Mayweather’s first opponent in the Showtime deal. Every
new vehicle needs a test drive. Mayweather got the full, 12-round
drive, shaking off some initial stiffness and establishing some
familiar fluidity later.

There were also no hitches in the reunion with his dad, Floyd
Mayweather Sr., as his trainer. Roger Mayweather, his uncle and his
lead trainer for years, wasn’t in the corner, although he was in
middleweight J’Leon Love’s corner for a controversial victory on the
undercard.

“My father provided defense,’’ Mayweather Jr. said. “The less you
get hit, the longer you last.’’

Durability is the key if Mayweather hopes to collect the $250
million that is there if he fights five more times over the next 30
months. Even in the Guerrero fight, he might have suffered a
problematic injury. He complained of pain in his right hand, which he
said he hurt midway through the bout.

“I feel bad I didn’t give the fans a knockout,’’ said Mayweather,
who was guaranteed $32 million, more than 10 times Guerrero’s $3
million, according to contracts filed with the Nevada State Athletic
Commission. “I was looking for it. I hurt my right hand.’’

It wasn’t known late Saturday whether the hand was hurt bad enough
to prevent him from fighting in September.

“I plan to fight in September, yes,’’ Mayweather said a couple
hours after defeating Guerrero.

Even if healthy, however, Mayweather’s history indicates that five
more fights over the term of the deal are unlikely. He hasn’t fought
twice within 12 months since 2007.

Canelo Alvarez, the popular Mexican red-head, has called out
Mayweather repeatedly. After beating Austin Trout in San Antonio,
Alvarez again said he wanted to fight Mayweather. For Showtime, a deal
without Canelo-Mayweather would seem to be a bad one. Showtime, Golden
Boy Promotions, Mayweather and Canelo have 30 months to get it done.

If there is a Mayweather fight in September without Alvarez, there
are other possibilities. Danny Garcia, the current junior-welterweight
champion, was mentioned in Saturday night’s aftermath. Welterweight
Devon Alexander was another possibility.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer talked about somebody special.

A “red-headed” somebody, he said.

Schaefer didn’t have to say who.

After what happened Saturday night, talk about Mayweather-Alvarez
took on a momentum all its own.

Best of the Undercard

It was friendly fire, the toughest kind of all.

But a contract between longtime pals and sometime sparring
partners, Abner Mares and Daniel Ponce De Leon, had to be fulfilled.

It was.

In full.

Mares (26-0-1, 14 KOs) made sure of it with a brilliant display of
versatility and surprising power for two knockdowns in a ninth round
TKO of Ponce De Leon (44-5, 35 KOs) for the World Boxing Council’s
featherweight title.

“He’s my friend,’’ said Mares, whose friendship with Ponce De Leon
includes the same manager, Frank Espinoza. “I wanted him to stay down,
especially after I dropped him the second time. You just don’t want to
keep hitting a friend.’’

There was some mild controversy over whether Mares should have
been allowed to. After dropping Ponce De Leon with a right in the
ninth, Mares pursued and caught him along the ropes with succession of
blows. At 2:20 of the ninth, referee had seen enough. Jay Nady ended
it, despite Ponce De Leon’s pleas for more.

“I don’t feel the fight should have been stopped,’’ said Ponce De
Leon, who also said he wants a rematch.

Friendship’s perks might get him one, although that would still
leave him with an impossible task. In Mares’ first fight at 126
pounds, he knocked down Ponce De Leon with a left in the second and a
right in the ninth.

“I think I confused him,’’ said Mares, who dedicated the victory to
his father. His dad suffered a stroke nearly a month ago.

The Rest

· A move up in weight embellished Leo Santa Cruz’ emerging
status as perhaps the best fighter in the 118-to-126-pound range with
an overwhelming stoppage of ex-flyweight champ Alexander Munoz of
Venezuela in a junior-feather bout. Santa Cruz, of Los Angeles,
dedicated his victory to an ailing brother. “He’s fighting for his
life,’’ Santa Cruz (24-0-1, 14 KOs) said. He fought for him, knocking
down Munoz (36-5, 28 KOs) in the third, rocking him with head-snapping
punches in the fourth and finishing him off with a right-left
combination at 1:05 of the fifth. Santa Cruz landed an astonishing
219 punches before five rounds were complete, according to CompuBox.
Santa Cruz might be next for Mares, according to Golden Boy Promotions
CEO Richard Schaefer.

