CABAZON, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2013) – For the 102nd and 103rd times in its 10½-year history, a previously unbeaten fighter suffered the first loss of his career on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME®.

The latest was Art “Lionheart” Hovhannisyan, of Glendale, Calif., who dropped a close, unanimous 10-round decision to Alejandro “El Alacran” Perez, of Salinas, Calif., in an action-packed main event Friday night at Morongo Casino Resort.

Perez (17-3-1, 11 KOs) outpointed the naturally bigger Hovhannisyan (15-1-2, 8 KOs) by the scores of 96-93 twice and 95-94. There were no knockdowns.

Perez and Hovhannisyan are quite familiar with each other, having sparred as many as 80 rounds in the past. They are pals. But they didn’t perform like it, treating the fans to an entertaining, fast-paced, hard-fought fight that featured numerous heated exchanges

The crowd-pleasing Perez lost his previous ShoBox fights to then-highly regarded prospects Diego Magdaleno and Rico Ramos. Magdaleno is still perfect as a pro; Ramos went on to become a world champion.

“It’s a great relief to finally win one on ShoBox, but I definitely felt I had it,’’ said Perez, who was triumphant despite getting docked a point for a low blow in the fifth. “All the hard work paid off for me. Although this was my first fight in a year, I never stopped training and never quit going to the gym.

“I think I surprised Art with my straight right hands down the middle. I don’t think he expected that. It was something we worked on specifically for this fight. I train hard to please the fans and give them a great show, and I think we gave them a great fight tonight.’’

A bitterly disappointed Hovhannisyan didn’t seem as upset with the decision as he was with himself. “It was a close fight,’’ he said. “I didn’t throw enough punches.’’

Former Bahamian Olympian Tureano Johnson scored a eight round unanimous decision over Willie Fortune in a fight that featured two undefeated Middleweights.

Johnson was dominant as he thew and landed many more punches then Fortune and was extremely accurate and the fight was one-sided as Fortune showed more guts then competitiveness in the bout.

Johnson outlanded Fortune 277-140 and connected on a staggering 59% of his punches

Johnson, 159 lbs of Nassau, Bahamas won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 14-0. Fortune, 157 lbs of Detroit is 15-1

Lamont Peterson retained the IBF Jr. Welterweight title with a eighth round stoppage over former beltholder Kendall Holt at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

Holt came out boxing well over the first three rounds. Peterson started ti get his motor running as he started walking down Holt and dropped him with a big overhand right in round four. Peterson started applying intense pressure that had Holt backing. A big combination on the ropes hurt Holt in round six and it was cleaned up by a big right hand that sent Hold to the canvas for a second time.

Peterson was relentless and landed some hard combinations in round seven and he then finished things off in the eighth with a devastating flurry on the ropes and referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout at 1:42 of round eight.

Peterson, 139.6 lbs of Washington, D.C. was fighting for the first time in fourteen months after testing positive for synthetic testosterone is now 31-1-1 with sixteen knockouts. Holt, 140 lbs of Paterson, NJ is now 28-6.

Roman Morales scored a fifth round stoppage over Jesus Hernandez in a scheduled eight round Jr. Featherweight bout.

Morales boxed well and got out to an early lead lead over the first three rounds. In round four, Morales scored a knockdown from a right habd just before the end of the frame. Morales ended things with a perfect left to the body that sent Hernandez down for referee Malik Walid’s ten count and the bout was over at 2:59 of round five

Morales, 122 lbs of San Ardo, CA is now 15-0 with eight knockouts. Hernandez, 121 lbs of Riverside, CA is 10-1-3

Ivan Redkach, of Los Angeles, improved to 14-0, 12 KOs, scoring a KO at 2:06 of the very first round against Sergio Rivera, now 27-11-2, 17 KOs. Scheduled for eight rounds in the lightweight division, the knockout artist Redkach came out of his corner like a tornado, throwing fast combinations to the head and body. Body shots bent Rivera in half and the southpaw Redkach followed up with uppercuts to the chin that dropped his foe for the full count.

The co-feature showcased Travis Peterkin (6-0, 3 KO’s, 175lbs) completely out-classed Thomas Turner (3-2, 2 KO’s, 173lbs) over the course of three rounds. Turner did not land a significant punch the entire fight, while Peterkin brawled his way through three rounds, hurting Turner regularly. Finally, after taking dozens of unanswered punches, the referee was forced to call a halt to the bout at 2:10 of the third round and Peterkin received a TKO victory.
2:10 rd 3

Coming off of his first professional defeat, Thomas DuLorme (16-1, 12 KO’s, 143lbs) took on Edward Brooks (9-3, 3 KO’s, 148lbs). DuLorme took the fight to Brooks from the outset, and it didn’t take long for the KO to come. A measuring left jab followed by a powerful right dropped Brooks hard. Brooks made two attempts to get to his feet, but fell both times. The referee counted to ten at the 1:35 point of the first round, giving DuLorme a first round knockout victory.

Keisher McLeod Wells scored a six round unanimous decision over Jacqueline Park in a Female Flyweight bout.

McLeod Wells, 109 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56 and is now 6-2. Park, 110 lbs of Burlington, Ontario is 0-2.

In a bout scheduled for four rounds, former amateur national champion Patrick Day (1-0, 1 KO, 154lbs) took on Dominique Foster (1-1-1, 0 KO’s, 154lbs). Day opened up the bout aggressively, and Foster had no answer. He weaved away wildly while he took hard blows throughout the entirety of the first round. As the round ended, Foster complained about pain in his neck, and all three ringside doctors were called over to observe. Eventually, Foster’s trainer made the decision to call the fight off in between rounds. Day was credited with a TKO victory at 3:00 of the first round.

The popular Louis Cruz(1-0, 1 KO, 141lbs) of the Bronx, NY took on a very talented Demond Brock (3-1, 2 KO’s, 143lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Both fighters didn’t take long getting to know each other. Cruz worked behind his jab and powerful straight right hand while Brock countered to the body. Cruz’jab eventually opened up a cut over Brock’s right eye early in the fight, and that might have been the difference maker for what came later. Two rounds later, while Brock tried throwing a left hook, Cruz threw a better left hook that landed flush on Brock’s chin, flattening Brock. Cruz won by way of stoppage at 1:12 of the third round.

Neuky Santelises (3-0, 2 KO’s, 132lbs) scored a first round stoppage over Denis Madriz (1-0-1, 1 KO, 130lbs) in a scheduled four round Super Featherweight bout.

It was a brawl from the get but Santelises gained control and landed some hard shots before the fight was stopped forty-six seconds into the bout.

Santelises, 132 lbs of Washington Heights, NY is now 4-0 with three knockouts. Madriz, 130 lbs of San Francisco is now 0-1-1.

Super Bantamweight world champion Nonito Donaire will take on fellow beltholder Guillermo Rigondeaux on April 13th at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

“There’s no question that fighting at Radio City Music Hall is like a coronation for the fighter of the year, fighting on that historic stage,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “We couldn’t get the Theater [at Madison Square Garden] so [MSG executive vice president] Joel Fisher said maybe he could get Radio City, because the Garden owns it. We said that was a great idea. It’s expensive to do a fight there, but it’s worth it.

“I think it’s going to be a terrific fight. It’s one I have wanted to see. These guys have been spouting off about each other for a long time and now it will be decided in the ring.”

“I’ve heard so much about the place and how Roy fought there and Roy is one of the guys I look up to, so I am very excited about fighting there,” Donaire told ESPN.com.

“We want to show up the second time in New York and make a statement this time and not have Rigondeaux run from me when he gets hit hard,” Donaire said. “We already have the remedy and answer for that style from what I learned in the Narvaez fight. We have a blue print ready.

“I failed to get a knockout in my first fight in New York and I want the fans to see a knockout from me. I am going out there to knock my guys out. I believe I have great fans on the East Coast and I want to give them a good show.”

“It took awhile because there were internal problems on the Rigondeaux side with [his co-promoter] Caribe,” Arum said. “But we worked everything out and they were gentlemanly. It takes time. Eventually, sanity prevailed and everyone wants the fight to happen, so you make a deal.”

