Former two division world champion Ricky Hatton will make his much anticipated comeback against former WBA Welterweight champion Vyacheslav Sanchenko on November 24th in Manchester, England according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I can’t wait to get in the ring now and I’m sure that Vyacheslav Senchenko will give me a good fight. It’s one that I am confident I can win, though,” said Hatton, who turns 34 next week.

Hatton stopped Malignaggi in the 11th round of a lineal junior welterweight championship fight in November 2008 in Las Vegas, one bout before Hatton got knocked out by Pacquiao.

“Senchenko lost the last time he fought to Paulie Malignaggi but he has got a good pedigree,” Hatton said. “I’m in great shape, I’m feeling good and I know I can put on a performance for all those watching.

“I’m a boxer who loves boxing and loves to box. I’m driven by a hunger to box and look forward to getting back in the ring on the 24th.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Featherweight titlist Orlando Salido fractured a finger by accidentally slamming his hand into a car door and his November 10th defense against undefeated Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia has to be postponed.

“The worst part of this is that it was not even a boxing-related injury,” said Salido’s manager Sean Gibbons. “It’s just bad luck. One of his guys shut the door on his hand by accident. Just a freak accident.

“We’ve never had an injury and had to pull out of a fight before. Salido is one of the healthiest guys you’ll meet. He’s always in condition. He doesn’t ever get too far out of shape but these things happen.”

Gibbons said that Salido would be ready to fight again in early January.

“This guy was making a very high six-figure payday for this fight,” Gibbons said. “Even though he was making a good purse, he’s got too much pride and heart just to go through with it and not be 100 percent. He isn’t just fighting for the payday. He wants it to heal properly so he can train properly so he can win the fight. Some guys would jump at the payday even if they were injured, just because of the money. But Salido has a lot of pride. He doesn’t want to just fight. He wants to win.”

“HBO’s intention is to go forward with the card,” said Top Rank’s Carl Moretti. “I’m talking to them. Everybody is in mind to fight Mikey. It depends on who is available and who we can get.”

The co-feature remains intact, a junior middleweight title elimination bout between 2004 U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (32-0, 20 KOs) against Erislandy Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs) for the right to become the mandatory challenger for titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that a solid doubleheader has been consummated for November 10th on HBO that will originate from Las Vegas as WBC Super Welterweight eliminator between Erislandy Lara and Vanes Martirosyan as well as WBO Featherweight champion Orlando Salido defending against Mikey Garcia.

“Showtime informed our attorney that they are passing on the match,” said Top Ranlk’s Carl Moretti, adding that the card will take place in a 3,500-seat ballroom at the Wynn.

“This is a fight that matches Garcia’s youth against Salido’s experience,” Moretti said. “It’s boxer-puncher (Garcia) versus brawler (Salido). Clearly, whoever wins the fight establishes himself as probably the best featherweight in the world.”

Top Rank, which promotes 2004 U.S. Olympian Martirosyan (32-0, 20 KOs), won the right to the fight by winning a purse bid in July. Top Rank’s offer of $405,000 topped the $326,000 bid made by rival Golden Boy, which has Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs), a former world amateur champion who defected from Cuba, under contract.

“It’s a very interesting fight,” Moretti said. “Both guys are quality contenders and both guys had stellar amateur backgrounds. There is a lot on the line for both of these guys. The winner of this fight will have truly earned the title fight. Vanes is really pumped for it.”

Said Martirosyan, “I’m bringing a big wagon so after I beat Lara people can jump on the Team Vanes Wagon. I can’t wait.”

“This is a great opportunity for Mikey even though Salido is not the guy we originally wanted,” manager Cameron Dunkin said. “This is the toughest featherweight in the world. It’s a very, very tough fight for Mikey. Believe me, there are other guys we would have rather fought but we needed somebody who would show up. Mikey wanted to fight for a title and with the other fight (against Caballero) falling apart, we all talked about it — me, Mike, his father (Eduardo) and (trainer and brother) Robert — and we decided we needed to go and make this fight.

“We wanted to fight Caballero but it didn’t materialize for different reasons. So here we are. We know Salido is a warrior. We know it’s a really hard fight, but Mikey is ready. This is what he’s wanted. Salido was willing to give Mikey the opportunity and he can’t wait.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, last Saturday night’s Middleweight showdown between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Sergio Martinez drew an estimated 475,000 Pay Per View buys.

“It’s an extremely solid number,” said the head of HBO PPV Mark Taffet. “I expect the figures to go up as we collect more of them.”

“It significantly exceeded our original expectations of 250,000 buys,” Taffet said. “Fight fans had been talking about and looking forward to Chavez-Martinez for a year. The pay-per-view performance simply reflects that the fans got the fight they wanted.”

“Pay-per-view fights typically have an average of five or more viewers per household,” he said. “Based on the group viewing phenomenon of pay-per-view, it’s likely well over 2 million people watched the fight.”

BETHLEHEM, PA— Gabriel Rosado earned a shot at IBF Jr. Middleweight champion Cornelius Bundrage with a tenth round stoppage over Charles Whitaker at the Sands Casino

It was a feeling out first two plus minutes until Whitaker uncorked but missed hard right hand. Rosado was content in jabbing and moving. The action picked up in round two as Rosado landed a hard two punch combination that buckled Whitaker to the ropes. Whitaker responded nicely by landing a right on a charging Rosado. The two traded shots as the bell sounded. Round four saw the action pick up as Rosado continued to stalk his way and create two way action. At the end of the round, Rosado landed a crushing left that Whitaker took well. In round fie, Rosado nailed Whitaker with a perfect counter right that put Whitaker on the seat of his pants. When the action resumed Rosado went for the kill only to eat a hard left hook and right at the bell. Whitaker had some success to start round six as he became more aggressive but Roasado turned the tables as he kept Whitaker against the ropes and landed some hard shots on the ropes to end the round.

Rosado came out for blood in round seven as he stalked and landed yet another booming right that registered a second knockdown. Like the previous rounds, both landed some good shot to end the seventh. Whitaker had his best round in the ninth as he started to find a consistent home his right hand. Rosado landed a left and over hand right that dropped Whitaker for a third time. After a brief flurry, Rosado landed two thudding rights that slumped Whitaker to canvas for a fourth and final time and referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at 1:50 of round ten

Rosado, 153 lbs of Philadelphia is now21-5 with thirteen knockouts. Whitaker, 152.5 lbs of Georgetown, Cayman Islands is now 36-13-2.

Sergey Kovalev remained undefeated by blowing out Lionell Thompson in round three of a scheduled ten round Light Heavyweight bout.

Kovalev landed a right that buckled Thompson in round one. A hard left and right buckled Thompson yet again in the second. At the end of the round, Kovalev landed a nasty two punch combination that crumpled Thompson to the canvas. Clearly shaken up, Thompson ate another hard right that dropped him just before the end of round two. Kovalev ended things seconds into round three as a straight right dropped Thompson on his knees and the fight was stopped at fourteen seconds of eound three

Kovalev, 173 lbs of Chelyabinsk, Russia is now 19-0-1 with sixteen knockouts. Thompson, 175 lbs of Buffalo, NY is now 12-2.

Antwone Smith scored a ten round split decision over previously undefeated hometown hero Ronald Cruz in exciting Welterweight clash.

Smith boxed very well in the early going as he mixed up combinations working off double and triple jabs. Cruz started
to get it going at the end of round three and into round four as he countered with hard shots in between little flurries by Smith. They started trading in the fifth with the crowd full behind Cruz. Cruz started his vqunted body attack in the round. Cruz landed a couple of Heavy blows just before the end of the round.

Smith steadied himself in round’s six and seven as he started boxing well by mixing up the combination’s. Cruz came back in round eight by turning southpaw and landing some heavy blows on the ropes by focusing on the body. Smith landed a boomnig right that momentarily rocked Cruz in the eighth. the two took turns gaining advantages in the final frame as the both the knew the fight could be in the balance

Smith won by scores of 96-94 on two cards and is now 22-4-1. Cruz, 146 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is now 17-1.

