The May 5th Floyd Mayweather – Miguel Cotto megafight was just that as it amassed 1.5 Million Pay Per View buys which equated to $94 Million.

“The 1.5 million number is actual reported numbers,” Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “The final number will definitely be bigger than what it is now.”

“Floyd Mayweather’s numbers are getting bigger and bigger and this number shows you the kind of draw he is,” Schaefer said. “He’s a superstar and able to capture the interest of a large audience. He has broken out of the boxing following and now has a mainstream following that is unmatched in the sport. The numbers keep getting bigger and bigger.”

The bout is the second biggest non heavyweight bout of all time behind Mayweather’s bout with Oscar De La Hoya

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com a tremendous bout between Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson & Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward is being worked on for the fall.

“We have two fighters in their primes, two lineal champions. I think it’s a great fight. You just don’t get it in our sport too often,” Said Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen told ESPN.com on Thursday. “Two champions facing one another allows the winner to go out there and continue his climb to superstardom. That’s what this fight is about. We need more of this in boxing. In boxing we want the big fights and it’s very seldom you can have two world champions willing to face each other in their primes.”

“Our intent is to have it for Andre’s super middleweight championship,” Goossen said. “I still have a few things to close up with (Dawson’s Promoter) Gary Shaw. Gary and I have had good conversations and we’re moving in the direction to making this fight happen.”

“Chad has never ducked anyone and I believe the fight will get made,” Shaw told ESPN.com. “It’s going to be a great fight, a very interesting matchup between the best American fighters in their divisions. We want it very much as we want to fight the best. Dawson has fought all the top fighters at 175 pounds — Antonio Tarver (twice), Glen Johnson (twice), Bernard Hopkins (twice) and Adrian Diaconu — and we have a score to settle with Jean Pascal.” Pascal handed Dawson his lone defeat.

“Atlantic City just had a great turnout for Dawson-(Bernard) Hopkins and I believe we could get 19,000 at Oracle Arena,” Goossen said. “So I am partial to Oakland.”

“I am ready to fight the best 168- and 175-pounders that are out there,” Ward told ESPN.com in a recent interview. “At this point, a big fight at 175 is interesting to me. I don’t want to go up just to go up. But for the right fight, for a big fight, I would go up. I’m willing to fight anyone at ’68 or ’75.”

“Ward-Dawson will be on HBO and we’re looking forward to it,” Goossen said. “It’s kind of a homecoming in a lot of ways, including working with Ken (Hershman).”

“Unlike in the tournament, where we had everything lined up for the next challenge, we were looking for something that was big after the tournament,” he said. “We were looking at the winner of Hopkins-Dawson. With Chad being the winner, we put our attention there.

“I know some people are surprised we are going for this fight, but in Andre’s career we have done things that have surprised people from the beginning. In his 20th fight we put him in the tournament and out of the box he was facing (titleholder Mikkel) Kessler and people said, ‘What are you, nuts?’ We try to push the envelope and try to do things bigger than people anticipate.”

On a Tuesday conference call, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer updated the media on the situation regarding Lamont Peterson testing positive for a banned substance which puts in doubt his May 19th IBF/WBA 140 lb title defense with Amir Khan in Las Vegas.

Schafer said it was Nevada Commission head Keith Kizer who informed him the commission had just received the letter from VADA outlining the issues, including the revelation that Peterson’s “A” sample and “B” sample both had tested positive for a banned substance.

Schaefer claimed neither he nor anyone from team Khan was notified until this week and the “A” Sample was reported dirty on April 12th and the “B” sample came back April 30.

There was no news on what the status of the bout is at this time

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that IBF/WBA Jr. Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson has tested positive for a banned substance which now puts into question weather he will be able to fight his May 19th rematch with Amir Khan in Las Vegas.

Jeff Fried, Peterson’s attorney, acknowledged the positive test on Monday night.

“We have tremendous respect for VADA and its mission,” Fried said in a statement to ESPN.com. “Lamont, (trainer/manager) Barry (Hunter) and the entire team emphatically support random drug testing in the most comprehensive manner possible. We are working expeditiously with a team of pathologists and other medical specialists to confirm the origin of the test result and in full compliance with the rules of the Nevada Athletic Commission.

“Lamont has never had a positive test either before or after this isolated occurrence and we plan to submit the medical findings by close of business Tuesday reflecting the actual facts in support of Lamont’s good faith intentions and the requirements of the commission.”

Ironically, it was Peterson who asked for Khan to undergo random blood and urine testing leading up to their HBO-televised main event.

They contracted with the Las Vegas-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, whose president is Dr. Margaret Goodman, a former Nevada State Athletic Commission ringside physician

“At this point in the process, I think it would be inappropriate for me to discuss the matter with the media,” Goodman said.

Nate Diaz scored a second round choke out over Jim Miller in a scheduled three round Lightweight bout at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Guillotine Choke came at 4:09 of round two for Diaz, 156 lbs of Stockton, CA and is now 16-7. Miller, 156 lbs from nearby Whippany, NJ is now 21-4.

Johny Hendricks scored a three round split decision over Josh Koscheck in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards for Hendricks while Koscheck took a card 29-28.

Hendricks, 170 1/2 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 13-1. Koscheck, 170 1/2 lbs of Fresno, CA is now 19-6.

Alan Belcher scored a first round stoppage over Rousimar Palhares in a three round Middleweight bout.

The two traded submission attempts on the ground when Belcher turned it around and punched out Palhares with some great “Ground and Pound” work and the bout was stopped at 4:18 of round one.

Belcher, 186 lbs of Biloxi, MS is now 17-5. Palhares, 186 lbs of Rio De Jinearo, BRA is now 23-4.

Levar Johnson scored a first round stoppage over Pat Barry in a scheduled three round Heavyweight bout.

It was exciting while it lasted as Barry gained ground control until Johnson came back and got to his feet and threw and landed (most of) the thirty-six unanswered punches and kicks and referee Dam Mirgliotta stopped the bout at 4:38 of round one.

Johnson, 253 lbs of San Jose, CA is now 17-5. Barry, 244 lbs of Alexandra, MN is now 7-5.

SAN ANTONIO – Seeing a neighbor don gloves and swap blows in a prizefighting ring is often thrilling enough for any fan to go home from a night at the fights fully satisfied. Performing before his hometown, though, Ivan Najera decided to provide local fans a bit of an extra thrill.

After showing poise and superiority of class in the opening half of the opening round of Saturday’s Leija-Battah Promotions main event, San Antonio’s Najera (8-0, 8 KOs) started a left hook-lead at fellow Texas junior welterweight Gerardo Dominguez (1-15, 6 KOs) an instant after Dominguez started to throw a left hook of his own. Dominguez’s landed first, and down went Najera in front of a surprised Cowboys Dancehall crowd.

Unfazed by what was obviously a flash knockdown, Najera rose, reestablished his poise and efficiently took his outmatched opponent apart. The end began with a left uppercut-lead in the opening minute of the second round, and the end ended with a quick combination that dropped Dominguez and rendered him unable to continue – at 1:06 of round 2 – despite Dominguez’s rising before the referee’s count reached 10.

