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.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBC Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez will defend his crown against Andy Lee June 16th in El Paso,Texas.

Contracts are not signed yet, but both sides said they are confident the deal will be finalized. Adding intrigue to the fight is that Chavez promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and Lou DiBella, Lee’s promoter, are also working on a deal under which the winner of Chavez-Lee would challenge lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez — who is promoted by DiBella — in September.

“The Chavez-Lee fight is done between me and Bob. We’ve agreed to everything and we are putting everything to paper,” DiBella told ESPN.com. “And now we’re working on the contract for the winner to face Martinez. Arum and I have had substantive conversations and I’m confident we will get that done in short order too.”

Arum is on vacation, but Top Rank president Todd duBoef tweeted, “Andy Lee set for June 16 against Chavez Jr. in El Paso at Sun Bowl.”

“We have agreed in principle to the terms but we need to see a contract. But I’m optimistic,” Billy Keane, Chavez’s manager said. “I’m hoping that a contract will come that will reflect the terms we verbally agreed on.”

“I think it’s a very exciting and hard fight,” said Steward, who once trained the great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. for three consecutive junior welterweight world title fights in 1994. “I think it will be a very tough fight. Chavez has developed into a real fighter. He’s become a serious fighter. He has very high energy in the ring. He cuts off the ring very well and smothers you. He gets inside and works the body like his daddy did. Him and Andy, they’re both big guys for middleweights, they’re both good punchers and they both get hit, which makes it a good fight.”

Said DiBella, “These are two long, lean middleweights, two big guys. Chavez is improving and is big and strong and will have the home-field advantage in El Paso. We might as well be going to Mexico. But Andy is a lefty, he’s strong and he can box. Andy Lee will be the best guy Chavez has ever fought.”

“I’ve taken my swipes at the kid, so I’m giving the kid props for taking the fight. That’s the kind of fight a champion takes,” DiBella said. “It also says to me he is serious about Martinez if he wins because he’s taking on a lefty, and I don’t think he’d be doing that if he didn’t think he’d fight Martinez if he won. This is a fight that Andy has been waiting for. He was p—– that he didn’t get Martinez in March, so he is thrilled with this opportunity. He knows it is the opportunity of a lifetime. HBO got themselves a good fight here.”

“I feel very good about it,” he said. “I know it’s not the ideal situation for us because everything is against Andy, but I have the confidence that he has the ability to score a knockout. We know what we’re going up against with the whole situation. But this is the type of opportunity we can’t pass up.”

“I’m actually looking forward to it,” he said from the Kronk Gym in Detroit. “I like having that bunker mentality when everything is against you. We’re gonna train hard and Emanuel will have the right plan and we will go in there and get that belt. It’s my turn. I’ve waited a long time and it’s been a long journey. The time is right for me physically and mentally and I am just glad it’s here.

“I never thought I would get this fight. But I spoke to Lou and he said the fight’s a go, so it’s very hard to contain my excitement. I don’t even know what I’m getting paid yet and I don’t even care. I’m fighting a champion and I will take that belt.”

“That is 100 percent the fight Julio wants subject to a reasonable deal,” Keane said of a pay-per-view fight with Martinez later in the year. “All we’re looking for is a reasonable deal. We’re not looking to hold anyone for ransom, just to be treated fair and reasonably.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt to have Julio have a southpaw look and a southpaw training but their styles are so drastically different that I don’t think Andy Lee is any great preparation for Sergio Martinez. But it doesn’t hurt to get that southpaw look.”

“We wanted to fight Sergio for a long time and Andy got tired of being on his undercards, but we always wanted Martinez,” Steward said. “Now we can get him by beating Chavez.”

“I can beat up Chavez and it will make me a star and then I can beat Martinez and that will make me a superstar,” Lee said. “It’s very exciting to be two fights away from that. This will be a vindication of my lifetime of work. I’ve been in the gym already today. I know what’s ahead of me. I know there is hard work to do. I’m ready for it.”

Photo by Chris Farina /Top Rank

15rounds.com would like to congratulate Florida staff writer Johnny Schulz for winning the Ringside world amateur masters championship in Kansas City.

Schulz won tow bouts as he defeated Robert Vanacore from Huntington NY who was in the 2010 NYC Golden Gloves and over 50 fights. He then defeated Canadian Adam Congiu who was previously unbeaten at 18-0. Schulzscored a knock down in the first round!!!