In a four round Lightweight bout, Jason Sosa scored a majority decision over Esteban Rodriguez.

Scores were 39-37 on two cards for Sosa while a third card read even at 38-38. Sosa, 132 1/2 lbs of Camden, NJ is now 5-1-3. Rodriguez, 134 1/2 lbs of Lebanon, PA is now 5-3-1.

In a six round slugfest, local favorite William Miranda scored a six round unanimous decision over Pedro Martinez in a Heavyweight clash.

The two fought at close quarters for most of the bout. Miranda scored a knockdown in round one from a double jab.

Mirada, 231 lbs of Allentown, PA won by scores of 59-54, 59-55 and 58-55 and is now 6-5-1. Martinez, 243 lbs of Philadelphia is now 6-7.

Jerome Rodriguez scored a four round unanimous decision over Kywayne Hill in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Rodriguez, 140 lbs of Allentown, PA and is now 1-1. Hill, 142 lbs of Philadelphia is now 1-10.

Alex Sanchez scored a second round stoppage over Fitzgerald Johnson in a scheduled four round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Sanchez dropped Johnson twice in round two with the second coming from a hard body shot and referee Gary Rosado reached the ten count at 2:14

Sanchez, 155.5 lbs of Camden, NJ is 1-1 with one knockout. Johnson 160 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-7.

Jonathan Romero remained undefeated by scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Efrain Esquivias in a Super Bantamweight bout at the Chumash Resort in Santa Ynez, California.

Esquivias was the aggressor early as he ays and at times was successful in pushing Romero onto the ropes. Romero fought off the ropes well ans was even better as he was able to move and land punches at more than a 3-1 ratio. In round seven, Esquivias was docked a point for a low blow which replays showed that punch was above the belt but after the bell. Romero continued his accuracy and pounded Esquivias in occasion and was in control until the final bell.

Romero, 122 lbs of Cali, Colombia won by scores of 120-107, 120-107 and 119-108 and is now 22-0. Esquivias, 122 lbs of Gardena, CA is 16-2.

“I felt very good every single round,’’ he said. “I prepared hard for this fight. I sparred with guys that came forward all the time. I knew what he was coming to do because I’d seen him fight. I’m ready to become world champion. But to be a world champion I have to go through great fighters like Esquivias to get to my goal.’’

The aggressive-minded, five-foot-four Esquivias spotted the winner five inches in height, but he never stopped pressing the issue. Esquivias even started quickly, which isn’t the norm for him. But it did no good against the classy Romero.

“He fought his fight and he fought well,’’ said Esquivias, who was docked a point after the seventh for a blatant late hit. “He didn’t want to brawl, but he fought smart. He boxed and I couldn’t catch him. There’s really not much I could have done differently. I was little tired toward the end; it was my first 12-rounder. But I was still throwing punches at the finish. He gave me problems with his movement. I wanted to make it an exciting fight for the crowd. Too bad he didn’t want to stand and trade more.”

Roman Morales got off the deck to come back and score an eight round unanimous decision over Jonathan Arrellano in a Super Bantamweight bout.

It was Arrellano who got the advantage early he landed the more telling blows. In round three, Arrellano landed two left hook with the second depositing Morales on the canvas. That seemed to turn the tide actually for Morales as he started landing some heavy shots and in round six he landed a hard body shot that dropped Arrellano for the first time in his career.

Morales continued to land the hard shots over the next three rounds and came home with the unanimous decision victory by scores of 78-72, 78-72 and 77-73.

Morales, 122 lbs of San Ardo, CA is now 13-0. Arrellano, 122 lbs of Ontario, CA is now 13-1-1.

“I felt I did well,’’ he said, “I was just trying to listen to my corner. They were telling me to use my jab a lot and that’s what I kept trying to do. They were also telling me to work the body more. I should have done that from the beginning.’’

So what was it like getting floored for the first time in his career? “It was a new experience, something I never had felt before,’’ Morales said. “It’s part of boxing, but I said to myself that I have to keep coming forward and show some heart and respect for the game. It was a good fight and he’s a good boxer.”

Arellano felt the scoring was a tad out of line. “I feel that it was a little high in his favor,’’ he said. “I feel I won more rounds than they gave me. It was a good fight though. I don’t take anything away from the kid. I thought I had him out when I dropped him. I was ready to jump on him but for some reason the ref kept me from going right after him and gave him more time. Then he hung in and made it through the round.’’

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has tested positive for Marijuana following his unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Sergio Martinez this past Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“The commission let (Top Rank’s Carl) Moretti know (Tuesday) night that he tested positive,” said Chavez promoter Bob Arum. “I can’t really get excited about it. There’s no promoter in boxing who could pass the marijuana test, including myself.

“Julio is going to have to explain to the commission what happened and the commission will be guided accordingly. If there was a trace of marijuana, to me, it’s not the same as using a performance-enhancing drug. That is cheating.”

“I will release the results from the event once I get them all back, but Top Rank’s statement is an accurate reflection of the conversation I had with them (Tuesday),” Kizer said. “We had a positive test, one from that card.”

“Of course, we’re disappointed in him,” Arum said. “Hopefully, he can learn a lesson here and next time get in top shape for the fight. But it shows you the immaturity here. He needs to grow up.”

“Of course, we’re disappointed in him,” Arum said. “Hopefully, he can learn a lesson here and next time get in top shape for the fight. But it shows you the immaturity here. He needs to grow up.”

Saul Alvarez defended the WBC Super Welterweight championship with an action filled fifth round stoppage over game Josesito Lopez in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

After a good round one, Alvarez started to open up with ripping combinations to the head and body. Lopez was able to get in some decent shots, especially when Alvarez was on the ropes. Alvarez landed a thunderous left hook to the body that sent Lopez to the canvas late in the second. In round three, Alvarez continued scoring and then landed another left to the body that deposited Lopez to the canvas for a second time. That did int deter Lopez as he tried to stand toe to toe but Alvarez had more dynamite in his hands. Lopez was bleeding from his nose and mouth After Lopez landed a nice flurry, Alvarez landed a wicked five punch combination that sent Lopez to deck for a third time. Alvarez started round five with a huge body assault that had referee Joe Cortez looking closely but Lopez fired back. Lopez continued to get in some solid shots and showed a championship heart. In the last ten seconds of the round, Alvarez anded four more hard shots that forced Cortez to step in and save Lopez from further damage

Alvarez, 154 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 41-0-1 with thirty knockouts. Lopez, 153 lbs of Riverside, CA is now 30-5-1.

“I’m not always looking for the knockout, but this was perfect tonight,” Canelo said. “I had a big responsibility fighting for my fans around the world this weekend and I think I made them happy. I want the big fights now – (Miguel) Cotto and (Floyd) Mayweather.”

“I knew he was a tough fighter and he proved he’s a better fighter,” Lopez said. “He was smarter, stronger and patient. I felt good going in but there was a big size difference. I was hoping to land a good punch to change the momentum.”

Daniel Ponce De Leon wrestled the WBC Featherweight championship belt away from Jhonny Gonzalez when a cut over the right eye of Gonzalez via an accidental headbutt forced the bout to be stopped in round eight.

In the early going it was Gonzalez who was landing the better punches. In round three, a cut formed around the left said of Ponce De Leon’s hairline. That seemed to inspire De Leon as he started landing some good lefts’s. The two boxed evenly over the next couple rounds until De Leon landed a straight left that sent Gonzalez through the ropes and down on the canvas in round six.

The volume of De leon started taking affect in round seven as he began to back Gonzalez up with lefts and rights. A clash of heads opened up a big cut over the right eye of Gonzalez and the fight was stopped at 2:36 of round eight.

De Leon, 125 1/2 lbs of West Covina, CA won by scores of 77-74, 79-72 and 79-72 and is now 44-4. Gonzalez, 125 lbs of Mexico City, MX is now 52-8.