It was a good win and a better lesson for one of this city’s most talked-about young prospects.

JAVIER RODRIGUEZ VS. THEO JOHNSON
Saturday’s most competitive match came in its co-main event, a four-round junior featherweight battle between two San Antonians, Javier “Pitbull” Rodriguez (2-1, 1 KO) and Theo “Thriller” Johnson (0-1). Each threw every punch in his arsenal multiple times, with Rodriguez early establishing himself as the better-balanced and -leveraged puncher, and with Johnson making several chin-jarring right crosses count late in his pro debut.

The official scorecards were fair, with all three scoring the match 39-37, three rounds to one, for Rodriguez. Well as they matched up and hard as they fought, if Rodriguez and Johnson continue to improve as professionals, they might just see one another on a blue mat in their hometown again.

UNDERCARD
Local favorite Steve Hall (5-2, 5 KOs) brought the San Antonio crowd to its feet early in his welterweight match with southpaw Texan Alberto Espinoza (2-1), assaulting him with right crosses and even mimicking his southpaw stance for a bit in the middle of the first round. After that, though, the British-born San Antonio prospect got down to business, stretching Espinoza with a picturesque right cross and stopping him at 2:52 of round 1.

Before that, in one of Saturday’s two best displays of class and power, Arizona light heavyweight Trevor McCumby (5-0, 5 KOs) went directly through Georgian Perseus Givens (1-2), stopping him at 2:55 of round 1. Givens was never truly in the fight, as McCumby assaulted him with left hook-right cross combinations from the opening bell. Finally, it was a McCumby right cross to Givens’ belly that ended Givens’ night.

Austin junior welterweight and Ann Wolfe charge John Arellano (7-1, 7 KOs) then made a violent and ultimately satisfying six-minute show against Mexican veteran Julian Rodriguez (19-21-4, 13 KOs), stopping him at 0:31 of round 3.

Saturday’s second match featured one of the card’s two most highly regarded prospects, Boston’s Ronald Ellis (3-0, 3 KOs), in a super middleweight fight scheduled for four rounds against Texan Delvery Wofford (0-3). Whatever was scheduled, the match was doomed to end quickly soon as Wofford got a first taste of Ellis’ impressive power. The match lasted fewer than 75 seconds, with Ellis attaining his career’s third knockout at 1:14 of the first round.

The evening’s opening bout, a four-round featherweight tilt between southpaw Texan Kermit Hendricks (1-2, 1 KO) and South Carolinian Chris Nicolosi (0-1), ended at 1:31 of round 3 when Nicolosi, after fading for a round and a half in his pro debut, succumbed to a barrage of left crosses from Hendricks – who got his first professional win.

Opening bell rang on the bullring of a semi-full Cowboys Dancehall at 6:32 PM local time.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com former Jr. Welterweight & welterweight champion Zab Judah is in the running to secure a July 14 showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez at Cowboys Stadium.

“It’s a fight I have campaigned for,” said Judah, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., but lives in Las Vegas and has been around the media center this week. “This is a fight I wanted a couple of years ago and I still want it. I want him. He fought Floyd Mayweather and never touched him and he got dropped. I can do that, too.”

Main Events promoter Kathy Duva, who promotes Judah, told ESPN.com that Top Rank chief Bob Arum has contacted her about Judah.

“I’ve been having discussions with Bob for the past 24 hours,” she said Friday. “But the deal is not done. Obviously, we’d love to do it. I think it’s a saleable fight, a terrific fight. These guys are both big names, so we would love to do it and it’s not a complicated deal to make.”

“He really wants the fight,” she said. “But Bob hasn’t made us an offer yet. He’s exploring what it would take to make the fight, but I know we can make it if this is the fight they want to do. Bob knows that Zab is available, so we are talking about it.”

“It’s a fight that makes sense,” Judah said. “Marquez wants a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao. I want a fight with Manny Pacquiao, too. The winner should get Pacquiao.”

LAS VEGAS — There were a lot of surprise, but only one upset.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. did the expected Saturday night at the MGM Grand and beat Miguel Cotto with a decision that was as bruising as it was unanimous. Then, there was the upset.

Mayweather did an interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant after saying he wouldn’t after the two engaged in a war of words following his controversial stoppage in a September stoppage of Victor Ortiz. Merchant said Mayweather apologized Friday for the rhetorical brawl.

The bet was that an apology from Mayweather would happen before immortality and an end to taxes. The way things are changing, anything looks possible, maybe even a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight. More on that later.

Nevertheless, there have been hints for at a least week that Mayweather is a changed man even before he has to report on June 1 for an 87-day jail sentence for domestic abuse. At news conferences and other public appearances, he had begun to behave more like a diplomat and less like an ill-mannered rapper.

In Cotto, he said, he expected a tough fight.

“He came to fight,’’ said Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs), who collected a minimum of $32 million, a record guarantee. “He didn’t come for survival.’’

No, he didn’t. Cotto came for a significant upset. He didn’t get it. On the scorecards, his loss was one-sided. Judges Patricia Morse Jarman and Dave Moretti scored 117-111 each for Mayweather. The third judge, Robert Hoyle, had it 118-110. Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs) left the ring without speaking to the media, which might be a sign of his frustration at the scoring.

But there are no points for determination and the guts to sustain an attack throughout 12 rounds. A key element to Cotto’s tactical plan took shape early. Mayweather often uses distance like a puppeteer uses strings. From about the length of a jab, he pushes, pulls, leads, twists and, in the end, turns ordinary opposition inside-out. But Cotto refused to let him maintain the distance so fundamental to his reign.

In the second, it was evident Cotto would not follow Mayweather’s calculated lead. Cotto shoved him up and against the ropes as if to say that Mayweather should have picked a different dance partner. Cotto returned to the blueprint again and again throughout the next 10 rounds, driving Mayweather into the ropes with a bruising jab and a physical attack that bloodied Mayweather’s nose.

The blood was a surprise. If anybody was going to bleed, the guess was that it would be Cotto, whose eyes are surrounded by scar tissue from old wounds. This time, however, the unmarked Mayweather was the only one to bleed and sight of that blood elicited cheers from that part of the crowd that lusts for him to lose.

He didn’t, because in the ring, at least, he never changes. He is never without resources or an infinite ability to adjust. He scored by getting Cotto out in the center of the ring and landing shots, some unlikely. In the fourth, he rocked Cotto with a right that circled around his upraised hands. The punch found its mark, almost like a curve ball. Even when pushed up against the ropes, he rolled his shoulder and managed to deflect many of Cotto’s blows.

What’s next? For now, there’s only June 1 and time in Nevada’s Clark County Jail.

“That comes with the territory,’’ Mayweather said. “Things of life. You are faced with certain obstacles. You take the good with the good and the bad with the bad. …When June 1 comes, I’m going to accept it, like a true man would do.’’

And after his release?

“I don’t know,’’ said Mayweather, who went on to rip Pacquaio’s promoter, Bob Arum. “I was looking to fight Manny Pacquiao. I didn’t think that fight would happen because of Bob Arum. Bob Arum stopped the Manny Pacquiao fight. Let’s give the fans what they want to see. Let’s get that fight together.’’