Sergio Thompson scored a shocking second round stoppage over former world champion Jorge Linares in a scheduled twelve round Lightweight bout in Cancun, Mexico.

The two traded heavy blows in round one with each guy getting rocked. Linares seemed little worse for wear as he finished the round with a bad cut around his left eye. Thompson jumped on Linares with a furious barrage of punches the ultimately dropped Linares. Linares beat referee Bill Clancy’s count but emerged with a nasty cut around that left eye. Clancy took Linares to see the ringside doctor where the fight was called off at 2:27 of round two.

Thompson, 134.2 of Mexico is now 21-2 with nineteen knockouts. Linares, 134.6 of Venezuela had a July 7th rematch with WBC champ Antonio DeMarco washed down the drain with the loss and is now 31-3.

Super Middleweight Marco Antonio Periban got off the canvas to score a first round stoppage over Gerardo Diaz in a scheduled ten round bout.

Periban was dropped in round one from a counter right hand. Periban came back in round two to score the stoppage as he was non stop punching and landing on Diaz which forced Diaz corner to stop the fight at 2:52 of round two.

Periban, 167 1/2 lbs of Mexico City is now 16-0 with eleven knockouts. Diaz, 164 1/2 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 12-2-1.

Francisco Vargas kept his perfect win to knockout ratio in tact by stopping Carlos Fernando Perez in three rounds.

Vargas is 7-0-1 with seven knockouts. Perez is now 12-3.

Jorge Romero scored a fourth round stoppage over Eduardo Canales in a six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Romero,136.6 lbs of Culican, MX is now 21-5 with eighteen knockouts. Canales, 137 lbs of Varacruz, MX is now 13-2.

Josue Guerrero scored a first round stoppage over Andres Uribe in a scheduled four round Welterweight bout.

Guerrero dropped Guerrero twice with the second coming from a devastating left hook and the fight was stopped at 1:27

Guerrero, 146.6 lbs of Cancun, MX is now 2-1 with two knockouts. Uribe,140.8 lbs of Conzumel, MX is now 1-4

SAN ANTONIO – It was “Mexican Russian” against “Little Soldier” at Illusions Theatre, in Saturday’s main event. All of the monikers were apt.

Fighting in a 10-round “Top Rank Live” match made for Spanish-language network TV Azteca, undefeated Russian featherweight Evgeny Gradovich (13-0, 7 KOs) and Mexican Frankie Leal (17-6-3, 10 KOs) made the night’s most savage battle, engaging each other constantly and from close range every second of every round. Gradovich prevailed by technical knockout, stopping Leal with a short left hook in the match’s final minute. The fight then took on a tragic hue.

Rising well before referee Rafael Ramos’ 10-count completed, Leal stumbled slightly rightwards. Ramos took note and wisely waved an end to the match at 2:15 of round 10. Immediately thereafter, Texas officials began a postfight evaluation of Leal that resulted in his being removed from ringside on a gurney. As he was wheeled from the ring, however, Leal was conscious, and referee later Ramos confirmed that Leal had been able to answer questions.

A later report from a local hospital indicated that Leal was responding to doctors’ questions. The word “precautionary” was being used hopefully at ringside.

It was a sad end to what was a hell of a scrap.

KELLY PAVLIK VS. AARON JACO
It has been a long time since former middleweight world champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik fought in the second co-main of a local card, but that was the position in which he found himself Saturday, while making only his second prizefight in 23 months.

Pavlik (38-2, 33 KOs) responded well to the unfamiliar, and blasted overmatched Florida super middleweight Aaron “Jedi” Jaco (15-3, 5 KOs), forcing the 35 year-old to the blue mat twice, once in each of the first two rounds, and stopping him at 0:45 of round 2.

“He was looking for the right hand,” Pavlik said afterwards. “How do you think my left hand looked?”

Pavlik dropped Jaco with a left-hook lead in the second minute of the first round, a few seconds after a less-professional-looking overhand-right lead failed to move Jaco. Pavlik, working for the first time in his career with a trainer outside of Ohio, this time new chief second Robert Garcia, made left hands the focus of his new look.