Former 140 lb world champion Marcos Maidana scored a eighth round stoppage over Jesus Soto Karass in a Welterweight war scheduled for ten rounds.

The fight was fought at a high rate as Maidana uncharacteristically started boxing and featuring the jab on the first round. In round two, the continued landing good shots with Maidana landing some hard left hooks. The animosity started in round three as at the end of yet another action filled round, the two sot in each other’s face and had to be seperated. Referee Kenny Bayless took a point from each man in round four as the two continued to be unsportsmanlike. Soto Karass was fueled by that as he landed some hard shots before a big left from Maidana was landed just before the bell. Soto Karass picked up where he left off in round five and yet again the two needed to be separated as Soto Karass would not let Maidana get to his corner. In round six, Soto Karass landed some huge shots and landed body shots on Maidana against the ropes. Maidana spent alot of the round against the ropes.

Maidana was docked another point in round seven but he more then made up for it as he launched a big right hand that sent Soto Karass to the deck. Maidana came out firing in round eight as he landed a some booming shots on the ropes and after a few right hands, Bayless stopped the bout at forty-three seconds of round eight.

Maidana, 147 lbs of Margarita Santa Fe, Argentina is now 32-3 with twenty-nine knockouts. Soto Karass, 147 lbs of North Hollywood, CA is now 26-8-3-1.

Leo Santa Cruz scored an impressive stoppage over former Flyweight champion to retain the IBF Bantamweight title after Morel’s corner stopped the bout after five rounds.

It was an extremely fast paced fight from the outset with with guys meeting in the center of the ring and wailing away on each other with Santa Cruz getting the better. It was evident that Santa Cruz was not only quicker but had more thump in his punches as he landed many body shots, sometimes doubling and tripling with the flank shots and then coming with hard over hand rights and uppercuts. Morel put up a valiant effort but he kept taking hard shots and his corner had seen enough and stopped the bout after the fifth frame.

Santa Cruz, 117 lbs of Rosmead, CA is now 21-0-1 with twelve knockouts. Morel, 118 lbs of Madison, WI is now 46-4.

Good looking nineteen year-old Andres Gutierrez pounded out a six round unanimous decision over Carlos Valcarcel in a Jr. Featherweight bout.

Gutierrez was more active and landed the harder punches. He featured some solid uppercuts and had Valcarcel against the ropes on several occasions.

Gutierrez, 124 lbs of Quertiaro, MX won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 59-56 and is now 23-0-1. Valcarcel, 123 lbs of Catano, PR is now 12-6-4.

Francisco Vargas remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Alan Sanchez in a Jr. Featherweight bout.

Both guys threw a high volume of punches but Vargas threw more and landed the much harder blows.

Vargas, 131 lbs of Mexico City, MX is won by scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37 and is now 13-0-1. Sanchez, 127 1/2 lbs of Houston, TX is now 3-4-1.

LAS VEGAS – And in an instant, Martinez-Chavez went from Pacquiao-De La Hoya to Chavez-Taylor.

Not since Manny Pacquiao retired Oscar De La Hoya had a small southpaw looked so profoundly dominant against a larger titlist as Sergio Martinez looked against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for 11 rounds. And not since Chavez Sr. came back to stop Meldrick Taylor in the final seconds of a fight he was losing lopsidedly had such a profound change of fortunes been brought to a world champion the way Chavez brought it to Martinez in the 12th.

Saturday night, in a match at Thomas & Mack Arena that disappointed all expectations of suspense for 33 minutes before becoming an unforgettable thing in its final three, Argentine middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KOs) rose from the canvas in the final round to survive and decision Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1-1, 32 KOs) by unanimous scores of 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109. The 15rounds.com ringside scorecard concurred, marking 117-110 for Martinez – while marking the final round 10-7 for Chavez.

“We are two professionals,” Martinez said afterwards. “And we comported ourselves as professionals.”

The fight began the way all prognosticators believed it would. Martinez’s class was too much for Chavez in the first round and each of its successors. What little sense of geometry Chavez showed in the opening round, extending Martinez’s circles to the perimeter somewhat, was gone by the third.

“I began slowly,” Chavez said in the ring after the judges’ cards were read. “But I will not do that in the rematch.”

In fact, not till the sixth round did Chavez land anything consequential. Though Chavez was the much larger man, Martinez was the far more balletic, polished, athletic and accurate, hitting Chavez with nifty left uppercut leads and other inventive combinations. Chavez, sporting a knee brace and suffering abrasions and swelling round both eyes, was not dissuaded, however.

“This confirms me in boxing,” said Martinez, to an outnumbered but surprisingly vocal Argentinean group of fans. “Long live Argentina!”

More fatigued than he knew as the bell for the 12th rang, Martinez walked into a short Chavez left hook that wobbled and shocked him in the final two minutes. Martinez’s eyes bulged and he collapsed in the ropes. A pair of rights and lefts from Chavez then tossed him limply to the canvas. But Martinez rose, ran, held, slipped, and ultimately punched his way to the final bell, as suddenly enchanted Mexican fans rabidly urged their man on.

“Of course,” Martinez said when asked if he would grant Chavez a rematch.

“Long live Mexico!” cried Chavez at the end of his postfight interview.

ROMAN MARTINEZ VS. MIGUEL BELTRAN JR.
In an attempt at prophecy, or at least wishful thinking, Saturday’s excellent Top Rank co-main event featured a hard-pressing Mexican slugger named “Junior” against a foreigner named Martinez. Unfortunately for the emotional Mexican crowd, the Mexican did not prevail.

Fighting for a vacant WBO super featherweight title, Puerto Rican Roman Martinez (26-1-1, 16 KOs) sneaked past Mexican Miguel Beltran Jr. (27-2-0-1, 17 KOs), besting him by split-decision scores of 116-111, 113-114 and 113-114. The fight would have been a majority draw, were it not for a penalty assessed to Beltran in the championship rounds.

Each round of Martinez-Beltran featured punches both well leveraged and well landed by both fighters, but in each of the opening six rounds, regardless of what Martinez did, Beltran appeared to do a little more. In the sixth, Beltran landed the match’s most-devastating punch, a right cross that snapped Martinez’s head back between his own shoulder blades.

The seventh round, though, saw Martinez begin to establish a more effective attack, catching Beltran on the way in, with oddly placed punches. But by the middle of the eighth, Beltran again appeared the stronger man. By the end of the 10th, Martinez, game as he was, did not appear to want much more.

The 11th brought a point deduction to Beltran’s tally from overly officious Nevada referee Russell Mora, though, tightening ringside scorecards somewhat. Martinez also flurried in the 12th, appearing to steal that stanza as well. Ultimately, the fight was a close one that might have gone either way and probably should have gone the way of a majority draw.

MATTHEW MACKLIN VS. JOACHIM ALCINE
Matthew Macklin makes his ring entrance to a hybrid song of “Mack the Knife” and “Rocky Road to Dublin,” in a two-part nod to his nickname and heritage. But Saturday, he didn’t have to take his opponent very far down a rocky road before knifing him.

In the penultimate match of the evening’s undercard, Macklin (29-4, 20 KOs) caught Canadian middleweight Joachim Alcine (33-3-1, 19 KOs) with a flush right cross in the opening moments of the fight then marched him down, dropped him a second time and brought the match to an exciting knockout conclusion at 2:36 of round 1.

Despite a record with four losses on it, Macklin again proved that he can rally a crowd and make an exciting, satisfying match whomever he is given for an opponent.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX VS. ROBERTO MARROQUIN
After a 2010 showing in Cowboys Stadium that brought loud boos from those fans not yawning, Cuban super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux needed two years of exciting knockouts to make fans forget how displeasing his defense-first style can be. Saturday in Thomas & Mack Arena, though, they were reminded once more.

Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs) successfully, and rather easily, defended his WBA super bantamweight title against tough if limited Texan Roberto Marroquin (22-2, 15 KOs) by unanimous scores of 118-108, 118-108 and 118-109. And if there is a prizefighter today who fights like Floyd Mayweather as well as Mayweather does, he is Rigondeaux, right down to the cautiousness.