Otherwise, Mayweather might have to apologize again. Once is enough.

It was the end of a beginning for a 21-year-old Mexican who might finally begin to be known for something more than his red hair.

“This is the beginning of my career,’’ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez said. “Thank you, Shane Mosley, for giving me this experience.’’

Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) might also have said thanks to Mosley (46-8-1, 39 KOs) for letting him add a legendary name to his unbeaten resume. He could also have said good-bye and good-luck to Mosley.

Mosley never had a chance. He was pounded to the body, pounded to the head, pounded from pillar-to-post in losing a unanimous decision to Alvarez, still the World Boxing Council’s junior-middleweight champion and more ambitious than ever to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao.

A sign, perhaps, that Canelo is growing up and beyond his Howdy Doody days happened at the moment when he encountered the only potential adversity in an otherwise one-sided fight.

Blood, Canelo red, poured from a cut above Alvarez left eye after a head butt in the second. But it didn’t seem to bother Alvarez, who is said to have never suffered a cut before the inadvertent collision with Mosley.

If it really was Alvarez’ first wound, the 21-year-old Mexican responded as if he had always known how it would feel. How it would color his vision. How it would taste. It was a moment when he looked as if he had been born for the blood sport.

“He can go a long ways,’’ said Mosley, who collected $650,000 on a night when Alvarez earned $2 million.

The totality of Alvarez’ victory, however, might be hard to judge in terms of how he will do against younger, more dangerous opponents. The 40-year-old Mosley did nothing to dispel mounting evidence that he’s more shot than Sugar. He endured 12 rounds. He would not quit Saturday night. After sustained punishment that has left his face puffy and some say his speech slurred, however, it looks as it is time to quit the long, legendary career that will one day land him in the Hall of Fame.

“It can look that way,’’ said Mosley, who in the immediate aftermath of the loss didn’t say he would retire.

Mosley had no defense for the heavy hands that ricocheted off his midsection, rocked his head and echoed with an almost sickening thud throughout the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“Maybe, he’ll be one of the next kings of the ring,’’ Mosley said.

Maybe.

Las Vegas welterweight Jessie Vargas (19-0, 9 KOs, a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-promoted fighter, is still unbeaten, but there wasn’t anything unanimous about his performance after a unanimous decision over shop-worn Steve Forbes (35-11, 11 KOs), also of Las Vegas.

There were scattered boos from a crowd gathering for the Mayweather Jr.-Miguel Cotto fight for the dull 10 rounder. Vargas won at least eight of the rounds, but wasn’t dominant in any of them over Forbes, who has lost six of his last eight fights.

With Miguel Cotto watching from a ringside seat, super-welterweight Carlos Quintana (29-3, 23 KOs) scored a sixth-round knockout of DeAndre Lattimore (23-4, 17 KOs) of Las Vegas in the first bout on the pay-per-view part of the card.

Cotto must have liked what he saw from Quintana, a fellow Puerto Rican, in a victory that might have been a good sign for his chances at an upset of Floyd Mayweather in the main event. Quintana swarmed Lattimore with a barrage of punches — head to body, body to head.

Midway through the sixth, Quintana stunned Lattimore in a neutral corner. A dazed Lattimore slid along the ropes. Quintana pursued, hitting Lattimore with a succession of left hands that finally dropped him near his own corner at 2:19 of the round.

“A great day for Puerto Rico,’’ Quintana said of a night that he hoped would end in a Cotto encore.

Puerto Rican featherweight Braulio Santos (6-0, 5 KO) employed explosive quickness for a unanimous decision over Juan Sandoval (5-9-1, 3 KOs) of San Bernardino, CA, in the last fight before the pay-per-view telecast.

Santos’ array of punches came at a blinding rate, especially in the fourth when Sandoval was knocked into the ropes by combo capped by a stinging left.

Lightweight Omar Figueroa (16-0-1, 13 KOS) of Weslaco, TX, could have been swinging a bat at a ball poised on a tee with a wide left hook that lifted Robbie Cannon (12-7-2, 6 KOs) of Pevely, MO, up and almost out of the ring.

Somehow, Cannon got up, but only to see that referee Vic Drakulich had ended it, declaring Figueroa a TKO winner at 2:08 of the second round.

Welterweight Keith Thurman (17-0, 16 KOs) of Clearwater, FL, turned the card’s second fight into a display of the reasons why Golden Boy Promotions signed him.

Thurman’s foot speed, power and quick jab overwhelmed Brandon Koskins (16-1-1, 8 KOs) of Hannibal, MO. Referee Russell Mora stopped it at 25 seconds of the third with a defenseless Koskins hanging on the ropes after a head-rocking right hand from Thurman.

Antonio Orozco and Dillet Frederick fought in front of referee Kenny Bayless, three judges, cornermen, a few ushers and nobody else in the first fight on a card Saturday that would end hours later with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto in the main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The arena was filled only with echoes, mostly from body punches landed by Orozco (14-0, 10 KOs), a San Diego welterweight who won a third-round TKO over Frederick (8-6-3, 5 KOs) of Fort Myers, Fla.

Former Super Bantamweight belt holder Daniel Ponce De Leon scored a workmanlike ten round unanimous decision over Eduardo Lazcano at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Scores were 100-90 across the board for De Leon, 127 1/2 lbs and is now 43-4. Lazcano, 129 lbs is now 24-3.

Ishe Smith scored an impressive fourth round stoppage over Ayi Bruce in a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Smith dominated the fight and landed a hard right over the top that froze Bruce. Smith followed up with several hard punches that forced referee Kenny Bayless to stop the bout at 2:10 0f round four.

Smith, 154 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is now 23-5 with eleven knockouts. Bruce, 154 lbs of Albany, NY is now 21-7.

Young Daquan Arnett was impressive in dropping Jose Martell twice in round one of their four round Jr.Middleweight bout.

the fight was stopped at 2:41 of round one.

Arnett,152 lbs of Orlando, FL is 3-0 with two knockouts. Martell, 151 1/2 lbs of Houston, TX is 2-2

Jessica Rakoczy scored a fourth round stoppage over Brittany Cruz in a female Featherweight bout.

Rakoaczy dropped Cruz in round three and again in round four and the bout was stopped.

Rakoczy, of Las Vegas is now 32-3 with twelve knockouts. Cruz, 125 1/2 lbs of Denver is 8-6-1.

Antonio Margarito’s comeback against Abel Perry of Colorado Springs has been postponed from May 26 to July 7 at Casino Del Sol in Tucson because of a foot injury sustained Thursday while training in Tijuana, Gerry Truax of Showdown Promotions said.

Truax said Margarito hurt an Achilles tendon. Physicians told the three-time former welterweight champion to rest the tendon for three weeks, said Truax, who said he reserved Casino Del Sol for July 7 for Margarito’s first fight since a loss to Miguel Cotto in December in New York.

The May 26 card, a Top Rank and Showdown promotion, is still scheduled. A Top Rank spokesperson said a new main event for May 26 will be announced sometime next week.