“I had a really good camp, and you can see I had more of a bounce in my step,” Pavlik said. “My left arm was actually getting tired in there.”

In round 2, Pavlik connected with another left-hook lead, this one verily damaging Jaco. Fully outmatched but still tough, Jaco rose before the count of 10 but was in no condition to continue.

“We’re going fight-by-fight,” Pavlik said, when asked about his current fighting weight and future plans. “I just don’t know yet.”

This first fight of Pavlik’s latest comeback told observers little more than this: Pavlik is back, can make the super middleweight limit, and is working on his left hook.

ADAM LOPEZ VS. RAMON BAYALA
As a highly praised prospect in his second prizefight, Adam Lopez was supposed to make quick work of a limited Puerto Rican with nary a victory on his record. But Ramon Bayala, that limited Puerto Rican, sent Lopez to the mat in round 3 and made Lopez work much harder than anticipated throughout.

Ultimately, Lopez (2-0, 1 KO) decisioned Bayala (0-3-1) by three unanimous scores of 38-36, scores that reflected both Bayala’s third-round knockdown and his fourth-round holding penalty, one provoked by a shoulder he threw on a break.

“He was holding, but the ref warned me,” Lopez said afterwards, still in apparent disbelief. “And I got mad and lost my concentration.”

Lopez rose after his first professional knockdown and struggled to a neutral corner. Referee Jon Schorle moved in, completed his count and twice cleaned Lopez’s gloves, and Lopez made his way through the rest of the stanza.

“He got up too early,” said Ronnie Shields, Lopez’s trainer, who said there was lots of work to be done on Lopez – starting with keeping his hands up.

UNDERCARD
Saturday’s second match of its TV Azteca broadcast saw local lightweight Ivan Najera (7-0, 7 KOs) run through unprepared Michigander James Lester (9-8, 4 KOs), dropping him twice and stopping him with a left hook to the body at 0:35 of round 2.

The best fight of the undercard was a four-round battle of Texas featherweights Luis Zarazua (3-0-1, 1 KO), of Edinburgh, and Victor Sanchez (1-3-1), of Houston, one that ended in a fair and proper majority draw that ringside judges scored 38-38, 38-38 and 39-37 (Zarazua). Sanchez began the fight winging uppercuts that betrayed a surprising familiarity with Zarazua’s style. But Zarazua soon solved that puzzle and did enough to win three rounds on one scorecard, in an excellent match.

Before that, in a four-round light heavyweight match between Cleveland’s Eduardo Alicea (3-0, 2 KOs) and Houston’s Edwynn Jones (1-4-1, 1 KO), four uneventful rounds punctuated by a few suspenseful seconds of action led to a decision victory for Alicea that all three judges scored 40-36. Alicea, who slaps when he throws an ill-advised right hook to the body and also got himself clipped by a surprise uppercut in round 3, nevertheless did enough to decision Jones easily.

California featherweight Saul Rodriguez (4-0, 4 KOs) remained undefeated in the evening’s second match, stopping Houstonian Ricardo Valencia (1-3-1) at 0:19 of round 1. Charging out his corner and connecting with his first combination – a nifty right cross, left hook mix – Rodriguez then landed a pair of right hands that brought referee Rafael Ramos racing in to stop the fight before it got too ugly, or even truly started.

Saturday’s card opened with a four round super welterweight scrap between Florida’s Bryant Perrella (2-0, 2 KOs) and San Antonio’s Arturo Lopez (0-2), a match referee Jon Schorle stopped at 2:08 of round 4 when Lopez did not respond adequately to a series of combinations from Perrella.