Rigondeaux established a superiority of reflex over Marroquin – a superiority of reflex Rigondeaux enjoys over most every opponent he faces – and then put the match on a form of cruise control that did little to entice fans. Possessed of every punch and step in the boxing lexicon, Rigondeaux does not appear to enjoy physical matches with larger men, and he certainly did not look for one with Marroquin, who appeared a weight class or two larger than Rigondeaux on Saturday.

Twice in the match Marroquin managed to land a pulled left hook that temporarily destabilized the Cuban southpaw’s otherwise flawless footing, but from each of those faux scares, Rigondeaux quickly recovered and returned to mastering Marroquin technically if not combatively.

In round 10, bored by Rigondeaux-Marroquin, the crowd – partisan Mexican though with an Argentinean contingent – began to sing futbol songs at one another till the match was over, despite Rigondeaux’s scoring the match’s one knockdown in its final two minutes.

MIKE LEE VS. PAUL HARNESS
Mike Lee is undoubtedly the best light heavyweight on the Notre Dame campus, but he is decidedly not the best light heavyweight in the world. Further evidence of this came at the midway point of Saturday’s undercard when Lee (11-0, 6 KOs) whacked away at Kansas City opponent Paul Harness (4-4-1, 3 KOs) for four rounds and ultimately prevailed by unanmious scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 40-36.

Questions about Lee’s power – he landed at least four clean right hands in every round without once felling Harness – and his defense, though, remain, and grow, with every showing. Despite leading comfortably in the fourth round, Lee nevertheless was tagged by several knee-buckling shots by Harness.

UNDERCARD
Highly regarded super welterweight John Jackson brought his undefeated record in the Thomas & Mack Center ring for Saturday’s third bout, against Cleveland’s Willie Nelson, and Jackson’s ‘0’ left the ring before Jackson did. In a close fight that might have been scored either way, Nelson (19-1-1, 11
KOs) decisioned Nelson (13-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 98-92.

Before that, in an eight-round super welterweight match, Mexican Michael Medina (26-3-2, 19 KOs) scored a lopsided decision victory over North Carolinian James Winchester (15-5, 5 KOs). All three judges had the match 80-70 for Medina.

The evening began with an eight-round, unanimous-decision victory for California welterweight Wale Omotoso (23-0, 19 KOs) over Puerto Rican Daniel Sostre (11-7-1, 4 KOs).

Opening bell rang on a sparsely populated Thomas & Mack Center at 3:17 PM local time.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will take on Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth battle on December 8th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Because the economics for the Marquez fight were so much greater than for a Bradley rematch, that is what Manny decided to do,” said promoter Bob Arum. “It’s so much greater because of the support Marquez has from the Hispanic community. Look at the past numbers. When Pacquiao fought Marquez (in November), it sold close to 1.3 million pay-per-view. Bradley was about 900,000. That’s a big difference. Plus, the gate goes from probably $8 million to $12 million.”

“Manny knew I would prefer Bradley,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach. “I think the money was a huge factor. Bradley doesn’t bring the people Marquez does. But I would have rather had revenge for that bad decision in June.”

Roach said because of the controversial nature of the three previous fights between Pacquiao and Marquez, especially their fight in November, that Pacquiao would start out “down three rounds on the scorecards. Judges are human. They know what happened before. Maybe the judges will be thinking Marquez was robbed last time and they’re human, and they will give Marquez the benefit of the doubt.

“But Manny picked Marquez, and that’s who we will get ready for. It’s about time we have a good knockout anyway.”

“We had to work it out, work out the money and then (Marquez promoter) Fernando (Beltran) had to close with Marquez because he had only talked generally with Marquez about the deal,” Arum said. “But we couldn’t close anything until Marquez got here (Thursday).”

“There is no sanctioning organization title involved,” Arum said. “We’re going to give that money to charity.”

LAS VEGAS – A motorcycle accident took away Paul Williams’ legs, but not his confidence.

It was there, as evident as ever Friday when he came out of an elevator at the MGM Grand before the weigh-in for the Showtime-televised junior-welterweight fight between Canelo Alvarez and Josesito Lopez Saturday night.

Williams was in a wheelchair. But he made it sound as if that chair was a temporary vehicle until that day when he believes he will recover, perhaps enough to even fight again.

“I feel good,’’ Williams said. “This is a small thing for a giant.’’

Williams is in Las Vegas for a fight that was supposed to include him against Canelo before the accident in Atlanta left him paralyzed. In his brief comments to 15 Rounds and Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, it wasn’t clear what his condition was.

But his confidence was unmistakable. Williams has faith that he will walk again in a path that might even take him up those steps, through the ropes and into the ring for another opening bell.

“I think I can come back,’’ Williams said. “Give it two or three years. I’ll come back.’’

If Williams had been Canelo’s opponent instead of the undersized Lopez in a Golden Boy-promoted bout, there’s speculation that rival Top Rank would have moved Saturday night’s other fight, Sergio Martinez-versus-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for the middleweight at Thomas & Mack Center, to a different date, possibly Oct. 6.

The consensus is that Williams-Canelo would have been more competitive and marketable than Canelo-Lopez.

Weights from the MGM

About 90 minutes before the Martinez-Chavez weigh-in, Canelo and Lopez stepped on the scales. Canelo looked solid at 154 pounds, the junior-middleweight limit. Lopez looked a little soft at 153, his heaviest ever.

“I’m not as weak as I look,’’ Lopez joked a day before the weigh-in. “I just look skinny.’’

At opening bell, Lopez expects Canelo to be at 170, which would mean about a 10-pound advantage for the favored Mexican, who holds the World Boxing Council’s version of the title.

Notes, Quotes

· Golden Boy announced a sellout Friday for the Canelo-Lopez featured card. Within minutes of the announcement, tickets were still available on Ticketmaster.

· Jose Benavidez Jr., an unbeaten junior-welterweight prospect from Phoenix, has been added to the Top Rank card featuring Nonito Donaire versus Toshiaki Nishioka at Carson, Calif., on Oct. 13. Benavidez is expected to fight Raul Tovar.

LAS VEGAS – The weekend’s first upset happened Friday, and it wasn’t by way of a punch at Thomas & Mack Center. In what may turn out to be the greatest surprise of Martinez-Chavez, barring of course an early stoppage, Argentine Sergio Martinez outweighed Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Friday afternoon at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theater. But if either man was surprised, neither showed it.

Martinez, considered by most to be a small middleweight champion, and Chavez, considered by all to be an enormous middleweight titlist, shared a one-pound disparity on the scale: Martinez made 159, and Chavez made 158.

“He said it’s going to be a war,” Martinez said immediately after a talkative stare-down with Chavez that followed both making weight for their middleweight world championship match. “I want a war.”

Martinez, known as much for his cool demeanor and handsome countenance as his jazzy southpaw style, appeared uncharacteristically anxious Friday afternoon. Dressed in a black sweatsuit and dark shades, Martinez preceded Chavez to the stage and the scale and made a show of rallying a small Argentinean contingent waiving robin’s-egg-blue and white flags, stage left.

“He said that he is going to rip my head off,” said Chavez, when asked what words Martinez spoke to him after he climbed off the scale. Then Chavez, easily the cooler character Friday, laughed and shrugged.

While Saturday’s match for the lineal middleweight championship of the world – along with belts from The Ring, WBC and surely a few others – will be the biggest fight of both men’s careers, Chavez shows the demeanor of a man who knows other superfights will inevitably follow. Martinez, about whom the same cannot be said, appears to be channeling some of his handlers’ nervousness.

Part of what led to onlookers’ general surprise at Friday’s weighin, and specifically Chavez’s coming-in two pounds under the middleweight limit, were reports of undertraining by the Mexican champion. Numerous sources reported Chavez had skipped scheduled sessions with trainer Freddie Roach during his camp, preferring to work-out at home instead.