Margarito, who was at a news conference Monday at Casino Del Sol, is hoping for a shot at fellow Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the World Boxing Council’s middleweight champion. He plans to fight Perry at 160 pounds.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Jhonny Gonzalez retained the WBC Featherweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over former beltholder Elio Rojas in Cancun, Mexico.

Gonzalez scored a knockdown in round ten and was more active throughout the bout and won by scores of 116-111; 116-112 and 117-111.

Gonzalez, 125.4 lbs of Mexico City is now 52-7. Rojas, 124.3 lbs of San Francisco, Dominican Republic is 23-2.

Juan Carlos Salgado became a two-time world champion with a hard fought twelve round majority decision over veteran Martin Honorio to claim the IBF Jr. Lightweight title

Salgado dropped Honorio in round two and fought through a terrible cut that streamed down from his left eye.

Scores were 113-113; 114-112 and 114-112 for Salgado, of Mexico and is now 25-1-1. Honorio, 130 lbs also of Mexico City is now32-7-1.

Julio Ceja scored a third round stoppage over Cruz Carbajal in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Ceja landed an overhand right to the top of the head that sent Carbajal down in the corner and was down for the ten count forty-four seconds of round three.

Ceja is now 19-0 with eighteen knockouts. Carbajal of Veracruz, MX is now 31-19-2.

Luis Ceja scored a fifth round stoppage over Sammy Reyes in a scheduled eight round Flyweight bout.

Ceja dropped Reyes twice in round three and one more time in round five and the fight was stopped at 2:14 of round five.

Ceja, 110 lbs of Atizapan, MX is now 22-1-3 with eighteen knockouts. Reyes, 110 lbs of Tapachula, MX is now 7-9

TUCSON – Antonio Margarito said Monday that a fight between him and fellow Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would be more exciting than a speculated bout between Chavez and Argentina’s Sergio Martinez for the middleweight title.

“Between two Mexicans, I think it would be better,’’ Margarito said after his bout against Abel Perry on May 26 at Casino del Sol was formally announced during a news conference at the southern Arizona property.

Margarito wasn’t trying to eliminate Martinez as a potential fight for Chavez, the son of a Mexican legend.

“I’m not saying it shouldn’t be Maravilla,’’ Margarito said in a reference to Martinez’ nickname. “I’m not saying that at all. I’m just saying that I’m here too.’’

The controversial Margarito emerged as a possibility for Chavez, since his management put together the May 26 bout, Margarito’s first since a loss in December to Miguel Cotto. Another factor fueling the speculation is that Top Rank represents both Margarito and Chavez, who faces Andy Lee on June 16 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Tex.

Margarito, a former welterweight champion, will fight Perry at middleweight, 160 pounds. Margarito predicts that he will feel stronger at the heavier weight. He said he was at 172 pounds Monday.

Margarito is training for the first time in Tijuana, his hometown. Javier Cortez is working as his trainer. Raul Robles is working as his conditioning coach. Trainer Robert Garcia, who was in his corner for loss to Manny Pacquiao and Cotto, is not expected to join him in Tijuana. However, Margarito co-manager Sergio Diaz said Garcia will in his corner at opening bell for Perry, a Colorado Springs fighter who has won his last five fights, four by stoppage.

Phoenix junior-welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. is also scheduled for the Casino Del Sol card. His opponent has yet to be determined.

Benavidez expects his right wrist to be fully recovered in time for his first fight since a victory in November on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s disputed decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. Benavidez underwent surgery on the wrist in late January.

He has returned to trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., after working out for several weeks at Central Boxing in downtown Phoenix. He said he has resumed sparring.

“Went eight rounds twice over the last couple of days,’’ Benavidez said. “The wrist is getting better. In three or four, weeks it’ll be all the way back.’’

Photo by Phil Soto/Top Rank

Thomas Oosthuizen made the most of his United States television debut on ShoBox: The New Generation by producing a crowd-pleasing unanimous decision victory over Marcus “Too Much” Johnson. The 10-round super middleweight bout was scored 98-91 on all three scorecards.

After losing the first fight of his career in his last ShoBox appearance, Johnson (21-2, 15 KOs), of Houston, came out bullish and determined to outperform the IBO super middleweight titlist Oosthuizen. Jumping out from his corner at the opening bell, Johnson bolted directly at his six-foot-four opponent and attacked him with a barrage of head and body blows. Oosthuizen (19-0-1, 13 KOs) of Gauteng, South Africa, absorbed some early punishment but maintained his composure.

Despite his height advantage of more than five inches, the tall South African did not always keep his distance, choosing to fight off the ropes during many portions of the contest. As the bout entered the fourth and fifth rounds, the 26-year-old Johnson slowed and Oosthuizen upped his work rate. A busy southpaw, Oosthuizen threw most of his punches in bunches including repeated left-right, left-right combos to the ribs.

In the eighth, Oosthuizen pressured Johnson into the blue corner and forced the Texan to take a knee after landing a right hook to the body. Johnson beat the count and the two battled it out for the final rounds before the scores revealed that Oosthuizen claimed the latest victory in his budding career.

“I never underestimated Johnson,” said the 24-year-old Oosthuizen. “I expected him to come out fast but I knew it would be sink or swim. I think he was surprised when I surpassed his big punches at the beginning. I could tell he was beginning to tire by the third or fourth round because I could hear how heavily he was breathing.”

Luis Del Valle scored a ten round unanimous decision over battle tested Christopher Martin in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Del Valle controlled most of the action as he had a solid speed advantage. Martin fought pretty well in spots. In round seven, Martin briefly turned southpaw and it costed him as Del Valle landed a little flush left hook that put Martin on the deck. Martin got up and was competitive but it was Del Valle who came home with the 100-89; 98-91 and 97-92 win.

Del Valle, 123 of Bayamon, PR is now 16-0. Martin, 123 lbs of San Diego is now 23-2-3.

Jose Pedraza scored an eight round unanimous decision over Gil Garcia in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Pedraza scored a knockdown in round three from a left hook and dominated the bout by boxing from the outside.

Scores were 80-71; 79-72 and 79-72 for Pedraza, 131 1/2 lbs of Cidra, PR and is now 8-0. Garcia, 132 1/4 lbs of Houston, TX and is now 5-3-1.

Behind on the scorecards, Denis Grachev came back to score an eighth round stoppage over highly touted Ismayl Sillakh in a bout that featured undefeated fighters at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

Sillakh dropped Grachev in round three from a straight hand. Sillakh used his height and boxing skills to keep the hard punches of Grachev at a minimum.

In round eight, Grachev landed a hard right that rocked Sillakh into the corner. Grachev pounced on Sillakh and landed a flurry of hard punches that put Sillakh down just as the referee stopped the bout at 2:18 of round eight.

Grachev, 174 lbs of San Diego is now 12-0-1 with eight knockouts. Sillakh, 175 lbs of Los Angeles is 17-0-1.

In a battle of undefeated Jr. Lightweights, Javier Fortuna stopped Yaundale Evans in round one of a scheduled ten round bout.