Said Donaire, “I watched Rigondeaux’s last fight with [Robert] Marroquin and he’s pretty decent. He’s pretty good at countering, so I was getting excited about fighting him. It’s a good fight. I look forward to taking that belt. That’s my goal.”

Two nights before the fight, Donaire will make an appearance at the annual Boxing Writers Association of America awards banquet to collect his fighter of the year trophy.

“I was really honored they gave me that award,” Donaire said. “Last year, all I wanted to do was fight the best guys they put in front of. I’m just trying to be the best and fight the best. I have Rigondeaux now and, hopefully, we can get the Mares fight too.”

“I will do as much as I can this year, but my primary thing this year after this fight is having a family,” he said. “We are very excited about [the baby]. I can win titles and more titles and it pays the bills but I also want to be a good father and husband.”

“He was talking all this crap about drug testing, saying he would do whatever it took to fight me,” Donaire said. “We negotiated it and I want to show the sport is clean. But then he didn’t sign [the VADA contract].”

“We got that resolved and we have a fight,” Arum said.

In a move that will change the television landscape in boxing, pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather has signed a lucrative deal with Showtime, this ending his 16 year relationship with HBO and will fight Robert Guerrero on May 4th according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Floyd has signed a record-breaking deal with Showtime PPV/CBS, and Floyd is ecstatic,” Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather’s top advisers, told ESPN.com. “This historic deal reflects a global superstar who is head and shoulders above his peers. HBO, they made a great offer, but the Showtime PPV/CBS offer was substantially greater in every facet, from top to bottom.

“So bottom line, HBO was outgunned. They came to a gun fight with a knife. At the end of the day, it’s business. Floyd has had a fantastic relationship over the last (16) years with HBO but he’s moving on. He made the decision based on what was best for him and his family. Showtime/CBS really stepped up and made it crystal clear that they wanted Floyd Mayweather. This is a tremendous platform, and Floyd’s looking forward to putting his talents in front of a much larger worldwide audience.”

“The first fight is Guerrero, ‘The Ghost,’ the boogey man,” Ellerbe said. “Floyd’s going to line all these guys up and he’s going to whup their asses one by one.

“It was a very detailed process,” Showtime Sports head Stephen Espinoza told ESPN.com. “We put forth a very aggressive offer, and I know Floyd spent a lot of time with (adviser) Al Haymon poring over the details. Ultimately, I was able to bring a lot of the (Showtime and CBS) assets to the table, and with so many of our platforms stepping forward to support it, this was a deal he couldn’t refuse.

Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, who promotes Guerrero and has promoted all of Mayweather’s fights since 2007 on a fight-by-fight basis, told ESPN.com that the kickoff news conference for the fight, which hasn’t been scheduled yet, will be nationally televised on CBS on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, when the network televises most of its sports fare.

“This will redefine the way boxing press conferences are done,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who has worked on Mayweather’s fights since 2007 said. “The traveling to different cities maybe was the most effective thing at a time when you had in each city a half dozen writers. Now it’s driven by different platforms and we are looking at putting together a press conference similar to the way you see a presidential debate — a moderator, a live audience and journalists can submit questions that will then be read and it will televised nationwide on CBS.

unior middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KOs), the 22-year-old Mexican star and a big draw for the card on Cinco de Mayo weekend, is expected to fight on the undercard, possibly in a unification fight with Austin Trout (26-0, 14 KOs), who upset Miguel Cotto in a December title defense.

But Schaefer said that deal is not done.

“First we needed to get (Mayweather-Guerrero and the TV deal) done and now, within the next 24 or 48 hours, I am trying to see if in fact we can get a fight done between Canelo and Trout,” he said. “It is not done, it is not signed. There are other possibilities we are looking at for Canelo.

“But as I have said all along, we have every intention to have Canelo fight on this card. As for the matchup, that is my next task.”

“I think it’s a fantastic matchup. Robert is one tough competitor,” Schaefer said. “He hasn’t lost (since 2006) and that loss was to a fighter (Orlando Salido in a featherweight title fight) who tested positive for steroids after the fight (and the decision was changed to a no contest). He’s a multiple-weight world champion. He actively campaigned for this fight, and a lot of media people say he has earned the fight if you look at what he’s done in the last 12 months.

“He’s young, he’s been active, he’s coming off the biggest wins of his career and he showed he is a real welterweight against Berto and Aydin. This is a hell of a challenge for Floyd, and Robert as well. At 147, he is the most dangerous opponent Floyd could have picked, end of story.”

Said Ellerbe: “Guerrero thinks he’s a badass and come May 4, Floyd is going to show him why he is the top dog and why he’s been world champion for 15 years.”

“We made an aggressive and responsible pay-per-view offer,” HBO said in a statement given to ESPN.com. “Now we move on. We are focused on the best boxing franchise in the television business. We are proud of the roster of superstar fighters and emerging stars who are scheduled to appear on the multiple HBO television platforms this year.”

“Robert can box, he can punch, he has a chin,” Schaefer said. “He has a hell of a chance to win this fight. When you look at Floyd Mayweather, he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s the most skilled fighter out there, but at the same time he’s getting older and hasn’t fought for a year. Not fighting for a year when you are in your 20s is one thing, but in your 30s, fighting once a year is not the best setup.

“His body went through a grueling fight with Cotto, and he was in jail. Who knows what all that has done to him? There are a lot of interesting aspects which make this fight high-stakes.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, potentially the biggest bout in Canadian boxing history between former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute has been agreed to.

“Bute and Pascal are going to fight each other, it’s just when we don’t know,” Yvon Michel, Pascal’s promoter, told ESPN.com on Monday. “We are working on different scenarios.”

The likely scenario is that they will meet in the spring, probably May 25. A less likely scenario is that they would meet in the fall with each having an interim bout. Either way, Bute would rise in weight from 168 pounds to 175 to fight in Pascal’s division, Michel said.

“I have already had phone calls from the Bell Centre, from Olympic Stadium and a football stadium in Quebec City,” Michel said. “It’s the biggest ever fight in Canada.”

Said Buter’s promoter Interbox CEO Jean Bedard: “Everybody here [in Canada] has wanted the fight for a long time. It will be the biggest event in boxing history in Canada.”

The reason the deal comes as such a surprise, however, is the timing. Pascal has had a deal in place, although not signed, to face light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson on May 25 on HBO in a rematch at the Bell Centre. The fight was originally scheduled for March 9 but postponed because Pascal re-injured his shoulder in a unanimous 10-round decision win against Aleksy Kuziemski on Dec. 14 and needed additional time to recover.

Michel said Pascal’s interim bout before facing Bute could be the rematch with Dawson, but he was not very convincing. It would be a big gamble to take with the Bute fight looming.

“This is what we haven’t decided yet. This is what we are evaluating right now,” Michel said of whether to fight Bute or Dawson next. “But Pascal will make $700,000 to fight Dawson. He will make more than $2 million fighting Bute.”

“There’s a lot of interest from people in Canada and outside of Canada for this fight,” Bedard said. “HBO already planned for Pascal-Dawson II, so this is an issue for them, but it’s their decision. They say that have already planned to work with [Dawson promoter] Gary Shaw and Yvon.

“But Pascal wants to fight Bute more than Dawson and there is a lot more money for him in the fight. HBO likes to be part of very big events. May 25 would be a big event because HBO has [the Mikkel Kessler-Froch super middleweight title rematch] in London and after that (on the same telecast) you could have Pascal-Bute. That’s big. The boxers are there, the promoters are there, the fans are there for this fight. Everybody is on the same page.”

Shaw is not happy about Pascal-Bute likely killing the May Pascal-Dawson rematch.

“I met with Yvon this week in New York, where he told me that Bedard had offered him a fight with Bute and he would put Dawson on the undercard, give him $600,000 and we could bring our own opponent. I told him, I would never do that to my fighter or HBO,” Shaw said. “We finished lunch, I asked, ‘Do we still have a fight,’ and Yvon said, ‘Yes,’ and shook my hand, and said, ‘We have a deal.’