But Chavez’s promoter, Top Rank, expressed no concern. Chavez made weight easily, and apparently needs little instruction in how to cut-off a prizefighting ring, as he is expected to have to do against Martinez on Saturday.

Early Friday afternoon, one last thread of controversy was stitched in the Martinez-Chavez tapestry: Trainer Nazim Richardson will attend the wrapping of Chavez’s hands in behalf of the Martinez camp, Saturday. Richardson, of course, was the man who caught a hardening substance on the wraps of Antonio Margarito before the Mexican champion’s 2009 match with Shane Mosley.

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer said on Friday that while he’ll be at both of Saturday’s fight cards – Martinez-Chavez, and Saul Alvarez vs. Josesito Lopez a few blocks away at MGM Grand Garden Arena – the main event he’ll be attending is Chavez-Martinez, as Kizer anticipates potential prefight controversy at Thomas & Mack Center.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Jesse Vargas christened a big fight weekend with a ten round unanimous decision over Aaron Martinez in a Welterweight bout at the Joint at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Vargas was very solid throughout as he boxed well and the two engaged at times with Vargas getting the better of the action.

Vargas, 148 lbs of Las Vegas was making his debut under the Top Rank banner won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 ans 96-94 and is still perfect at 20-0. Martinez, 147 lbs of Los Angeles 18-2-1.

Jose Felix Jr. remained undefeated by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Luis Cruz in a Lightweight bout.

Felix got off to a good start as he twice rocked Cruz in the first round. Felix was doing well until eating a straight left hand that sent him to the canvas. He shook that off well as mixed things up by boxing and coming forward and he controlled the ring over the last third of the fight and won by scores of 97-92, 96-94 and 99-94.

Felix Jr., 132 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 21-1-1. Cruz, 132 lbs of Las Piedras, PR is now 20-2.

UFC middleweight kingpin and pound-for-pound best, Anderson Silva,will headline UFC 153 against long time veteran Stephan Bonnar in Riode Janeiro, Brazil on October 13th according to USA Today.

Bonnar (14-7), currently riding on a three fight win streak, is well known for his epic battle against Forrest Griffin on the UltimateFighter 1 finale. He has also been a regular on ESPN’s MMA Livebroadcast as an expert analyst.

Silva (32-4) is coming off arguably the most satisfying win of his career against Chael Sonnen in July and has yet to have been bested inside the UFC Octagon.

The card, which was expected to showcase an anticipated featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar, abruptly came to a halt when Aldo was forced to pull out after suffering a foot injury.

Making matters worse, former champion Quinton Jackson, who was supposed to challenge the prominent Glover Teixeira, has also pulled out citing injuries, putting an additional dent to the previously stacked card in Brazil. Countryman Fabio Maldonado is now slated to fill in to face Teixeira in a light heavyweight contest.

In other notable fights, former heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira returns against Dave Herman while rising welterweight sensation Erick Silva takes on the toughest challenge of his career against Jon Fitch.

Ivan Morales scored a technical unanimous decision over former world title challenger Luis Maldonado when an accidental headbutt in the final round caused a cut over the left eye of Maldonado in the final round. The bout was a scheduled ten round Super Flyweight bout at the Pechanga Hotel and Resort in Temecula, California.

Morales, who is the brother of four-time world champion Erik Ël Terrible” Morales was solid and boxed very well in the battle of southpaws.

Morales, 115 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 18-0. Maldonado, 114 1/2 lbs of Mexacali, MX is now 38-9-1.

Nineteen year-old Julian Ramirez needed just forty-two seconds to take out Noel Mendiza in a scheduled six round Super Bantamweight bout.

Ramirez dropped Mendoza hard on his back from a straight left hand. Mendoza got to his feet but only endured a relentless flurry and the bout was stopped/

Ramirez, 124 lbs of East Los Angeles is now 4-0 with three knockouts. Mendoza, 123 lbs of Phoenix is now 6-2-1.

Cesar Martinez scored an action filled four round unanimous decision over Jorge Porras in a Featherweight bout.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Martinez, 124 lbs of Los Angeles and is now 4-1. Porras, 123 1/2 lbs of Fallbrook, CA was making his pro debut

Luis Ramos scored an eighth round stoppage over Noe Bolanos in round eight of a scheduled ten round Jr. Welterweight bout at the Hanger at Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California.

It was a action filled fight with both guys landing some solid shots. Ramos was getting the better of the action in the eighth round, Ramos started pounding Bolanos on the ropes. When the action continued, Ramos landed several hard shots and referee Raul Caiz Sr. stopped the bout at 1:04 of round eight.

Ramos, 139 1/2 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is now 23-0 with ten knockouts. Bolanos, 141 1/2 lbs of Obregan, MX is now 24-7-1.

Former Olympic Bronze medal winner Deontay Wilder kept his knockout streak in tact when he took out Damon McCreary in round two of a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout.

Wilder dropped McCreary once on round one from a body shot and twice in the second with the finishing blow being a hard over hand right that slumped McCreary into the ropes and the bout was stopped at fifty-five seconds of round two.

Wilder of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 25-0 with all wins coming early. McCreary, 262 1/4 lbs of Detroit, MI is now 14-1.

In a wild slugfest, Cesar Valenzuela scored a third round stoppage over Jose Correa in a scheduled six round bout.

The two traded knockdowns in an explosive round two. Valenzuela dropped Correa with a huge right in round three and the fight was stopped at 2:21

Valenzuela is now 4-1-1 with two knockouts. Correa is now 7-3.

In a battle of debuting Bantamweights, Edgar Valerio stopped Fernando Fuentes in the final scheduled round.

Valerio dropped Fuentes in both round’s one and four and finished him off with a barrage of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:02 of round four.

Valerio, 116 lbs of Los Angeles is 1-0 with one knockout. Fuentes, 116 1/2 lbs of Riverside, CA is 0-1

Vitali Klitschko retained the WBC Heavyweight title when opponent Manuel Charr was deemed unable to continue after round four in Moscow, Russia.

Klitschko dominated as he kept Charr ast distance. Char tried and once in a while was successful getting shots into Klitscko. Klitschko scored a knockdown in the second from a little right hand on the inside. Charr was cut around the right eye in round two and a right hand caused a bigger cut around the left eye in round four and the fight was stopped at 2:04 of round four.

Klitschko, 248 1/2 lbs is now 45-2 with forty-one knockouts

Lucas Matthysse scored a tenth round stoppage over previously undefeated Alusegun Ajose to win the WCC Interim Super Lightweight title at the Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Matthysse battered the tough Ajose with some wicked shots that the Nigerian took and showed a granite chin. Ajose tried and at times was competitive from his southpaw stance. Matthysse was relentless in landing some wicked power shots until he was able to to drop Ajose and the fight was stopped at 2:59 of round ten

Ajose, clearly frustrated with his performance also spoke with Gray. “I’m alright. Matthysse is a terrific fighter. This is what inactivity will do to you. I am a bit rusty, nothing to take away from Matthysse. He is a terrific puncher. He came to fight and he came to win.”

Ajose graciously continued, “I think he is the hardest puncher I have ever fought. I have to give it to him. I know I can do better than what I did tonight. I’m a good champion. I fall down and I get back up. I’ll be back.”

Matthysse, 139 lbs of Trelew, Argentina is now 32-2-1 with thirty knockouts. Ajose, 139 lbs of New York is now 30-1.

After the victory Matthysse told SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray, “He was a tough rival and he had a lot of mobility in this fight. I thought I had him a couple of times. He is a strong fighter and I felt his power tonight.”

When asked who he would like to face next Matthysse answered confidently, “Anybody. It will be very difficult to take this belt. I’ll fight anybody right now.”

Ajose, clearly frustrated with his performance also spoke with Gray. “I’m alright. Matthysse is a terrific fighter. This is what inactivity will do to you. I am a bit rusty, nothing to take away from Matthysse. He is a terrific puncher. He came to fight and he came to win.”