Fortuna viciously dropped Evans with a straight left that was followed by a hard right hand. Somehow Evans was able to get to his feet only to suffer more punishment and was dropped again and the fight was stopped 2:02 into the fight.

Fortuna, 128 lbs of Oxnard, CA is now 19-0 with thirteen knockouts. Evans, 127 1/2 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 16-1.

Randy Fuentes scored a four round unanimous decision over John Montes in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-35; 40-36 and 39-36 for Fuentes, 142 1/2 lbs of Edinburg, TX and is now 2-0-1. Montes, 140 1/2 lbs of Laredo, TX is now 1-2.

ATLANTIC CITY–Chad Dawson won the WBC Light Heavyweight title with a twelve round majority decision over legendary Bernard Hopkins in a lackluster fight at Boardwalk Hall.

Neither guy had any sustained flurries but Dawson won the fight because he punched and landed slightly more than the forty-seven year old Hopkins.

There was alot of clinching and rough house tactics with Dawson suffering cuts around both eyes due to accidental headbutts.

Dawson, 174 1/2 lbs of Hartford, CT won by scores of 117-111; 117-111 and 114-114. Hopkins, 173 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 52-6-2-2.

Seth Mitchell remained perfect by taking out Chazz Witherspoon in round three of a scheduled twelve round Heavyweight bout.

Witherspoon dominated the first round as landed some hard rights that startled Mitchell. Mitchell righted himself in round two as he started landing his own power shots and that started the downfall for Witherspoon. Mitchell came out in round three and started bouncing Witherspoon around the ring and then put him down with a hard left hook. Witherspoon showed his fighting spirit but it proved to be his undoing and Mitchell lived up to moniker and began landing some shots that caused “Mayhem” for Witherspoon. Mitchell landed some hard shots on the ropes that caused referee Randy Neumann to first administer a standing eight and with blood dripping down the right eye eventually stopping the fight at 2:31 of round three.

Mitchell, 241 ½ lbs of Brandywyne, MD is now 25-0-1 with nineteen knockouts. Witherspoon, 231 1/2lbs of Philadelphia is 30-3.

Mikey Faragon remained perfect by scoring an eight round unanimous decision over Sergio Rivera in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Faragon, 137 1/2 lbs of Albany,NY won by scores of 79-73; 78-74 and 78-74 and is now 18-0. Rivera, 139.6 of Mexico is now 16-10-2

Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell made it a perfect ten when he annihilated Anthony Pietrantonio in round three of a scheduled four round Light Heavyweight bout as part of the Bernard Hopkins – Chad Dawson II undercard at Boardwalk Hall.

Harvell dropped Pietrantonio in round one and the continued to dominate until a vicious left hook knocked Pietrantonio down and out at thirty-one seconds of round three. Pietrantonio was momentarily unconscious but fortunately he was able to leave the ring under his own power.

Philadelphia Jr. Middleweight pounded out an eight round unanimous decision over Hector Rosado.

Scores were 79-73,79-73 and 78-74 for Williams, 154 1/2 lbs and is now 9-0-1.Rosado, 155 1/2 lbs of Gunabo, Puerto Rico and is now 7-2-2.

Phil Lo Greco survived a first round knockdown to come back and win the remaining five rounds over Hector Orozco and win a six round unanimous decision in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 59-54; 58-55 and 58-55 for Lo Greco, 149 lbs of Toronto and is now 23-0. Orozco, 149 lbs of Minneapolis, MN and is now 5-11.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Welterweight Alfonso Gomez was forced to withdraw from his May 5th bout with Jesse Vargas that was scheduled for the Floyd Mayweather- Miguel Cotto PPV undercard.

“Alfonso developed some serious back spasms (last week) and at first I thought he would just take a day off and rest. So we canceled sparring one day. But then we had to cancel a second day of sparring,” Saod Gomez manager Gary Gittelsohn. “And he never got much better.”

“But we gave Alfonso the weekend off to see if he’d feel any better,” Gittelsohn said. “The orthopedist said he didn’t think Alfonso was in any condition to do any running or strenuous activity. So that put him out of commission in critical moments of his training. So we canceled officially (Monday night) and I alerted Eric, who was disappointed as we all were. But these things happen. I’m so bummed.”

“I really felt like this was the perfect resurrection opportunity for Alfonso (coming off the loss to Alvarez) on the biggest showcase of the year,” Gittelsohn said. “We’re taking it day by day. I told Eric that I really want this fight for Alfonso and we hope it can be rescheduled down the line.”

“We were informed (Monday) night about this and we’re looking at some replacements,” Schaefer said. “I’m confident that Eric and Team Vargas will find a suitable replacement.”

PASO, Texas (April 22, 2012) – Abner Mares has power, he has speed, and now he has a second world championship belt. Mares, the 26-year-old undefeated Mexican American from Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, captured the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship with an emphatic victory over game veteran Eric Morel on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday night at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

In the co-feature, Anselmo Moreno, the slick and talented Panamanian world champion, cruised to victory over David de la Mora with a ninth-round technical knockout.

Mares, who recently vacated the IBF bantamweight title, brought considerable power up to 122 pounds and seemed to sacrifice none of his hand speed. Morel, 10 years Mares’ senior, is a veteran of nine world title fights and a former two-time world champion. Morel admitted coming into the fight that this could be his last shot at one of boxing’s crowns. The Puerto Rico native, now living and fighting out of Madison, Wisconsin, came to win, but Mares’ confidence and ability won the night.

Fighting aggressively for every minute of every round, Mares dominated from the early going with a damaging body attack. He moved fluidly from the body to the head, stunning Morel on several occasions.

What Morel gave up in age, he made up for in heart. Morel withstood the punishment dolled out by the younger Mares. He gave a valiant effort right through the final two rounds, making the 11th and 12th the two most exciting and competitive of the bout.

“If this is the last major fight of his career,” said Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein during the telecast, “and it very well could be, he has nothing to be ashamed of.”

The judges had it unanimously for Mares by scores of 120-107 and 119-109 twice. The young star improved his record to 24-0-1 (13 KO’s) and is looking for his next challenge – a fight with the super bantamweight division’s elite.

After the bout, a joyful Mares said the move up in weight was a good one for him. “I felt a lot stronger at this weight. I felt complete.

“I have to say Eric was very strong. I was surprised he withstood the pressure. He went out like a true champion. That last round was a great round for both of us.”

The modest champion continued, “I feel I still need to improve. I am still learning. Sometimes I make it brawl when I don’t have to, so there’s definitely more I can do.”

When asked if he had been 10 years younger tonight, Morel said, “The (age) doesn’t matter. He probably would have done the same thing. He’s a great fighter. He’s one of the best I’ve ever faced. I have nothing to be ashamed of. He put on a great performance. What else can I say?”

***

Classy southpaw Anselmo Moreno scored an eighth stoppage over David De La Mora to retain the WBA Bantamweight crown.

Moreno dominated the action as he dropped De La Mora in round’s two and six from body shots and De La Mora seemed disinterested as he found it almost impossible to hit Moreno in return and decided he had enough after the eighth.