“That is everything I know. Yvon has always been honest and I would be very disappointed to find out that Yvon has done anything underhanded. But remember, this is boxing, and stranger things have happened.”

At the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ Golden Boy Promotions alongside R&R Promotions featured boxing’s best young talent take another step towards greatness. That boxer’s name is Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s, 134lbs), and on Saturday night he squared off against the rugged former world champion, Gavin Rees (37-1-1, 134 1/2lbs). Broner has remained undefeated by blending his amazing speed with raw power …. And of course a pinch of flash to go along. Rees came out swinging to start the bout. The smaller of the two fighters, Rees put his head down and charged in while taking head snapping blows right on the chin. His aggression might have won him that first round, but Broner was extremely efficient with his punches and was landing at a higher rate as the bout progressed.

Broner’s amazing ability drew “ohhs” and “ahhs” from the crowd, and Rees toughness and strong will drew cheers from his supporters. Entering the fourth round, the fight was already very entertaining, but Broner was completely in control. In a flash, a right uppercut landed clear on Rees’ chin, sending him crashing onto his back. With the crowd in a frenzy, Broner felt it necessary to break into a dance.

Rees made it out of the round, and seemed fairly competent in the fifth round until a vicious shot to the body sent him to his knees. It was a beautiful punch on the inside that was timed to absolute perfection. Rees, beat the count, but was in a difficult position. Broner proved that he could hurt Rees to the head and body. Rees had to make a decision as to how high or low he should place his guard; to protect his body or head? He decided to go with what probably hurt the most at that moment; his body. Broner capitalized by landing numerous punches upstairs. He was looking to close the show. Rees’ corner understood this, and his trainer wisely threw in the towel to spare his fighter more punishment. Adrien Broner won by TKO at 2:59 of the 5th round.

In an exciting clash of styles, Sakio Bika (30-5, 21 KO’s, 167 1/2lbs) squared off against the relatively unknown Nikola Sjekloca (25-0, 7 KO’s, 167 1/2lbs). Bika took control of the action quickly. Sjekloca possessed the typical European rigid style. Standing upright and moving straight backwards and side to side. While that works for some, it was not cutting it for Sjekloca. Bika’s awkward style gave his opponent fits while giving himself angles to land multiple combinations. After the first few rounds of the fight, many in attendance felt that Bika could win by knockout. Like flicking a switch Sjekloca got into his groove by the middle rounds. It was still clearly Bika’s fight, but Sjekloca now made it competitive. He was often able to time Bika’s unorthodox upper body movement with his right hand, and he certainly earned Bika’s respect during those middle rounds. Still, Bika managed to kit it up into another gear by the late rounds and essentially shut down whatever abilities Sjekloca possessed. The bout made it’s way to the scorecards and they read 119-109, 118-112, and 120-108 all in favor of Bika for a unanimous decision victory. He is now the WBC mandatory for Andre Ward’s title.

Demetrius Hopkins (32-2-1, 13 KO’s, 152 1/2lbs) came out to a throng of cheers when he took to the ring against Charles Whitaker (39-13-2, 23 KO’s, 154lbs) for the USBA light middleweight title. Those cheers quickly turned to boos as the action was anything but exciting. Hopkins has always been a methodical fighter, so the pace wasn’t unexpected for those in attendance. Whitaker, the bigger of the two fighters had very little desire to engage Hopkins, and this made for a very boring few rounds. After a round of boos, Hopkins lulled Whitaker into backing straight back into the ropes, and unleashed a solid overhand right that sent Whitaker down. This made things more interesting, but whatever little desire Whitaker had of throwing punches was immediately thrown out the window after the knockdown. Hopkins just continuously stalked his opponent and landed his right hand whenever he managed to get Whitaker to stop back pedaling. At the end of the sixth round, as Whitaker was hearing more boos from the crowd, he complained of loss of vision in his left eye. His corner was forced to stop the bout. The ruling was that Hopkins won by TKO at 3:00 of the sixth round.

The once rising star, Vincente Escobedo (25-5, 15 KO’s, 129 1/2lbs) took the ring for a comeback fight after losing to Adrien Broner last summer. His opponent was the battle tested Edner Cherry (30-6-2, 17 KO’s, 129 1/2lbs). He made a bad mistake. Cherry just simply out-hustled Escobedo from the get-go; putting in most of his work to the body, which completely opened Escobedo up for punches upstairs. Cherry’s work rate kept Escobedo off balance throughout most of the night and it prevented Escobedo from getting a rhythm. The second round saw Cherry floor his opponent, and it was more of the same from there on out. By the sixth round, Escobedo seemed completely spent, and a big hook sent him crashing down onto the canvas. Escobedo barely made it to his feet, and the referee allowed the fight to continue. Cherry, on the other hand was aware that time was running out on the round, and stormed right in once both fighters were cleared to box. More hooks came in and Escobedo went down again just as the bell to end the round. Referee Allan Huggins wisely stopped the bout right then and there, giving Cherry a TKO victory at 3:00 of the sixth round. Escobedo was once considered to be the top prospect in boxing. It seems unlikely that he will ever become a player at 130lbs or any other weight for that matter.

Former Olympian Rau’Shee Warren (2-0, 0KO’s, 116 1/2lbs) made easy work of Richard Hernandez (0-5, 0 KO’s, 115 1/2lbs) en route to a TKO victory. Warren, a friend and training partner of Broner, was just too fast, too strong, and just flat out too good for Hernandez. After a dominant first round, Warren kicked it into a higher gear in the second, scoring two knockdowns that prompted Hernandez’ corner to throw in the towel to spare him any further embarrassment and pain. Warren won by TKO at 2:04 of the second round.

In an anti-climactic fight, Robert Easter Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs, 133lbs) opened up a cut over the right eye of Jose Valderrama (2-3, 2 KOs, 135lbs). Easter was dominating the first round when the cut occurred. Valderrama was visibly distracted by the bleeding and placement of the cut. Nobody seemed surprised when the ringside physician advised the referee to stop the bout. Easter was credited with a first round TKO at the 3:00 point of the first.

Another Olympian, Jamel Herring (1-0, 1 KO, 134 1/2lbs) boxed beautifully against the outmatched Carlos Lopez (4-2, 0KO’s 137lbs). After a three-round beat down, the bout was called at the 3:00 point of the third round, giving Herring a TKO victory.

ADRIEN BRONER VS. GAVIN REES POST-FIGHT QUOTES

ADRIEN BRONER, WBC Lightweight World Champion

“I knew he [Rees] was going to come to fight. He’s a world-class fighter.

“He [Rees] kept coming. He threw every shot like it was his best shot. I knew he would hang.

“When you have two world-class fighters going toe-to-toe, it’s going to be a great fight.

“Thanks to everyone who came out. It’s [NBA] All-Star Weekend and you came to see an All-Star.

“He’s [Rees] tougher than a steak that’s been well done.

“If I fought Ricky Burns, he would get burnt out. I want to fight him, but if he doesn’t want to fight me. Oh well.

“There are high expectations for me to take boxing over after [Floyd] Mayweather and [Manny] Pacquiao hang up their gloves.

“Tonight was a nice fight. I have to go back and watch it. Overall I felt pretty. I just looked in the mirror and I still look good.

“I would fight 10 times a year if I could.”

GAVIN REES, Former World Champion

“He’s [Broner] the best I have ever been in [the ring] with. It’s not a case of whether he will go on to be a super star… he is already there.

“I made a lot of mistakes and I believe I have a better skill set than that.

“I knew he [Broner] hit hard, but his power just stunned me. I got reckless and that was the end of the night, but I was always going to get back up.

“I would have gone on until I was knocked out cold. I disagree with Gary pulling me out, but he knows that I would have gotten hurt. We are good friends and he was just looking out for me.”

MIKE STAFFORD, Broner’s Trainer

“We knew Gavin was going to come in [to fight]. I wanted Adrien to take his time and pick his punches.

“He made mistakes and Adrien countered each mistake he made.

“Gavin was a great fighter for two rounds. I knew he was going to try his best to take Adrien out and Adrien capitalized on his mistakes and picked him apart.