Middleweight J’Leon Love scored an eight round victory over Ramon Valenzuela via disqualification after Valenzuela attempted to lift up Love in a scheduled ten round bout.

Love was very solid by boxing and working Valenzuela by landing shots with bot hands. Valenzuela had minimal success trying to work the body. Ironically Valenzuela had his best flurry early in round seven as he tried to make it a rough fight. Later in the round, Love landed a big flurry in the corner for which it made Valenzuela hold on and was docked a point by referee Jay Nady.

In the next round, Love picked up where he left off and when the two clinched, Valenzuela lifted Love off his feet and Nady waved the bout off at thirty-seven seconds.

Love, 161 lbs of Las Vegas is now 13-0. Valenzuela, 159 1/2 lbs of Chicago is 7-2.

Perennial contender Ishe Smith scored a ten round unanimous decision over Irving Garcia in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Smith was very solid throughout the fight as he dropped Garcia in round two from a right hand that preceded by a hard body shot. Smith dominated as he boxed very well and landed many solid shots for which Garcia took well but was never able to mount any sustained offense.

Smith, 154 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 100-89, 100-89 and 99-90 and is now 24-5. Garcia, 154 lbs of Vega Baja, PR is now 17-8-1.

Good looking teenager Dequan Arnett scored a fourth round stoppage over Jesus Tavera in a scheduled six round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Arnett dominated from the first bell as he showed terrific speed while landing some hard combinations against the overmatched Tavera. In the fourth round, Arnett continued to land quick shots and combinations before a big right hand forced referee Tony Weeks to stop the bout at 1:37 of round four.

Arnett, 153 lbs of Orlando, FL is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Tavera, 153 lbs of Atlanta, GA is now 4-3-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com., Super Bantamweight title holder Abner Mares will take on Bantamweight titlist Anselmom Moreno on November 10th at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“Once the Pacquiao fight definitively moved to Dec. 8, the Nov. 10 date became available, since there are no other fights scheduled on that date,” said Showrtmes Stephen Espinoza. “The Nov. 10 date works better for Showtime’s schedule, and it gives Abner an opportunity to fight in his own backyard. It also gives us more time to market and promote our telecast. We will have a highly competitive main event matchup between two of the top fighters in the lighter weight classes, as well as a very exciting undercard to be announced shortly.

“Best of all, we are able to avoid conflicting with another boxing event, since we have Nov. 10 free and clear.”

After the legal situation that forced WBA Super Bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux out of a potential champions showdown on on September 15th, once-beaten Robert Marroquin will now face Alejandro Lopez as part of the Julio Cesar Chavez – Sergio Martinez Pay Per View card on that date according to San Rafael of espn.com

“Lopez was scheduled to fight in a couple of weeks, so he’s been training for at least six weeks,” Moretti said. “If he’s anything like the kid that showed up against Teon Kennedy, this ought to be a heck of a fight.

“Top Rank respects the court’s decision but we are extremely disappointed that his manager, his attorney (Pat English) and co-promoter (Caribe Promotions) would try and stop a kid from fighting when he wants to fight on Sept. 15 and agreed to pay these parties their agreed upon shares,” Moretti said. “It makes no sense and is completely unjust — but to be expected when inexperienced people let there egos get in the way of a fighter’s development.”

NEWARK– The Polish faithful were on hand at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ to see their hero, Tomasz Adamek (46-2, 28 KOs, 222.5lbs), take on Travis Walker (39-7-1, 31 KOs, 235lbs). The show was put together by Main Events and aired on WealthTV.

The bout started as expected, with both fighters aggressively moving towards each other looking to find an opening. The second round is where things got interesting. A straight right hand from Walker landed flush on Adamek’s chin, sending him down. Everyone at ringside was in disbelief. Adamek beat the count, but did not look 100%. Walker came on, landing more right hooks that had Adamek reeling all over the ring. After about a minute of this, Adamek tried fighting back, and began regaining the strength in his legs. Then both fighters threw right hands at the same time. Adamek’s landed first, and now it was Walkers turn to be on the canvas. When Walker got to his feet, Adamek pounced. The bell for the end of the round rang, but referee Eddie Cotton could not hear it and allowed the assault to continue for about fifteen seconds after the round was supposed to end.

Adamek controlled the next two rounds with his straight right hand, repeatedly stopping Walker in his tracks. It was in the fifth when Adamek opened up again. Another right hand badly stunned Walker. Adamek followed that up with over twenty unanswered flush punches onto a badly damaged Walker. Eddie Cotton was forced to call a halt to the fight at the 1:08 point of the fifth round, giving Adamek a TKO victory.

Steve Cunningham (24-4, 12 KO’s, 207lbs) took his first plunge into the heavyweight division when he took on Jason Gavern (21-10-4, 10KO’s, 239lbs) in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. Many in attendance were interested in seeing how Cunningham would fare against a much heavier opponent. Things were difficult for Cunningham when seconds into the bout, an accidental clash of heads cut Cunningham just over his left eye.

That didn’t seem to phase Cunningham much, as he completely outclassed Gavern over the course of the fight. Any time Gavern tried to mount any momentum, he was thwarted by Cunningham’s movement and volume punching. To make matters worse, in the middle rounds, Gavern managed to land a shot on the top of Cunningham’s head which broke his hand.

Cunningham continued his assault on Gavern for the rest of the fight, occasionally stunning him. The final scorecards read 99-91, 100-90, and 100-90 giving Cunningham a unanimous decision victory and his first win as a heavyweight.

Rising heavyweight sensation, Bryant Jennings (14-0, 6 KO’s, 230lbs) wowed the crowd when he took on Chris Koval (25-9, 18 KO’s, 226lbs). One of the first punches thrown was a left-right combination from Jennings, and it crushed Koval, sending him down hard. Koval somehow managed to beat the count, but was on very unsteady legs. Another righ-left combination sent him down again, and the referee waved the fight off before Koval even hit the canvas. Jennings won with a first round TKO at the :35 second mark. Jennings continues to impress.

The opening bout of the WealthTV broadcast featured an exciting matchup between Jerry Belmontes (16-0, 5 KO’s, 129lbs) and Joselito Collado (13-1, 3 KO’s, 129lbs). Neither fighter is known for their punching prowess, but they came out swinging early. Collado was the aggressor, pressuring his opponent with looping left hooks. That backfired when both fighters clashed heads, opening up a cut high on Collado’s forehead. Throughout the eight round bout, neither fighter let up. Collado continued to make use of his left hook, while Belmontes consistently took advantage of the opening by landing flush straight right hands. The early rounds were very back and forth, but by the sixth, Belmontes was the fresher fighter. It was a testament to his highly regarded attention to training.

At the end of the fight, the judges scored it 78-74, 78-74, and 77-75 in favor of Belmontes, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

The opening bout of the evening featured an interesting matchup between Karl Dargan (10-0, 5 KO’s, 136lbs) and Jesse Carradine (8-1-1, 4 KO’s, 130lbs). Despite the difference in weight, Dargan looked to be the faster fighter. In a weird moment towards the end of the fight, an exchange tripped up Carradine, forcing him to hold himself up with his gloves. The referee ruled it a knockdown, but went over and started counting at Dargan. Spectators at ringside shouted to him that he was giving an eight count to the wrong fighter, and he turned around and counted the correct fighter. Only in boxing.

The next two rounds were competitive between both fighters, but Dargan was in control with with his superior all around talents. As the third round opened up, Dargan began opening up with power punches and landing very effectively. It was all to set up one huge straight right hand that buckled Carradine and sent him crashing onto the canvas. He managed to beat the count, but was on very rubbery legs. Dargan went in for the kill, but Carradine held on and didn’t let go. The referee had to pry Carradine off of Dargan. This happened two more times, and the referee finally had enough of Carradine’s antics and waved the fight off. Due to his unwillingness to fight, Dargan was credited with a TKO victory at 1:04 of the fourth round.