Moreno is now 33-1-1 with twelve knockouts. De La Mora is now 24-2.

Unheralded Light Heavyweight Rowland Bryant scored a stunning third round stoppage over former three time world title challenger in a scheduled ten round bout.

Bryant landed some hard shots in the first round. Andrade was cut from a headbutt in round one. In round three, Bryant landed a right hand that rocked Andrade and then followed up with several consecutive ripping shots to the head and the fight was stopped at 2:19.

Bryant of Orlando, FL is now 16-1 with eleven knockouts. Andrade is now 30-5.

Luis Ramos Jr. scored a ten round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Daniel Attah in a Lightweight bout.

Ramos was more active with his combination punching where Attah landed some decent shots but they were one at a time. Ramos scored a knockdown in round three from a left to the top of the head.

Ramos won by scores of 100-89; 99-91; 99-91 and is now 22-0. Attah is now 26-10-1

Recent Golden Boy signee Francisco Vargas scored a third round stoppage over Rafael Lora in a Super Featherweight bout scheduled for six rounds.

Vargas battered Lora all over the ring in the third round until the fight was stopped at 2:27.

Vargas is 10-0-1 with eight knockouts. Lora is now 11-8.

WBO Super Featherweight champion Adrien Broner will face unknown Gary Sykes on May 19th as the co-feature to the Lamont Peterson – Amir Khan rematch in Las Vegas according to espn.com’s Dan Rafael

“Man, no matter who it was, I am still going to make all work look like easy work,” Broner said. “I’m taking over boxing. I’m the missing puzzle piece, flat out.”

“The fight has been approved and we’re all confirmed. We are ready to go,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “The visa attorneys are working on the visa. Obviously, they don’t see any issues. He should get it in about 15 days. We informed HBO of the visa situation and they are aware the visa has to be processed and that it takes some time.”

“We are bringing Adrien back quickly from the February fight and we were looking at different opponents, but some were not available and we zeroed in on Gary Sykes,” Schaefer said. “You need to realize that when you call to ask people if they want to fight Adrien Broner, the other side doesn’t say, ‘Oh, great.’ There is a hesitation. So it’s becoming more and more difficult to find an opponent from a field that is already skim pickings to start with because the 130-pound division is not a deep division. You have guys like (Yuriorkis) Gamboa and (Robert) Guerrero who are top fighters but who moved up in weight.”

“Combine the talent, the charisma and the brush and he has superstar written all over him, so we want to keep him busy,” Schaefer said, referring to Broner’s habit of having his father brush his hair in the ring after his victories. “He is comfortable at 130 pounds. He’ll probably have a few more title defenses before he goes up to lightweight. But if the right opportunity came along at 135, he would probably go up for that.

“There is no rush to leave 130, though. He’s entertaining and one of the most exciting fighters and one of the most charismatic. So more power to him that he can capture the interest of the public in a division which lacks other big names.”

Former Colombian Olympian Eleider Alvarez remained undefeated as he boxed his will to an eight round unanimous decision over battle tested veteran Rayco Saunders in a Light Heavyweight bout.

The bout did not have a lot of action but Alvarez clearly carried what few exchanges that did occur. Saunders now has only been stopped one time in forty pro bouts so Alvarez took what the defense gave him.

Alvarez, 178 1/2 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 8-0. Saunders 178 3/4 lbs of Pittsburgh, PA is now 22-16-2.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former world Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik will fight Scott Sigmon on June 8th in Las Vegas on a card that will be televised on ESPN 2.

“He’s on a great winning streak. He’s a credible opponent and he will come to fight,” Said Top Rank’s Carl Moretti. “He knows it’s an opportunity so I expect nothing less than his best effort against Kelly. This is a fight they both wanted.”

“I think that Kelly is coming right back for this fight further reflects his commitment to the sport and to keeping his life in order,” Moretti said. “I think that is what you want to see. He looked good against Jaco, so let’s do it again. Kelly doesn’t need to take six months off after knocking out Aaron Jaco.”

“I think the fact that Pavlik is going to fight on the weekend of the Pacquiao fight, with a lot of media in town and a lot of boxing fans in town, he’ll get a lot of attention and hopefully it sets up bigger things for him in the future,” Moretti said.

“I think we start discussing that (future) June 8 after the fight and go from there. We’ll see what’s available and we will sit down with Kelly and (manager) Cameron (Dunkin) and determine what the next move is. But Kelly is still a big name in the industry.”

Chavez, who defends one of the titles that Pavlik used to have on June 16 against Andy Lee at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, is a serious possibility in the fall, Moretti said. It is also a fight — which could be at middleweight, super middleweight or at a catch weight in between 160 and 168 pounds — that Chavez manager Billy Keane told ESPN.com is of interest to them.

“Absolutely, that’s a fight we’ll look at,” Moretti said. “It’s definitely a big fight. The more Kelly fights and re-establishes himself, and the better Chavez gets, the more a fight like that can come together. That’s a pretty big pay-per-view fight.”

Antonio Margarito’s management has an agreement for the former welterweight champion to fight on May 26 at Casino del Sol in Tucson, Gerry Truax of Showdown Promotions said Wednesday.

Talks with Casino del Sol have been underway since March 23 when 15 Rounds first reported the possibility of a Margarito fight in southern Arizona in his first bout since a bloody loss to Miguel Cotto last December. June 15 was an alternate date.

An opponent has yet to be determined, Truax said.

Margarito (38-8, 27 KOs) is trying to keep himself in line for a shot at Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who is expected to face middleweight champion Sergio Martinez if he beats Andy Lee on June 16 in El Paso, Tex.

The controversial Margarito is coming off successive loss to Cotto and Manny Pacquiao, who fractured the bone surrounding his right eye in 2010. Margarito underwent surgery on the eye before the loss to Cotto. Cotto targeted the eye in a dramatic rematch that ended after nine rounds on advice from the ringside physician, who said blood and swelling had begun to limit Margarito’s vision. Margarito insisted that he could have continued.

Margarito manager Sergio Diaz said the skin surrounding the eye is vulnerable to further cuts because of the many blows he has absorbed. The eye will continue to be a target. Diaz said Margarito, 34, will probably have to take on a more defensive style if he wants to extend his career.

WBO Light Heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly was forced to postpone his February 25th tite defense with Robin Krasniqi according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I’ve been unable to train because I’ve been laid up in bed with a viral infection and there’s not enough time to make up what I’ve missed in training to make sure I’m fully fit,” Cleverly said. “I’ve taken the advice of my doctor and been told to fully rest before attempting to start training again.

“I’m really disappointed because I was looking forward to being the first fighter to bring boxing back to the Royal Albert Hall in over a decade and the first of the century.”

“It was a big night for me as Hopkins was facing Dawson on the same night and I was looking to do a good job on Krasniqi to get a fight with the winner,” Cleverly said.

“I’m sorry for my fans, but I’m happy that the show will go on and a great talent like Billy Joe Saunders will now be topping the card along with Sam Webb and Matthew Hall, which looks like a cracking fight,” Cleverly said.