“Believe it or not, you haven’t seen the whole package deal. It’s a secret that we behold in the gym.”

GARY LOCKETT, Rees’ Trainer

“I was going to pull him out in the fourth. I considered pulling him out after the third, but I knew he would say ‘there is no way.'”

Dorely Valente and Mayela Perez battled to a ten round draw in a Female Flyweight bout.

Scores were 96-94 for Valente while that was over ruled by a pair of scores that read 95-95.

Valente is 8-0-2. Perez is 10-15-4.

Roberto Ortiz scored a six round technical majority decision over Fidel Monterrosa in a Welterweight bout scheduled for twelve rounds.

Monterossa was cut from an inadvertent elbow and Ortiz was docked a point in round two and that cut eventually led to the stoppage.

Ortiz, 146 lbs of Torreon, MX won by scores of 58-54, 58-54 and 56-56 and is now 28-0-1. Monterrosa, 145 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 29-7.

Joseph Aguirre, 131.8 lbs scored a four round unanimous decision over Israel Huerta in a four round Jr. Welterweight bout featuring pro debuters.

The March 2nd WBA Lightweight title fight between Richard Abril and Sharif Bogere has been moved from the Apollo Theater in New York to the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

The fight was moved after the Featherweight title bout between Daniel Ponce De Leon and Jayson Velez was called off due to a injury to Velez.

“Sharif Bogere is from Vegas and is very popular there, so for him fighting for his first world title, it makes sense to take it there,” Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “The Apollo in Spanish Harlem, in the middle of the Mexican and Puerto Rican neighborhoods, made all the sense in the world for Ponce versus Velez, but with them off the card, it makes more sense to do it from Vegas.”

Also on the card will be undefeated prospect Gary Russell Jr. battling Vyacheslav Gusev

According to Dan Rafael, HBO has hired New Jersey based judge Steve Weisfeld to commentate on rules.

“Our producers see him in the same manner as the role that Mike Pereira plays for the NFL on Fox,” HBO spokesman Ray Stallone told ESPN.com. “He’s our rules expert.”

Weisfeld has long been considered one of the best judges in America and has worked major fights all over the world.

Weisfeld’s first broadcast will be this Saturday’s Lightweight title bout between Adrien Broner and Gavin Rees

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, newly crowned WBA Super Lightweight champion Khabib Allakhverdiev will make his maiden defense when he takes on hard punching Bredis Prescott on March 30th as the televised co-feature to the anticipated rematch between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado on March 30th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

“He beat (Joan) Guzman, who’s a very good fighter and (matchmakers) Bruce (Trampler) and Brad (Goodman) think he’s a very good fighter, so we signed him,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “We want to make him a big name and then we have fights we can try to make. Maybe he could fight (welterweight titlist) Tim Bradley, or the Rios-Alvarado winner. We can mix and match these guys.”

“It’s a title fight in the 140-pound division on the same card with Rios and Alvarado on top, so the winners and losers from that night, I can see them fighting each other somewhere,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said. “It’s just a natural mix no matter who wins and loses that night.”

“Prescott was the first man to knock out Amir Khan, he had the war with Mike Alvarado and the disputed loss to McCloskey, who’s a southpaw, which shows he can handle that style,” Moretti said. “And Khabib just keeps coming and throwing punches. He doesn’t know any better. Let’s give him some credit. Khabib said to get him a tough guy. He had no problem taking this fight. Some people create their own storms and then complain when it rains, so let’s see what happens with Khabib and Prescott.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Floyd Mayweather will be trained by his father Floyd Mayweather Sr. for his May 4th bout against a still unnamed opponent.

Mayweather and his father have had many differences in the past but appear to be back on the same page.

Me & my trainer [my dad] back working together getting ready for May 4th,” Mayweather tweeted. Mayweather also included a link of a photo of them together, presumably at his gym.

After the fallout of the Jonathon Banks – Seth Mitchell co-feature for this Saturday’s HBO World Championship boxing card featuring WBC Lightweight champion Adrien Broner battling Gavin Rees, HBO has decided iy will air the WBC Super Middleweight elimination bout between Sakio Bika and Nikola Sjekloca according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I think it’s terrific,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. “It is a fight which I was hoping get televised anyway and I didn’t have a spot, but the fight had to happen [because it’s an official eliminator] so we put it on the card and it wasn’t going to be televised. Bika is a come-forward guy who makes good fights and my matchmakers tell me that Sjekloca is an exciting come-forward guy as well, so it should be a terrific fight and I am happy HBO is picking it up.”

The winner of the fight is due to become a mandatory challenger for super middleweight champion Andre Ward, already an owner of a lopsided decision win against Bika, who has won two fights in a row since that defeat.

“Obviously, since HBO is deeply invested in the 168-pound weight class, I feel this is the right spot for this fight to air,” Schaefer added.

PLUS CHARLES WHITTAKER VS. DEMETRIUS HOPKINS,

VICENTE ESCOBEDO VS. EDNER CHERRY AND

2012 UNITED STATES OLYMPIANS RAU’SHEE WARREN AND

JAMEL HERRING SET FOR UNDERCARD

ATLANTIC CITY, February 13 – After a broken thumb forced Johnathon Banks to withdraw from his February 16 rematch with Seth Mitchell, Golden Boy Promotions has announced that a pivotal 12-round WBC super middleweight title eliminator between unbeaten number one rated contender Nikola Sjekloca and number two rated contender Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika will move into the HBO World Championship Boxing co-main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey before Adrien Broner defends his world title against Gavin Rees.

Plus, the stacked non-televised undercard will feature a USBA Junior Middleweight title fight between Charles Whittaker and Demetrius Hopkins, a junior lightweight bout pitting Vicente Escobedo against Edner Cherry and appearances by 2012 United States Olympians Rau’Shee Warren and Jamel Herring.

Budva, Montenegro’s Nikola Sjekloca (25-0, 7 KO’s) is a skilled boxer whose long hours in the gym and the ring are finally starting to pay off as he makes his way to the ring in Atlantic City for his first fight in the United States. A professional since 2006, the 34-year-old Sjekloca has been dominant while fighting in Europe, winning the WBC International and WBC Mediterranean titles along the way. His quest won’t be complete until he adds a world title to his resume and a win over Bika will put him one win away from that goal.

A punishing puncher whose aggressive style has stopped 21 foes in their tracks, 33-year-old Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (30-5-2, 21 KO’s) has been among the best in the world for years, with the only thing eluding him being a world championship belt. A 2000 Olympian for Cameroon who also won NBC’s hit boxing reality show “The Contender” in 2007, Bika’s list of vanquished opponents includes Sam Soliman, Jaidon Codrington and Peter Manfredo Jr. The winner of two straight and coming off of a 10th round technical knockout over Dyah Davis last June, Bika is fired up for his February 16 showdown with Sjekloca.

Back in a fighting rhythm after a layoff of over a year, Philadelphia’s Demetrius “The Gladiator” Hopkins (32-2-1, 12 KO’s) has looked sharp in his new weight class of 154 pounds, shutting out Doel Carrasquillo and stopping Joshua Snyder in his first two fights in the division. However, the truest test of his ability to challenge the elite at junior middleweight thus far will come on February 16 when he meets up with Miami’s Charles Whittaker (39-13-2, 23 KO’s). A hard-hitting late bloomer who has won 15 of his last 16 bouts, the 39-year-old Whittaker will push Hopkins hard for 12 rounds if necessary in defense of his USBA Junior Middleweight title, but the “Killa” would love to end matters sooner than that.

2004 United States Olympian Vicente Escobedo (26-4, 15 KO’s) will make his first start since a July 2012 title fight loss to Adrien Broner on Saturday night and the 31-year-old Woodland, California native can’t wait to score a win and get back on track for another shot at a world championship. Standing in his way will be Miami veteran Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry (30-6-2, 16 KO’s), a former world title challenger at 140 pounds whose return to his optimum weight class of junior lightweight has seen him go unbeaten in his last seven bouts.