Jose Peralta (9-1, 5 KO’s, 141lbs) took to the ring against Christian Steele (3-4, 1 KO, 140lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Peralta started early with a viscious body attack that had Steele on the defensive. Steele, to his credit, is better than his record shows and was able to land some short counter hooks to slow down Peralta’s onslaught. Peralta didn’t waver and continued to work into his opponent. In the second round, while Steele was trying to side step his way out of danger, Peralta landed a picturesque left hook that sent Steele down. Steele beat the count and seemed steady on his feet, but it was evident that he was concerned with Peralta’s power and he went into survival mode. In the third round, a right hand landed on Steele’s temple and sent him down again. Steele beat the count again, but the referee saw that he was out of it and waved the fight off. Peralta scored an impressive TKO victory at :40 of the third round.

In what looked like a competitive match up turned into a one sided affair as Kenneth Diaz stooped Rikardo Smith in Round three of a scheduled six round Welterweight bout at Cancha Ruben Zayas Montanez in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

In round one, Diaz was all over Smith as he landed many unanswered punches for which Smith did not take well at all and eventually dropping to the canvas in the corner. He would get out of round one and not much happened in round two but the many blows caused some nasty swelling around the left eye and basically completely shut the eye and Smith’s corner threw in the towel at forty-five seconds of round three.

Diaz, 147 lbs is now 6-0 with five knockouts. Smith, 146 lbs is 6-1.

Osenohan Vazquez and Antonio Sanchez battled to a six round draw in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Vazquez, 141 lbs is now 6-1-1. Sanchez, 141 lbs is now 5-1-1.

In what was a crowd pleasing affair, Reynaldo Ojeda got off the the deck to stop Regino Canales in round five of their scheduled six round bout.

Canales floored Ojeda in the fourth from a hard combination that was finished off by a chopping left.. Ojeda came back to land a booming left hook that sent Canales to the Canvas in round five. Ojeda got to his feet only to eat a flurry of hard shots and the fight was stopped at fifty-eight seconds of round five.

Ojeda, 135 lbs is now 10-0 with five knockouts. Canales, 136 lbs is now 4-3.

WBO Light Heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly will defend the title against Vyacheslav Uzelkov on October 27th in Cardiff, Wales according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I had a brilliant reception at the Motorpoint Arena in February, which was my first fight in Wales (in) over four years,” Cleverly said. “The fans came out to support me, so it’s great to return again for another big fight night in the capital.”

“Uzelkov’s ranked in the top 10 of three of the major governing bodies and has already mixed it with Shumenov for the world title, so I know he’ll be a hard defense for me,” Cleverly said. “I’ve seen some of his fights already, and he looks strong and comes forward, which will be perfect for me.

“Every defense of my title is vital as I build towards a unification fight, so I can’t afford to slip up against Uzelkov.”

“Shumenov didn’t want to come over here (to the United Kingdom) to fight Cleverly, plus Froch and Bellew didn’t want to know,” said Cleverly’s promoter Frank Warren. “While we look to make these fights, Cleverly has got to keep busy as he hasn’t fought since February, and Uzelkov is a tough title defense for him.”

NEW YORK (Sept. 1, 2012) — Following a back injury that sidelined Randall Bailey for his IBF welterweight world title fight against Devon Alexander, the co-featured Lucas Matthysse vs. Ajose Olusegun bout for the WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Championship has been elevated to the main event for the Saturday, Sept. 8 fight card from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The co-featured fight of the two-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is to be determined.

For the unbeaten Nigerian Olusegun (30-0, 14 KO’s) and the power-punching Argentine Lucas Matthysse (31-2, 29 KO’s), this will be the first time that each will fight in the main event of an internationally televised world championship fight card.

“We’re disappointed that Devon will not have the opportunity to fight Randall Bailey for the title this weekend, but we’re hopeful that Randall will recover quickly so we can reschedule this great fight,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “As every cloud has a silver lining, we’re excited that the explosive September 8 match-up between Ajose Olusegun and Lucas Matthysse will now be in the spotlight headlining a great night of boxing.”

“Unfortunately, Randall Bailey suffered a severe lower back sprain,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The orthopedic specialist determined that Bailey would not be able to fight on September 8th and requires a period of rest. He’ll be returning to the specialist on Wednesday, but the injury is not expected to sideline him for an extended period of time. We’re pleased that there is a terrific fight between Ajose Olusegun and Lucas Matthysse to move into the main event position. This fight between two of the best 140-pounders in the world will establish the challenger for the winner of the October 20 showdown between Danny Garcia and Erik Morales.”

“This is unfortunate for Randall, Devon and the fans who are looking forward to their fight,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “We would still like to televise Alexander vs. Bailey, but of course we have to wait for further information on Bailey’s injury before we can talk about that. In the meantime, we have a fierce matchup between Olusegun and Matthysse on our hands for next Saturday. These men have been training for months and we all know what they bring to the ring. Now, they have the spotlight all to themselves. I am looking forward to that fight.”

Olusegun vs. Matthysse, a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Championship taking place Saturday, September 8 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, Gary Shaw Productions and Arano Box Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $150, are on sale and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing,@TheJointLV, @hardrockhotellv, @SHOsports, follow the conversation using or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/ShoBoxing.

IBF Welterweight champion Randall Bailey will not defend his title this Saturday against Devon Alexander as Bailey injured his back.

“With this one, it’s particularly frustrating because we’re dealing with a guy who has been (difficult) through the whole negotiating process,” Alexander’s manager/trainer Kevin Cunningham told ESPN.com. “He got the money he wanted. We had a date for the fight on Aug. 25 and he said he couldn’t be ready and to make it in September and he would be ready. So we pushed our date back. He wanted to dictate where the fight was going to be held. He wanted it to be in Las Vegas and refused to fight in St. Louis (Alexander’s hometown), so the fight was in Vegas.

“He got the money, the date and the site, and then a week before the fight, he pulled out with this back injury. I don’t think the guy is injured, to be honest with you. I just don’t think he wasn’t ready.”

“We’re still evaluating our options, whether to go forward with what we can or cancel everything. It’s all very new,” said Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza. “I’d like to save the event if at all possible, mainly because it’s so hard on the fighters who have been training for months. We’re working hard to find options that would allow us to save the show.”

“He might have been stuck in celebration mode longer than he should have been and when he looked up and realized the fight with Devon was a week away, he came up with a back injury because he knew he wasn’t ready. That’s what I think,” Cunningham said. “Devon is pissed. He has been training since June.

“Find us another opponent,” Cunningham said. “My kid is at his peak and ready to fight. Randall Bailey is an idiot. I think he’s jerking everybody around. We bent over backwards to make this fight with Randall Bailey happen and he comes up with excuses.”

Said Espinoza, “I’d love to find a replacement opponent for Devon, but given that Devon is an elite welterweight, it is unlikely that we will be able find a legitimate opponent willing to take the fight on short notice.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Super Welterweight champion Austin Trout will take on former three division champion Miguel Cotto on December 1st at Madison Square Garden.

“I officially announce that my fight on Dec. 1st at MSG will be with the undefeated WBA (junior middleweight titlist) Austin Trout,” Cotto wrote.

“I’m trying to put this legacy together and this is what I needed. I am ecstatic right now,” Trout told ESPN.com. “I get to check off a few things on my bucket list with this fight. I get to fight in the Garden, I get to fight a superstar in the Garden, and I get to fight on HBO, if that’s where this fight is.”

Both HBO and Showtime are negotiation to televise the fight.

“We are teaming up with Golden Boy for aspects of the promotion, but Miguel doesn’t have any promotional ties to any company and that’s the way it’s going to remain,” said Cotto’s attorney Gabriel Penagaricano.

“We explored the Pacquiao fight,” Penagaricano said. “We discussed it for several days but there was no agreement. The weight was an issue and we didn’t agree on all relevant aspects of the deal, so at the end, there was no agreement. After that didn’t work out, we had a had a short list of candidates and Miguel picked Trout.