Said Warren: “It’s such a shame that Cleverly has been hit with a viral infection, and at a crucial time in his training and career. He is unable to fight and he now needs to have a good rest, get himself healthy and resume training before we look to reschedule his title defense.

“However, Billy Joe Saunders, who is one of the best young talents in Britain right now, is hungry and ready to prove that he is the next big thing. This is the perfect occasion for him to do this.”

Undefeated British Super Middleweight George Groves has been forced out of his May 5th title shot with IBF champion Robert Stieglitz with an injury that has not been announced according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I am sorry to have to announce that I won’t be boxing on May 5th. I have picked up an injury in the build up to this fight,” Groves said in a statement. “We tried to work through it but soon realized I wouldn’t be able to perform the training needed to prepare for this fight.”

“After coming back to London immediately and seeking medical advice, I hope that this problem will be sorted soon and will only be a short delay,” Groves said. “I am truly sorry to everyone involved who will be affected by this. This is without a doubt the toughest decision I have ever had to make. I am gutted but nothing worth having is given away. It has only made me more determined to achieve my goal of becoming world champion. Thanks to everyone again for their continued support in my journey.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Leo Santa Cruz will take on Vusi Malinga for a vacant Bantamweight title on June 2nd as part of a quadruple header on June 2nd from the Home Depot Center in Carson, California that will be televised by Showtime.

“We’re trying to finalize it,” Schaefer said. “We’ve agreed on everything with [Malinga promoter Branco Milenkovic] and now we’re just trying to get it signed. We made a strong offer and we’ve done business with Branco before. We’ve never had problems. We treat each other with respect.”

Already announced is a cruiserweight affair between former Light Heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver and undefeated Lateef Kayode;Former Jr. Middleweight champion Winky Wright taking on undefeated Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin as well as WBA Super Welterweight champion Austin Trout defending against Delvin Rodriguez.

Former world title challenger Paul McCloskey will take on former world titlist DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley on May 5th in Belfast, Ireland according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Corley has been in with the very best in the business and is on a high after beating Bracero, so it’s a good test for me,” McCloskey said.

Miami, FL–World Renown Boxing Promoter Don King did it again with another great card of excellent competitive boxing in Miami at the Casino Miami Jai-Alai. This was the first card at the newly renovated Casino Jai-Alai much to the delight of a ravenous crowd who was left begging for more. With numerous accolades, awards, lifetime achievements in the sport of boxing, and accomplishments during his career, King is often referred to the greatest promoter of all time and rightfully so.

For the main event, WBC US Super welterweight Champion Joey “Twinkle Fingers” Hernandez 21-1-1(12KO) was very impressive with a first round TKO win over tough veteran Shakir Ashanti 16-13. Ashanti, who I must note had a crazy outfit of what appeared to be skirt and pom poms attached to his legs, met Twinkle Fingers with a couple fast early punches and the two tied up in the middle of the ring. While tied up Hernandez did what all fighters should do and instead of waiting for the referee to break the action he kept punching with the free hand landing some hard punches that eventually floored the Ashanti. Ashanti was able to beat the count however it was Hernandez who then rushed across the ring and landed a number of clean unanswered shots during a fight ending flurry that ended the junior middleweight fight at 2:45 of just the first round. After the fight Hernandez was quick to grab the microphone from ring announcer Marc Lictenfield to call out Jr Middleweight contender and former 5 time world champion Cory Spinks for a fight. Spinks was not slow to climb into the ring and return fire on the microphone by telling Hernandez to “bring it on” and ”Imma stop this fool right here” which was not very well accepted by Hernandez’s hometown crowd in Miami. Spinks is looking to avenge a 2010 knockout loss to Cornelius Bundrage 31-4(18KO) on June 23rd at the Hard Rock in Hollywood Florida. The fight will be for the IBF title. Hernandez said after the fight, “I’m a bad dude when I want to be. I wiped out Shakir Ashanti like a plate of dishes in the first round—and he went 10 rounds with Cory Spinks!

The WBC #1 ranked heavyweight Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne 22-1-1, (20 KOs) squeaked out a unanimous decision win over journeyman Willie Herring 13-11-3(4KO) from Orlando. Stiverne, a native of Haiti who grew up in Miami, controlled much of the first part of the fight with hard combinations and pressed the very tough and brave Herring. Herring had no problem standing in the pocket with the bigger Stiverne exchanging punching but was not a fan Stiverne mid-fight jaw jacking taunts and told him to “Shut up and fight”. Herring landed some nice shots at the end of round four that led to a very entertaining round 5 which it seemed the tide seemed to be turning and Herring appeared to be putting together a nice late fight rally. Stiverne hung on to take the decision however it was Herrings toughness that won the fans appreciation as was well noted after the fight. Stiverne mentioned after the fight he had injured his right hand, his money hand and he calls it, early in round two. The cards read, 79-73 twice and 77-75 on the final card, and was the same score I had. Stiverne said after the fight, “Willie Herring gave me just what I needed tonight, a chance to show all the things we’ve been working on in the gym like head movement, establishing my jab, body shots and throwing punches in bunches.” “I came to fight and so did Herring. I threw a lot of leather and he got most of it. “I took this fight and short notice but it was good to get some rust worked out. Herring is lighter and moves well so it wasn’t easy for me to land everything I threw, but he knew when I did. “It was great to be fighting where I grew up in Miami in front of friends and family.”

Former amateur standout and 2008 Haitian Olympian Azea “Haitian Hitman” Augustama 13-1(8KO) let his star shine bright with a win over Grover “The Cobra” Young, 6-7-1(3KO). The sharp Augustama often connected with blistering fast right hand left hook combos to the hard charging southpaw who himself found success early on with a couple straight left hands as well. A bizarre moment happened in the second round when Augustama landed a straight right hand and Young backed up holding his head as if he got head butted. The referee noted it as a clean punch and did not step in, so Augustama jumped on Young with a flurry of punches that prompted him to take a knee to recover still holding his head. I spoke to Augustama after the fight and he stated it was a clean punch. The end came at 55 seconds of the second round.

Marcus “Happy” Oliveira 23-1-1(23KO) was just that …’happy’ after a fast 1 punch knockout over Adam “Atom Bomb” Collins from Portsmouth, OH. The end came quickly at just :49 seconds of the first round when Oliveira landed a crushing left hook to the body which sent Collins to the canvas and unwilling to continue…………. After the fight Oliveira said ““I predicted I would win the fight with a body shot and I did. My body shot dropped him for good. The last time I saw a body shot like that was Tito Trinidad vs. Rafael Pineda. I’m a big Tito fan, so I have always wanted to land a body shot like that. “When I hit him in the face he covered up his head, so I took it to his body. “I’m ready to fight for a world championship this year. I’d fight Nathan Cleverly tomorrow.”

Tough Jr Welterweight prospect Amir Imam 4-0(3KO) from Albany, NY, now fighting out of Pompano Beach Florida, looked sharp with a convincing TKO win over rough and ready but awkward John “Big Money” Willoughby 3-12(2KO) from Selma AL. Imam landed a great straight right hand early in round one that put Willoughby against the ropes and set the tone for the rest of the fight which was of a pitbull versus a feline. Imam knocked Willoughby down twice in the first round once with a beautiful right hand and a second by way of a short left hook inside. The end came at 1:15 of the second round after a crushing right hand at which time referee Sam Burgos.