Three-Time United States Olympian Rau’shee Warren (2-0) has left the amateur game behind as he searches for professional gold and he’s off to a good start thus far wins in both of his bouts. On February 16, the bantamweight prospect will join his fellow Cincinnati native Adrien Broner on one of the most highly-anticipated cards of the year in a four-round battle against Wharton, Texas’ Richard Hernandez (0-5).

Rockville Centre, New York’s Jamel Herring (1-0) proudly represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and after his professional debut win over Puerto Rico’s Jose Valderrama on December 8, the lightweight prospect will seek his second victory the weekend against Carlos Lopez (4-2) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a four-round.

In lightweight action, Toledo’s Robert Easter Jr. (2-0, 2 KO’s) will meet up with the aforementioned Valderrama (3-3, 3 KO’s) from Manati, Puerto Rico in a four-round fight and opening up the show will be Philadelphia’s Wahid Rahim (3-0, 1 KO) facing Allentown, Pennsylvania’s Ismael Serrano who will be making his professional debut.

Broner vs. Rees, a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBC Lightweight World Championship will take place Saturday, February 16 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, R & R Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City and Corona and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The co-main event will be a 12-round WBC super middleweight title eliminator between undefeated number one rated contender Nikola Sjekloca and number two rated contender Sakio Bika

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/AdrienBroner,www.twitter.com/ChenteEscobedo, www.twitter.com/RausheeWarren, www.twitter.com/RobertEaster_Jr, www.twitter.com/JamelHerring, www.twitter.com/BoardwalkHall and www.twitter.com/HBOboxing, follow the conversation using #BronerRees or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/HBOboxing.

According to Dan Rafael of esp.com IBF Bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz will relinquish his title and begin campaigning as a Super Bantamweight

We knew Leo was going to vacate,” said Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer, Santa Cruz’s promoter. “He felt there were no more challenges in that weight class and he felt it was time to move up for new challenges.

“We get together and discuss with our fighters where they are and where they want to be. That’s what we’ve done with Leo and his team — his father and (adviser) Al (Haymon). We felt, jointly, that it made sense for Leo to move up.”

“Leo had a very busy year and it was important for his body to rest after he was so active, so we said let’s target a ring return for sometime in May,” Schaefer said.

“For the first fight at the higher weight class, we want to pick a quality opponent and we see in the next two or so fights that Leo will be fighting for a world title again,” Schaefer said. “He didn’t move up to do tune-up fights.

“We will have to see what is available for him for a big fight, but we believe as a company that, in no particular order, Leo Santa Cruz, (Nonito) Donaire, Abner Mares, (Guillermo) Rigondeaux and Gary Russell Jr. are the best guys in these (junior featherweight and featherweight) weight classes, and we are not afraid to put Leo in with anyone.”

Kevin Bizier remained undefeated after former world Lightweight champion Nate Campbell did not come out for round nine of their ten round Welterweight bout at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Bizier used his size to slowly wear down the forty year old Campbell as he focused on the body. Campbell came out being active but was unable to sustain any type of momentum as the hometown guy was able to land hooks and uppercuts to pile up the points. The official stoppage came at the end of round eight.

Bizier, 147 lbs of Quebec City, Can is now 20-0 with 14 knockouts. Campbell, 146 lbs of Jacksonville, FLA is now 36-10-1-1

Laham squeaks past Asselstine

In a a battle of undefeated Lightweights, Baha Laham was able to score a ten round majority decision over Tyler Asselstine.

Asselstine tried to use his height and work rate early. Laham tried to get inside and make it a dog fight and he was able to make it that in the later rounds. It was a fight that could have gone either way but it was Laham getting the decision by a score of 96-94, 96-95 and 95-95.

Laham, 134 lbs of Montreal is now 11-0-1. Asselstine, 130 lbs of Toronto is 12-1.

Andres Gutierrez scored an impressive second round destruction over Jose Carmona in a scheduled ten round Featherweight contest.

Gutierrez scored three knockdowns in the decisive send frame. After the first knockdown the two went to war and a body shot sent Carmona down for a second time. Carmona was reeling and a barrage of punches sent him down for a third and final time as he did not beat the referee’s count.

Gutierrez is 25-0-1 with 21 knockouts. Carmona is 18-3.

Carlos Carlson remained undefeated by scoring a first round stoppage over Aaron Olivares in a scheduled eight round Bantamweight bout.

Carlson dropped Olivares twice and pounced on him after the second knockdown before the fight was stopped just seconds before the first round was over.

Carlson, 118.8 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 9-0 with 6 knockouts. Olivares is now 6-3

Javier Mercado scored a stoppage in round four over Jesus Vazquez in a scheduled eight round Super Featherweight bout.

Mercado dropped Vazquez in round’s two and three and the bout was stopped ten seconds into round round four.

Mercado is now 18-5-1 with 16 knockouts. Vazquez is 11-2-1.

Bruno Sandoval scored a third round stoppage over Antonio Martinez in a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

Sandoval dropped Martinez twice in round three and the bout was stopped.

Sandoval of Mexico City is 12-0 with 11 knockouts. Martinez of Guanojato, MX is 1-2

Jose Felix scored a ten round unanimous decision over Gerardo Robles in a Lightweight bout in McAllen, Texas

Felix controlled the fight with the exception of being deducted a point in round seven for a low blow.

Scores were 98-91, 97-92 and 96-93 for Felix, 134 lbs of Los Mochis, MX and is now 23-0-1. Robles, 134 lbs of Durango, MX is now 18-11

David Rios remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Noe Santamaria in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37 for Diaz who is now 2-0. Santamaria is now 1-4

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undfeated Jr. Middleweight prospect Omar Henry passed away on Friday due to Gallbladder Cancer.

Henry was due to appear on SHOBOX on November 16th but fell ill just a few days before the fight and was diagnosed with Gall Stones which then led to the Cancer diagnosis.

“My liver was so swollen that the doctor asked me if I had been in a car accident,” Henry said. “When I told him I had not been in a car accident, he told me that I was very lucky to have not participated in a boxing match in this condition. He said I could have easily ruptured my liver if I entered the ring at this time.

“Looking back, I guess there were symptoms back in California (where he had been training), but when you’re in training there are always aches and pains that you try to ignore. As disappointed as I am right now, it does help that the doctors said I would have risked my life had I not learned about my ailments.”

“This is a real human tragedy for a young man of just 25 years and so much energy to have his life taken away. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord,” promoter Don King said in a statement given to ESPN.com.

Henry would have been 26 years old on February 8th and had a pro record of 12-0-1

IBF Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch will take on WBC champ Mikkel Kessler in a rematch of their terrific April 2010 fight on May 25th in London according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I promised Carl we would meet again and here we are, getting ready to leave it all in the ring for a second time,” Kessler said last month when the deal was reached. “I have the utmost of respect for Carl. I feel we are very much alike. He is a great champion, a true warrior that has fought the best opponents all over the world in some of the most hostile places, just like me. Our first fight, especially the last round, showed what we are all about and I was (anxious) to do it again.”

“Our first fight was pure warfare,” Froch said last month. “We went at each other for every minute of every round and the rematch promises to be even more fiercely contested. I seriously wish I was ringside myself for this fight, because I’m gunning for revenge at all costs and the fight fans are in for a real treat.”

Carlos Molina won a twelve round unanimous decision over former two division world champion Cory Spinks in an IBF Jr. Middleweight elimination bout at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

Molina dominated the sction as he pressed and pushed Spinks with consistent punching while Spinks would only push with the jab and do alot of holding.

Molina became more dominant as the rounds progressed and big round’s seven and eight. In round nine Spinks was deducted a point for the excessive holding. In round eleven, Molina landed a little left hook that sent Spinks to the canvas. Spinks as was able to get out of the round but took alot of punches against the ropes and the referee ruled a eiht count for a second knockdown in round twelve. Dpinks made it to the final bell but was not even close as the scorecards read 120-105, 119-106 and 119-106 for Molina.

Molina, 153.4 lbs of Chicago will now await the winner of the February 23rd title bout between champion Cornelius Bundrage and Ishe Smith. Molina is now 21-5-2. Spinks, 153.2 lbs of Boca Raton, FL via St. Louis is now 39-8.