· Las Vegas middleweight J’Leon Love (16-0, 8 KOs) got no love
in getting a split decision, booed loudly and often, over Garbriel
Rosado (21-7, 13 KOs), who lost despite scoring a knockdown in the
sixth round with a right. “It is what it is,’’ Love, a Mayweather
Promotions prospect, said after the 10-round victory over Rosado, a
Philadelphia fighter who sat on top of the ropes in his corner and
shook his head as if to say it was lousy.

· Las Vegas super-middleweight Ronald Gavril (4-0, 1 KO) closed
the non-televised portion of the pay-per-view card with a sweeping
right hook that appeared to leave Roberto Yong (5-7-2, 4 KOs) of
Phoenix defenseless and without a chance. Referee Russell Mora
stopped, making Gavril a TKO winner at 2:12 of the third round.

· Super-middleweight Luis Arias (5-0, 3 KOs), a Cuban
super-middleweight now living in Las Vegas, relied on a solid right
to survive some rocky moments and repeated left hands from DonYil
Livingston (8-3-1, 4 KOs) of Palmdale, Calif., for a six-round victory
by majority decision.

· Las Vegas light heavyweight Badou Jack (14-0, 10 KOs) of
Mayweather Promotions landed a right-handed body punch that put
Michael Gbenga (13-8, 3 KOs) to one knee in the third. Gbenga of
Silver Springs, Md., complained that the punch was a low blow. Video
said otherwise. Jack stayed unbeaten, winning a third-round TKO.

· Las Vegas super-middleweight Lanell Bellows (4-0-1, 4 KOs)
won a fourth-round stoppage over Matthew Garretson (2-1, 1 KO) of
Charleston, WV.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Floyd Mayweather will earn a minimum of $32 million for his fight tonight against Robert Guerrero in Las Vegas.

That was the number submitted on his contract that was filed with the Nevada commission.

“I think when you see a total like that it speaks for itself,” Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, whose company will pay Mayweather, told ESPN.com. “He has established clearly that level of $32 million as a guarantee and remember: He will make much more after everything is counted because he keeps 90 percent of the profit from the event. The $32 million is just the contract minimum. The bulk of everything else goes to him.”

“It speaks to his popularity. He generates that money,” Schaefer said. “Love him or hate him, they watch him. I’m very happy for him. He deserves it.”

“It’s just a great feeling to know that he is the highest-paid athlete in the world,” said Leonard Ellerbe, a Mayweather adviser and the CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “With Floyd being the highest-paid athlete in the sport, he can just continue to bring awareness to boxing and help make it a mainstream sport once again. That’s a lot of money. It’s truly a blessing.

“He was highest-paid athlete last year and guess where he’ll be again this year?

Errol Spence Jr. scored a first round stoppage over Brandon Hoskins in scheduled six round Super Welterweight bout.

Spence dropped Hoskins twice and the fight was waved off after the second knockdown which came from a body shot at 2:35

Spence, 150 lbs of Dallas, TX is 5-0 with four knockouts. Hoskins, 149 lbs of Hannibal.MO is 16-5-1.

Joseph Diaz scored a third round stoppage over Joseph Gotay in a scheduled four round Super Bantamweight bout.

Diaz dropped Gotay in round three from a hard left and the fight was stopped t 2:13.

Diaz, 123 lbs of South El Monte, CA is now 4-0 with 2 knockouts. Gotay, 121 1/2 lbs of Caimito, CA is now 3-2.

In the opening bout of the evening, Fernando Fuentes scored a four round majority decision over Cristian Lorenzo.

The bantamweight bout featured two undefeated fighters that saw Fuentes win by scores of 40-36, 39-37 and 38-38.

Fuentes, 117 ½ lbs of Hemet, CA is now 2-0-1. Lorenzo, 117 ½ lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 2-1