Undefeated Heavyweight prospect Trevor “The American Dream” Bryan 3-0(2KO) from Albany, NY, now fighting out of Pompano Beach Florida, kept his perfect record in tact with a hard fought unanimous decision win over young challenger Brandon Spencer, 1-3 (1KO) from Augusta GA. It took Bryan a couple rounds to get acclimated to his 283 pound southpaw counterpart’s style, but started to find a home for his double left hook and right hand combination that later proved to be the big difference in the fight. A game Spencer landed hard straight left hands and occasional desperate flurries, but was slowed by body shots of Bryan, and poor conditioning. All three cards read 40-36.

Boxing notables in the crowd included Francisco Palacios, Cory Spinks, Chad Dawson, Patricia Alcivar, and Guillermo Jones.

Weights from the Casino Miami Jai-Alai in support of Saturday’s boxing card featuring South Florida favorite Joey Hernandez (20-1-1, 11 KOs), taking on Shakir Ashanti (16-12, 4 KOs), from New Bern, N.C., and WBC No. 1-ranked heavyweight Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne (21-1-1, 20 KOs), from Miami, taking on Willie Herring (13-10-3, 4 KOs), from Orlando, Fla.

Joey Hernandez 164 ¼ vs. Shakir Ashanti 158 ½, 10 rounds, junior middleweights;

Bermane Stivern 243 vs. Willie Herring 212 ¾ , 8 rounds, heavyweights;

Marcus Oliveira 182 ¼ vs. Adam Collins 178 ¾, 8 rounds, light heavyweights;

Azea Augustama 190 vs. Grover Young 194, 6 rounds, light heavyweights;

Amir Imam 140 ¾ vs. John Willoughby 137, 4 rounds, junior welterweights;

Trevor Bryan 224 ½ vs. Brandon Spencer 282, 4 rounds, heavyweights

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (April 14, 2012) — Eyes on the prize baby. Eyes on the prize.

Undefeated former lightweight champion BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS and World Boxing Association (WBA) interim lightweight title holder RICHARD ABRIL will be fighting for more than the vacant WBA lightweight title and guaranteed purses Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, they will be fighting for a $50,000 bonus that will be awarded to the winner.

The Rio vs. Abril rumble is the co-main event to three-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ (53-6-1, 39 KOs), of México City, going for his fourth world title in as many different weight divisions when he rumbles with World Boxing Organization (WBO) European junior welterweight champion SERGEY FEDCHENKO (30-1, 13 KOs), of Kharkov, Ukraine, for the vacant WBO interim 140-pound world title. Márquez vs. Fedchenko and Rios vs. Abril headline a world championship pay-per-view event that’s so big its main events are originating from two different countries!

Márquez vs. Fedchenko will take place in México City’s brand new Arena México, while Rios vs. Abril and two other exciting fights will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Tomorrow! Saturday, April 14. Boxing fans at Mandalay Bay will also see the Márquez vs. Fedchenko world title fight live, via closed-circuit, on a jumbo screen. The Márquez/Rios world championship event will be produced by Top Rank and distributed Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

“Prizefighting is part of boxing’s heritage. In the early years of modern professional boxing, offering a bonus or “prize” to the winner of a fight was a tradition. It added more excitement for the fighters and the fans,” said Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank, the promoter of Saturday night’s world championship pay-per-view event. “We wanted to bring the prize aspect back into fight game and this seemed to be the perfect platform to do it. After personally witnessing their animosity toward each other throughout fight week, I think Rios and Abril will be looking at the $50,000 bonus more as the spoils of victory than as a performance incentive. They can’t wait to go for it and one-up each other!”

“When I win my title back on Saturday night you can call my bank account Rios Grande,” stated Rios (29-0-1), of Oxnard, Calif. “I know he’s going to try and run from me all night like Forrest Gump. ‘Run Robert. Run.’ But on Saturday night I’m going to turn Forrest Gump into Forrest Chump.”

“You know why Rios is called ‘Bam Bam?’ Because he has pebbles for brains,” said Abril (17-2-1, 8 KOs), a Cuban expatriate now living in Miami, Fla. “He has to pay a guy to teach him to eat right? I learned how to do that when I was three. He’s an idiot. I’m going to break his mouth, break his heart and break his piggy bank. Come on down Bam Bam. The prize is right – FOR ME!”

Rounding out Saturday’s pay-per-view card at Mandalay Bay will be a 10-round battle between Top 10 junior welterweight contenders “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO (32-0, 23 KOs), of Denver and MAURICIO HERRERA (18-1, 7 KOs), of Riverside, Calif.; and a 10-round lightweight fight between undefeated Top 10 contender MERCITO “No Mercy” GESTA (24-0-1, 12 KOs), of Cebu, Philippines, and OSCAR CUERO (15-7, 12 KOs), of Cartagena, Colombia, whose last seven victories have been by knockout.

Today’s Official Weigh-In is open to the public. It will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Doors Open at 2 p.m. PT with the pay-per-view fighters stepping on the scale at 3 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Tecate and AT&T, remaining tickets, priced at $250, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are available at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the rematch between IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and Tony Thompson will be televised in the United States by EPIX on July 7

“I have been waiting a long time for this rematch,” Thompson said. “Last time I had (a knee) injury which I suffered in training. In Berne, I will complete what I missed out on four years ago. I will knock Klitschko out and take all his belts to the U.S.”

“Thompson is a strong and difficult opponent fighting southpaw,” Klitschko said. “He has a very good technique and gave me one of the toughest challenges in my career. Through his height it is a fight at eye level and I know that he has gained a lot of confidence through his winning streak.

“I am looking forward to defending my titles in Berne, where my brother (and fellow heavyweight champion) Vitali fought in 2009 with great support of the Swiss crowd.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that hot Featherweight prospect Gary Russell has been forced to withdraw from next Saturday’s Showtime televised fight due to an ankle injury.

“It was a misstep in the ring when he was training,” Said Golden Boy Promotions Richard. “Nothing is broken. It’s a sprain, but he can’t train and he can’t fight. It’s nothing that serious but nevertheless the doctor said he shouldn’t put any weight on it for the next two to three weeks and that he needs to let it rest. The good news is nothing is broken.”

“He really wanted to fight,” Schaefer said. “It was a Showtime card, good exposure. He tried to find a way to get it better but obviously that was not the case.”

Russell (19-0, 11 KOs) had been scheduled to face Dat Nguyen (17-2, 6 KOs) but Nguyen dropped out of the bout recently because of what Golden Boy Promotions termed “managerial issues.” Golden Boy had been looking for a new opponent for Russell to face

Schaefer said Russell, who also has nursed hand injuries, will return on June 30 on a Showtime card that Golden Boy is planning to take place in Washington, D.C., Russell’s hometown. It would be Russell’s first professional bout in his hometown.