Antwone Smith scored a ten round unanimous decision over former two-time Lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

The fight did not have much sustained action with the difference of the fight being Smiths work rate over the 39 year old Castillo. Castillo had a decent round four but was docked a point in that round for excessive low blows.

Scores were 100-90, 98-92 and 99-91 for Smith, 155.6 lbs of Miami ans is now 23-4-1. Castillo, 151.8 lbs of Empaine, Sonora Mexico is now 64-12-1

WBA Middleweight champion will most likely defend his crown against Nobuhiro Ishida on March 30h in Monte Carlo according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We would look for the biggest names that would fight him by that time,” said Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler said of the June bout. “Hopefully someone steps up (to fight Golovkin) with the bigger HBO budget.”

“I was impressed with Daniel Geale’s performance and wish to publicly congratulate him on his victory,” Golovkin said. “I know this was personal for him as he had lost previously to Mundine and he certainly got his revenge.”

“I also want to wish Felix Sturm the best of luck in his upcoming bout against Soliman,” Golovkin said. “I’m sure he was quite disappointed losing to Geale last September and is looking to shine against Soliman. Felix avoided me as his mandatory for over two years when he was champion, but I will give him the opportunity to fight for his old title whenever he would like to.”

Titleholder Peter Quillin is another opponent Golovkin is interested in. Quillin makes his first title defense against Fernando Guerrero on April 27 in Brooklyn, N.Y. The card was postponed from Feb. 9 because junior welterweight titlist Danny Garcia, who faces former titlist Zab Judah in the main event, suffered a rib injury.

“I’m aware that his fight with Fernando Guerrero was pushed back until the end of April. He’s talked about fighting me in the past and I’m certainly interested if he’s serious,” Golovkin said.

“I want the biggest fights and the best challenges, as I’ve said all along,” Golovkin said. “With HBO broadcasting my fights, either Geale or Sturm would be a perfect fight this year. Geale said after the fight (with Mundine) that he wanted to fight in the U.S. this year. Look no further — we can make a title unification bout this summer.”

Demetrious Johnson retained the UFC Flyweight championship with a five round unanimous decision over former Ultimate Fighter Winner John Dodson in the main event at the United Center in Chicago.

Scores were 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 for Johnson, 125 lbs of Parkland, WA and is now 17-2-1. Dodson, 124 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 15-6

Glovier Tiexeira scored a three round unanimous decision over former Light Heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Tiexiera for Tiexeira, 206 lbs of Rio De Janairo, Brazil and is now 20-2. Jackson, 204 lbs of Irvine, CA is now 32-11.

Anthony Pettis scored a 1st round stoppage over Donald Cerrone on a kick to the ribs in a Lightweight bout.

The bout was stopped at 2:35.

Petts, 155 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is now 14-2. Cerrone, 155 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 19-5-1

Ricardo Lamas scored a second round stoppage over Erik Koch in a Lightweight bout

Lamas landed a big elbow while Koch was down that opened up a nasty cut over the left eye of Koch and then Lamas set iff about ten elbows and punches and referee John McCarthy stopped the bout at 2:32 of round two.

Lamas, 145 lbs of Chicago is 13-2. Koch, 145 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is also 13-2.

Lucas Matthysse made a big statement in calling for a fight with the winner of Danny Garcia and Zab Juah as he scored a spectacular first round knockout over Mike Dallas Jr. in a scheduled twelve round Super Lightweight bout at the Joint at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

It took one blistering right hand to knock Dallas out on his feet and he plummeted to the canvas as Matthysse missed two follow up shots and referee Robert Byrd called the bout off immedately.

Matthysse, of Argentina is now 33-2-1 with 31 knockouts. Dallas of Bakersfield, CA is now 19-3-1.

Jesus Soto Karass scored ten round majority decision over Selcuk Aydin in a Welterweight bout.

Soto Karass pushed the action and consistently had Aydin backing up.

Scores were 97-93 on two cards and 95-95.

Soto Karass, 148 lbs of North Hollywood, CA is now 27-8-3-1. Aydin, 149 lbs of Tonazza, Turkey is now 23-2.

Jermell Charlo remained perfect by scoring an eighth round stoppage over Harry Joe Yorgey in a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Charlo looked very good and flashed explosive speed that led to two knockdowns in round two. The first knockdown was scored from a hard right hand. Again it was the right that was responsible for the second knockdown.

Yorgey was not very active and it was Charlo’s skills that was the cause of the inactivity. Yorgey started to bleed from around the left eye in round seven. Charlo scored a vicious one-two combination that sent Yorgey slowly to his knee in round eight. Yorget beat referee Kenny Bayless count but took a step backwards and the fight was waved off at 1:09 of round eight.

Charlo, 153 1/2 lbs of Houston, TX us 20-0 with 10 knockouts. Yorgey, 153 1/2 lbs of Bridgeport, PA is now 25-2-1.

Francisco Vargas scored a second round stoppage over Ira Terry in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Vargas landed a hard right hand that sent Terry down for the ten count and the bout was waved off at 1:46 of round two.

Garcia, 130 lbs of Mexico City is now 15-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Terry, 129 lbs of Memphis, TN is now 26-11.

Julian Williams remained undefeated by stopping Jeremiah Wiggins in round seven of an eight round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Williams dominated the action and hurt Wiggins repeatedly throughout the fight. Williams had extremely string rounds in three, four, five and six as landed hard shots with both hands. Wiggins stayed in the fight by occasionally landing combinations but never had Williams in serious trouble.

Williams landed a huge left hook in round seven that set off a barrage of punches on the ropes that facilitated Wiggins corner to throw in the towel.

Williams, 154 1/s lbs of Philadelphia is now 11-0-1 with six knockouts. Wiggins, 151 lbs of Newport News, VA is now 10-2-1

2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence Jr. drilled overmatched Nathan Butcher in the first round of a scheduled four round Welterweight bout.

Spence landed a right to the body that was followed by a vicious right and left to the head that had Butcher sprawling into the ropes and referee Russell Mora stopped the bout at 1:03 of round one.

Spence of Dallas is 3-0 with all wins coming via knockout. Butcher of Huntington, WV is 0-2.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com Golden Boy Promotions offered Top Rank a $3 million package in order to make a Super Bantamweight unification bout between Nonito Donaire and Abner Mares.

“The offer is now in writing and was sent (Friday) afternoon,” said Richard Schaefer.

“There’s a signature line for Donaire and one for (Top Rank chairman Bob) Arum. I signed already and Mares is in, too. It’s $3 million for their side to do whatever they want with. It’s probably a world-record amount of money for a man in that (122-pound) weight class.”

“We are not asking for any options, not asking for anything besides this fight,” Schaefer said, adding that there is no rematch clause language. “We will treat Top Rank with respect. They can hang their banner up at the press conferences and the fight, we’ll have the fight be announced ‘in association with Top Rank,’ we’ll give them library rights to the fight. All that stuff. No catch weights, no bull—-. This is a serious offer. I am anxious to know what kind of excuses they will come up with now.”

“There’s nothing more I can do to make this fight than to make that kind of serious offer,” Schaefer said.

“I’m going to go where I can make the most money,” Schaefer said. “I believe this is a big fight and there’s substantial revenues involved. I value the fight differently than Arum. I might be wrong. But I am willing to take the risk.”

“They offered us a million dollars for Abner, (Mares manager Frank)Espinoza and me. It was a joke,” Schaefer said. “Top Rank obviously values the fight differently than I do.”

“I don’t know what the catch is,” Schaefer said. “I’m anxious to know about their excuses for not doing the fight. Like Bob always says, maybe the fight needs to marinate a bit longer. I’m sure they will come up with something. If Arum and Donaire go and do another fight, it means they don’t want the fight because they can’t make the money in any other fight than what they can make with this offer. No strings attached.

“I swear on my kids there is no catch here. This is as straight forward as can be. Bob can even bring his Top Rank banner to the fight. I don’t care. I just want to make the fight.

“This is fair as can be. Arum can (question) me all he wants and this and that, but it does not change the fact that there is a great deal here for him and his fighter on the table. At the end of the day, he doesn’t want his fighters to fight our fighters.”