“He’s undefeated, he’s a good challenge, he’s a world champion and that was attractive to Miguel. The world title aspect and the undefeated record were most attractive in making the selection.”

Trout found out that he had gotten the fight by phone from his promoter, Greg Cohen, on Friday and said he did not believe him at first.

“He told me and I said, ‘Get out of here,’ ” Trout said. “There had been talks before so I didn’t believe him. Greg said, ‘So how does “Trout-Cotto” sound to you?’ I said, ‘Great,’ but I didn’t think he was serious. He said, ‘This is happening.’ It’s a miracle for Cotto to take this kind of fight. I’m gonna take full advantage of this opportunity. I feel like going to train right now.”

“I don’t want to step on Cotto because the only night he can get the Garden is Dec. 1,” Arum said. “So that means we then take Dec. 8. Hopefully, Miguel winds up on HBO and we’ll go on pay-per-view the next week. That’s the idea.”

“I’ve done that before, going to other people’s house,” he said. “I went to Mexico twice for title fights and I will take that experience with me. I’m ready for it. I’ve been through the Mexican fans. The Puerto Rican fans are passionate as well, but I’ve had my seasoning.

“I am definitely a fan,” he said. “I watched him coming up with Top Rank. I’ve been watching him for a while. I will prepare for the Cotto that gave Mayweather his fight next to (the first fight he had with Jose Luis Castillo). I know the jab will be important. I’ll step around him. I saw how Pacquiao did it to him and I think I have better footwork than Pacquiao.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, 122 lb world champion Abner Mares will defend his title against classy Bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno on October 27th in Anaheim, California.

The bout will be televised on Showtime

“I’m reviewing the contracts with my lawyer, but we are just making sure everything is in order,” said Moreno’s adviser Sampson Lewkowicz. “But the fight will definitely happen. The only way it doesn’t happen is if Mares changes his mind.

“Chemito Moreno has said he wants to fight Abner Mares all of the time — at 118, 122 or 126 pounds,” Lewkowicz said. “I believe there is nobody at 118 or 122 or 126 that can beat my fighter. It will be a very good fight but I think the difference between Abner Mares and Moreno is that Chemito Moreno requested to fight Abner Mares and Abner Mares took the fight because he basically had no choice. There was no one else acceptable in this moment to Showtime for him to fight other than Chemito Moreno.

“When I received the call we took this fight right away. For Mares and his manager (Frank Espinoza), they took a few weeks to make the decision. All of my fighters will take fights in a heartbeat. I prove that time after time. My fighters fight anyone. Sergio Martinez, Gabriel Campillo, Javier Fortuna and Chemito Moreno, all of them. We don’t need to talk too much. But he is very excited for this fight because he wants to fight the best. They say Mares is the best, so he wants to fight him.”

“Mares I think, without question, is one of the stars of the division and Moreno is one of the most skilled fighters in any division, and one of the underappreciated gems of the sport,” Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza said. “You put them together and there are bound to be fireworks.

“I have said I wanted to avoid date conflicts whenever possible,” Espinoza said. “It’s not always possible (such as on Sept. 15), but we’re trying to put our money where our mouth is, so when the opportunity came up to get a venue that made sense on Oct. 27, we immediately jumped on it to avoid the conflict, especially since the other fight (Donaire-Nishioka) was in the same division.”

Mario Rodriguez scored a seventh round knockout over previously undefeated champion Nikosinathu Joyi to capture the IBF Strawweight championship in Mexico.

It was a very hotly contested bout until an uppercut that followed by a left hook put Joyi down for the ten count and the bout was stopped.

Rodriguez, 104.3 lbs of Sinaloa, MX is now 15-6 with eleven knockouts. Joyi, 104.3 lbs of Mdantsane, South Africa is 22-1.

Alberto Garza scored a ninth round stoppage over Nery Saguilan in a scheduled twelve round Super Featherweight bout.

Garza is now 25-5-1 with twenty knockouts. Saguilian is now 24-2.

VERONA, NY (September 1, 2012)—Gennady Golovkin made a statement to the American boxing fans that he is a forced to be reckoned with as he scored a scintillating fifth round stoppage over Grzegorz Proksa to retain the WBA Middleweight championship at the Turning Stone Casino Resort.

The Bout Headlined HBO Boxing After Dark.

Golovkin dominated the bout from the outset as he dropped Proksa in the opening frame.

Golovkin continued to pummel Proksa by bullying him around the ring. The challenger showed tremendous courage by fighting toe to toe with the heavy handed Golovkin.

Golovkin battered Proksa along the ropes in round four before scoring his second knockdown in the fight. Golovkin ended things with a vicious flurry of punches that sent Proksa down and out and the fight was stopped at 1:11 of round five

Golovkin of Kazakhstan is now 24-0 with twenty-one knockouts. Proksa of Poland is now 28-2.

“It was a good first fight in America”, said Golovkin.

Ï am ready for anyone and that includes the winner of Martinez and Chavez Jr. I hope to be back in December”

Sergiy Dzinziruk and Jonathan Gonzalez battle to a twelve round draw in the Jr. Middleweight co-feature. There was drama even before the fight started as Gonzalez missed the 154 pound weight limit by a staggering nine pounds and had a ten pound weight advantage as they entered the ring as he tipped the scales at 172 pounds while Dzinziruk was 162.

It was a close fight with Dzinziruk trying to establish his “Razor“ jab while Gonzalez was successful with counter right hands. Both fighters had good moments of sustained action.

When the scores were announced, nothing was settled as they read 117-111 for Gonzalez; 115-113 for Dzinziruk and 114-114.

Gonzalez is now 15-0-1. Dzinziuk is 37-1-1.

Ï was uncomfortable but I thought I won the fight”, said a disappointed Gonzalez.”

When asked about his weight difficulties, Gonzalez said “It took a lot of strength out of me”

Dzinziruk was also disappointed as he said “He was heavy when he pushed against me. It was tough to say who won but it was close”

Ï was off for fifteen months and it was tough to get going as I felt rusty”

Tony Luis remained perfect with a one punch body shot knockout in round one of a scheduled six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

The end came at of the opening frame and Luis of nearby Cornwall, Ontario and is now 15-0 with seven knockouts. Ledesma is now 18-21

Tureano Johnson remained perfect by stopping Cleven Ishe due to a cut around the left eye at 2:23 of round four.

Johnson of Nassau, Bahamas is now 11-0 with eight knockouts. Ishe is 3-9-1.

Bryan Clookey and Rayshawn Myers battled to a four round draw in a Cruiserweight bout.

Scores were 39-37 for each fighter and 38-38.

Clookey is 4-0-2. Myers is 4-14-1.

Jorge Maysonet Jr. dropped Bryan Abraham twice in eighty-four seconds en route to the first round stoppage in their scheduled eight round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Maysonet of Puerto Rico is now 9-0 with eight knockouts. Abraham is now 6-14-2.

Shawn Miller pitched a shutout and scored a four round unanimous decision over Richard Starnino.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards and Miler is now 9-4-1. Starnino is 9-10-2.

In the opener, Ryan McKenzie knocked at Borngod Washington with a crush left hook at 2:30 of the sixth and final round of their Light Heavyweight bout.

McKenzie of nearby Syracuse, NY is now 10-0 with 10 KO’s. Washington is now 3-12.

VERONA, NY (SPETEMBER 1, 2012)—Undefeated Puerto Rican Jr. Middleweight Jonathan Gonzalez made his mandated second day weigh-in and his HBO televised co-feature with former WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Sergei Dzinziruk will go on as scheduled tonight at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino

The bout was scheduled to take place at 154 pounds and the WBC Continental Americas championship would be on the line but Gonzalez weighed in at 162 pounds and because of missing weight, the fight would only go on if Gonzalez weighed in at 166 pounds.

Gonzalez checked in at 165.2 pounds and the fight will go on as scheduled and will be televised Live on HBO beginning at 9:45 Eastern / Pacific.

The main event will feature undefeated WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin taking on Grzegorz Proksa.