“I haven’t seen anything yet, so how can I say if it sounds OK if I haven’t seen it yet,” said Donaire manager Cameron Dunkin. “But I have never had a problem with Nonito fighting Abner Mares. It’s a great fight. Two great fighters. It’s a big fight. Do I like my guy (to win)? Of course, I like my guy. Does my guy win? Absolutely. But they are two solid names and this is a big fight.”

“I’ll know more when I see an offer from Top Rank and get their take on it,” Dunkin said. “Is (the offer) true and straight forward? We’ll find out.”

World ranked Jr. Middleweight Demetrius Andrade scored a ten round whitewash over former world title challenger Freddy Hernandez at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York

Andrade dominated the action from the opening frame using his wide speed and skill advantage and made the fight look easy. He could score anytime he desired and scored a hard knockdown in round six from a crushing right to the head. Hernandez spit his mouthpiece out in order to get more time to recover and was able to make it out of the round but it did int stop the beating that he received over the next four rounds.

Andrade won by scores of 100-89 on all cards and could be fighting for the WBO Jr. Middleweight crown in his next bout with an undefeated record of 19-0. Hernandez of Mexico City is 30-4-1

Emanuel Taylor scored the biggest win of his career when he scored a six round stoppage over one-time prospect Raymond Serrano in a scheduled ten round Jr. Welterweight bout.

It was a close bout early as Serrano tried to work the body and Taylor worked the head. Taylor started getting ahead in round four by landing some sharp right hands. He continued that in the fifth. In round six, Taylor landed a hard combination with the last four shots rendering Serrano defenseless and referee Steve Willis stopped the bout at 1:42 of round six.

Taylor, 141 1/2 lbs of Edgewood, MS is now 16-1 with 11 knockouts. Serrano, 140 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is now 18-2.

VERONA, NY (January 27, 2013)—Brian Vera threw his name in the middleweight title mix by scoring an entertaining 10th round stoppage over former Jr. Middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk to retain his NABO Middleweight title at the Turning Stone Resort Casino.

The card was promoted by Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions and wad televised Live on ESPN Friday Night Fights

In round one, Vera dropped Dzinziruk two times. The first one was a flash knockdown where a left sent Dzinziruk down. That knockdown was more of a trip and the second one was from a hard right. Vera closed the round by battering Dzinziruk from more hard right hands. Vera continued to get through with right hands while Dzinziruk fought hard to stay in the fight behind a hard right jab.

In round eight, Vera was all over Dziziruk before the former world champion showed a lot of mettle by fighting out of the corner. Dzinziruk came back to have a solid round nine.

In round ten, Vera landed a pair of right hands that set off an onslaught of punches that crumpled Dzinziruk to the canvas. Dzinziruk got to his feet but referee Benji Esteves stopped the bout at 1:50 of round 10.

Vera, who is ranked #3 by the WBO is now 22-6 with 13 knockouts. Dzinziruk is now 36-2-1

Jose Hernandez scored an eighth round stoppage over previously undefeated Tony Luis in a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

It was a terrific back and forth brawl with both guys landing hard shots at close range. Hernandez started to take control as he landed a plethora of head shots while Luis was very effective landing thudding body blows.

In round eight, Hernandez rocked Luis several times before sending him to the canvas. Luis showed tremendous courage as he continued to throw shots but that only left him exposed to eat more shots which had previously bloodied his mouth which prompted his father/trainer Jorge to throw in the towel at 2:43 of round eight.

Hernandez of Fort Worth, Texas is now 14-6-1 with 6 knockouts. Luis of Cornwall, Ontario loses for the first time and is 15-1.

Good looking Middleweight prospect Antoine Douglas scored a four round unanimous decision over Emanuel Medina.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Douglas of Burke, Virginia and is now 4-0. Medina of Quincy, Massachusetts is now 2-3-1.

In the opening bout, WBO #11 Light Heavyweight Jackson Junior Dos Santos scored an explosive first round stoppage over former U.S. Olympian Dante Craig.

Dos Santos dropped Craig with a hard combination midway through the first frame. Dos Santos followed that up by blasting a right hand to the chin of Craig that sent him flat on his back and the fight was waved off immediately at 2:43 of round one.

Dos Santos of San Paulo, Brazil is now 14-0 with 12 knockouts. Craig of Cincinnati, OH is now 20-15-1.

On the strength of 2nd round knockdown, Jose Saenz scored a four round split decision over Jermell Tyson in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 38-37 on two cards for Saenz while Tyson took a third card 38-37.
Saenz of Kansas City is 4-0. The gritty Tyson is now 3-9-1.

Local favorite Ryon McKenzie took out Rayshawn Myers after two round of their Light Heavyweight bout.

McKenzie dropped Myers twice in round two. First from an uppercut followed by a right hand. He than scored a hard knockdown from a hard left hook. Myers made it out of round two but his corner pulled the plug on the fight between rounds.

McKenzie of Syracuse is now 12-0 with eleven knockouts. Myers of Cleveland is now 4-16-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com a potential WBA Welterweight title clash between Paulie Malignaggi and Shane Mosley broke down over financial terms

“Mosley was on board, and I was under the impression that Paulie was on board as well, but for whatever reason, that was not the case,” Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

“The fight is dead in the water. At the end of the day, the financial package was not attractive enough for Paulie to take the fight, and that is his right.”

“I talked to Shane and he said OK and that he didn’t blame anybody,” Schaefer said. “I know this fight meant a lot to him, that he wanted a chance to win the title again, and I think if the right opportunity comes along, I would still make a fight for Shane Mosley if he wants it, so that’s one of the things I am working on.”

“I felt a fight between Paulie and Shane would be a good fight and sell tickets. I felt it was an intriguing matchup,” Schaefer said. “You ask people who will win, and they scratch their head and say Mosley might actually win the fight. I felt I could sell this fight at the Barclays Center. Life goes on.”

One of the fighters to now be in the mix to face Malignaggi could be Marcos Maidana

“Malignaggi is one of the few fighters out there who really have b—-, not like the others. I want his title,” Maidana tweeted.

Responded Malignaggi: “(Maidana) is a worthy challenger. He deserves a shot. Let’s get it done.”

“We were (surprised) to read Malignaggi’s statement that he wants Maidana and not Mosley, so I immediately called Maidana on the phone to let him know and he instructed me to ask (Golden Boy) for that fight yet again since Maidana has no fights scheduled as of yet,” he said.

“If I’m going to do Malignaggi-Maidana, I wouldn’t want to take the risk at the Barclays Center,” Schaefer said. “I’m probably going to do a fight for Paulie (April 27), but I don’t see many other headline fights for him at Barclays. Do I think Malignaggi-Maidana is a good fight? I do, but I am not sure that’s the main event at the Barclays Center, a big, big arena. I don’t want to put that fight in a huge venue.

“Right now, I have been thrown a bit of a curveball with this (Malignaggi-Mosley) fight situation, but we will move on. We will have an event on April 27 on Showtime and we are coming up with the right card, but it won’t necessarily be at Barclays Center. My first choice is Lucas Matthysse against Marcos Maidana, assuming Matthysse wins on Saturday, from the West Coast.”

“A fight between Andre Berto and Paulie Malignaggi would be of interest to the networks and fans,” he said. “A fight between Maidana and Matthysse is of interest. A fight between Malignaggi and Maidana is of interest. Now there are different amounts of license fees being paid for these fights, so I will go to Malignaggi, to Maidana, to Berto, to Matthysse, and I will tell them what the different purses they can make and we’ll go from there.”

It was another night of Dibella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing in New York City. Tonight’s venue was the B. B. King Blues Club in the heart of Times Square and featured some thrilling bouts. The headline saw Luis Rosa (11-0, 6 KO’s, 123lbs) take on the tough Derrick Wilson (9-3, 3 KO’s, 122lbs), who is much better than his record shows, as he has made a career out of making good fighters look bad in their own backyards.

Things started off quickly for both fighters. They wasted no time getting to know each other and exchanged hard blows. Wilson was the rangier fighter of the two, landing hard blows from a distance, while Rosa did most of his damage from the inside. It was a perfect clash of styles as both fighters walloped each other for the full eight rounds of a very close fight. Entering the seventh round, the bout seemed even, and Rosa’s hard body work earlier in the fight seemed to be paying off, as Wilson seemed visibly tired. Rosa won that round by being more active. The final scores read 80-72, 77-75, and 77-75 in favor of Rosa, giving him a majority decision victory. The 80-72 score was ridiculous, but the other two scores show that the fight was even going into the final round, so Rosa’s early bodywork coupled with his late aggression won him the fight.

It has been nearly two years since Yuri Foreman (28-2, 8 KO’s, 154lbs) stepped into a boxing ring. He injured his knee against Pawel Wolak in March of 2011, and was forced to undergo reconstruction surgery which kept him out of boxing for longer than he would have liked. Last night, he took on Brandon Baue (12-9, 10 KO’s, 157 ½lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Foreman opened the fight working behind his jab and using his always elusive lateral movement. His movement seemed perfectly fine, but he made sure to not take too many risks. He was certainly rusty, missing blows that he would have normally landed flush, as well as getting hit with punches that he normally would never get hit by. Either way, Foreman was still dominating. But as the bout progressed, he slowly put things into place and began to let his hands go more. He countered Baue’s right hand constantly, and occasionally worked the body well. Foreman never pressed the action, which forced Baue to throw more and make mistakes; mistakes that Foreman took advantage of time and time again. After six rounds, all three judges scored the fight 60-54 in favor of Foreman, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

In an exciting brawl, Lamar Russ (11-0, 7 KO’s, 161lbs) took on Jose Medina (17-11-1, 7 KO’s, 162lbs). Russ worked from a distance with a solid jab and right hook. It was Russ who got things going early with his hard blows. Medina came back with a right hand counter that stopped Russ in his tracks, but that was only for a moment as he came back with more big punches. These back and forth exchanges continued for the full eight rounds, but it was Russ whose punches came at a much higher volume. The final scores read 78-74, 78-74, and 77-75.

The popular Heather Hardy (3-0, 0 KO’s, 122lbs) took to the ring against Margaret Maerz (2-2-1, 0 KO’s, 119lbs). All of Hardy’s fights have featured nonstop action, and this one was no different. Hardy’s right hook landed with frequency throughout the bout, but Maerz also sported a solid straight right that kept Hardy’s onslaught in check. In the end, Hardy was too much and won with scores of 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37 for a unanimous decision.

Delen Parsley (9-0, 2 KO’s, 159lbs) needed only two rounds to dispose of Tyron Selders (8-4, 6 KO’s, 160lbs). The first round saw Selders in control with an extremely high work rate. As the round was about to end, he surged towards Parsley, who was unloading a counter just as the bell rang. A split second after the bell rang, that counter right hand landed flush on Selders chin. He barely beat the count and staggered back to his corner. The second round saw Selders get his legs back under him and continue his aggression, but Parsley knew that his power would make a difference. He threw much more, and battered Selders over the course of the second round. In between rounds, Selders corner had to stop the bout as he had taken too much punishment. The official ruling is a TKO at :00 of the third round.

In his professional debut, heavyweight Eugene Russell (240lbs) made short work of Granson Clark (1-1, 1 KO, 219lbs), needing only 2:51 seconds to hammer down his opponent. He was victorious with a KO victory in front of his fans from the Queensbridge section of Queens, NY.

Skender Halili (7-0, 7 KO’s, 148lbs) looked to keep his perfect record intact when he took on Roberto Crespo (4-2, 0 KO’s, 147 ½lbs). The bout opened up with both fighters working their jab. Halili showcased an extremely powerful jab that often stopped Crespo in his tracks. Things began to heat up in the second. Halili had staggered Crespo with a jab and rushed forward hoping to lay some leather onto a back tracking Crespo, when out of nowhere, Crespo landed a right hook onto Halili’s temple, sending him down. Halili made it to his feet before the referee could even begin his count, but Crespo left an impression on Halili and the fans that we were in for a fight. Crespo finished off the round strong. Halili continued to work his jab, maintaining a safe distance and only coming in when he desired. Every punch he threw had bad intentions behind it. Not one punch was thrown in order to set up another. Instead, he threw his jab as if he was hoping to score a knockout off of it. A sight rarely seen.

As the bout progressed, Halili continued to come forward and land hard blows, while occasionally taking hard counterpunches in return. Then, out of nowhere, a short left uppercut on the inside sent Crespo down. He beat the count, but on shaky legs, and Halili pounced. This time, a left hook sent Crespo down for a second time. Crespo barely beat that count, and before any more damage could be done, he was saved by the bell. Entering the final round, fans in attendance wondered if Halili would go for broke and try and score a knockout. The two knockdowns essentially erased any doubt as to whether or not he was going to win the fight on points. He was surely ahead at that point. As the bell sounded for the final round, Halili stormed out of his corner and continued to apply the pressure. But Crespo defended himself well and stayed on his feet. About halfway through the round, Halili seemed to settle down. He stuck out his jab and appeared to be working his way towards a decision victory. But he had other things in mind. He lulled his opponent into thinking that things had died down, and that created an opening for Halili to unleash another left uppercut that landed square on Crespo’s chin. He was down for a third time, and the referee waved the fight off. Halili maintains his perfect record with a TKO victory at 2:40 of the 6th round.

Patrick Day (155lbs) scored an impressive 59 second knockout victory over Zachariah Kelley (1-1, 1 KO, 156lbs) in their bout.

Neuky Santelises (2-0, 1 KO, 133lbs) opened up the evening with a 2nd round knockout victory over Juan Javier Guerrero (0-0-1, 0 KO’s, 132lbs) at the :22 mark.

Australian Featherweight title holder Billy Dib will defend his crown against Luis Franco on March 1st as part of an ESPN 2 card according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

The show will be co-promoted by Lou DiBella and rapper 50 Cent.

“He has his people and his staff working with my staff on the event. He is clearly co-promoting this event,” DiBella told ESPN.com on Tuesday night. “Fifty is going to be a big part of the story and the promotion. His ring entrance for Gamboa (when he dropped from the arena rafters while singing one of his new songs) was nothing short of sensational. He’ll lead Dib into the ring. He’s been involved in doing this deal from the beginning. We’ve had numerous conversations and he is involved in all aspects of the show.”

“Dib hasn’t always been in crowd-pleasing fights, but his recent fights have been,” DiBella said. “And Franco was a great amateur in Cuba. He is supremely talented. It should be a competitive fight and I think my fight, with Nelson and Medina, that is going to be a fun fight.”

Dan Rafael od espn.com is reporting that former Featherweight champion Orlando Salido broke his orbital in his title losing fight bout this past Saturday night against Mikey Garcia.

“It’s very possible that it was broken right off the bat in the first round,” Salido’s manager Sean Gibbons said.

“Salido wasn’t ready for that first shot so it took him a while to get adjusted after that and we think he was fighting with the broken bone from the first round,” Gibbons said. “He had a CT scan at the hospital and everything was OK, thankfully, other than that (broken bone). We were at the hospital until 5 in the morning and then Orlando was on a flight back to Mexico at 9 a.m.”

He said Salido (39-12-2, 27 KOs), 32, was disappointed that the fight ended so abruptly, just as Salido, although way behind on the scorecards, was beginning to come on.

“We didn’t have closure in the fight,” Gibbons said. “Orlando said he would have rather gotten knocked out than have it end like that. He believes he was coming on and getting ready to do something. The Mikey that fought those first six rounds was tough. But the Mikey who fought the seventh and eighth rounds was not the same Mikey. Orlando was starting to get to him and who knows what would have happened? There was still a lot of fight left when it got stopped.”

“He has great support from the government in (the Mexican state of) Sonora, where we’ll do a fight in May at 130 pounds,” Gibbons said. “And if (junior lightweight titlist) Rocky Martinez is still holding onto his belt, we’d love to fight Rocky Martinez.”

“If we can’t get Martinez, making the weight for featherweight is no problem for Orlando. It’s not an issue, so we don’t rule out something at featherweight again,” Gibbons said.