Attendance for Leija and Battah Promotions’ debut was estimated at 1,500. Opening bell rang on a sparsely occupied Illusions Theatre at 6:03 PM local time.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Lightweight Hank Lundy survived a first round knockdown to take control and cruise to a 10 round unanimous decision over Dannie Williams. Lundy, of Philadelphia, PA got clipped late in round one by a left hook from Saint Louis, MO’s Dannie Williams and dropped to a knee. Lundy rose to survive the round and righted the ship in round two by keeping Williams at bay with jabs and right hands. Round 3 and 4 were a treat for the fans as Williams and Lundy went at it, winging wild shots with seemingly reckless abandon. Lundy was staggered in round 3 by a left hook from Williams but surged back to take round 4 with the more accurate shots. Perhaps learning a lesson from the previous rounds, Lundy took a more scientific approach to the fight and began boxing Williams from the outside in round 5. The shift in strategy seemed to work for Lundy who stacked up rounds behind his increasingly accurate jab and left hook. In the end, Lundy prevailed by scores of 97-92 (twice) and 98-91. Lundy runs his record to 22-1-1 (11Kos) while Williams slips to 21-2 (17kos.) It remains to be seen if Lundy can compete against the top fighters in his division. His only loss is to the mediocre John Molina and despite his trash talking, hasn’t really claimed big name victory to put him in the running for a title shot. Hopefully, Lundy will look to step up the competition in the near future and show us the kind of fighter he purports to be.

Elvin Ayala has always been a staple in the Connecticut fight scene. The local middleweight has always tried to make a good fight and in the past has been given a title opportunity for it. Despite coming up short in his biggest bouts, Ayala has always displayed a willingness to engage that has earned him the respect of fans and media alike. Tonight though, Ayala seemed to fight down to the level of his opponent, 42 year old Eric Mitchell of Vero Beach, FL. Ayala was in control of the bout throughout, but he repeatedly let himself be tied up by Mitchell and seemed content to pot shot his way to victory. Ayala finally came alive in the fourth, landing a stinging right hand halfway through the round that shook Mitchell up. Ayala closed strong in the eighth, landing numerous left hooks to the body and head of Mitchell but never doing any serious damage. Ayala easily won the unanimous decision by scores of 79-73 (twice) and 78-74 and improves to 25-5-1 (11Kos.) Mitchell drops his fourth fight in the last five to land at 23-9-1 (11Kos.) Though Ayala does still have something left, he needs to really strive to make a statement against C level opponents like Mitchell if he wants to earn another title shot. Tonight’s performance did him little justice and with any luck, his next fight will display some of the fire that garnered him so much fan support in CT.

SAN ANTONIO – Kelly Pavlik, the former lineal middleweight world champion and fighting pride of Ohio, approached the small stage at a crowded cantina, Friday afternoon, after joking he’d be at a loss for words if asked to address the South Texas crowd. Then he climbed on the scale and showed more pounds and tattoos than his old fans remembered.

More pounds, perhaps, but still within the contracted weight for his Saturday fight. More tattoos, definitely, but apparently more comfortable in his own skin that he’s been in a while.

Friday afternoon at Ojos Locos, a sports bar northwest of the downtown area, Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs) and his Saturday “Top Rank Live” co-main event opponent, Aaron Jaco (15-2, 5 KOs), who calls himself “Jedi” but whose knockout record shows limited use of the force, each came in under their agreed-upon weight of 170 pounds. Pavlik weighed 169 1/4 pounds, while Jaco made 169 1/2.

Saturday will be Pavlik’s first match with new trainer Robert Garcia, who indicated Pavlik had no trouble whatever with weight during their 10-week training camp. Saturday will also mark the promotional debut of retired world champion Jesse James Leija, a native son of San Antonio’s and owner of two local ChampionFit Gyms.

“Five and a half weeks ago,” said Leija, when asked at a Thursday open workout when he decided to become a promoter. “My buddy Mike Battah and I were talking about bringing fights back to San Antonio, and we started talking to the right guys, like (Pavlik manager) Cameron Dunkin, about a core base of fighters that people would want to come see.”

Leija and Battah Promotions will make its first event in Alamodome’s Illusions Theatre – so named, in part, because it comprises a temporary stage, ceiling and curtain arrangement converted from an existing stretch of Alamodome’s endless floor – with plans for regular shows, as many as six in the new firm’s first year.

“They needed a place to put the fight, and we had a couple different places,” said Leija. “But I said let’s do the Alamodome. We’re just going to have to work harder.”

Local interest has apparently kept pace with Leija’s ambitions, as noted matchmaker Chris Middendorf verified Thursday.

“This is a great fight city,” Middendorf said of San Antonio. “So much local interest.”

Middendorf’s assessment was proved apt Friday at Ojos Locos, where the weighin for a comparatively small, Spanish-language-broadcast card brought a full bar’s worth of supporters out on a workday afternoon, hours before quitting time.

Alamo City’s tradition of supporting boxing cards is part of what convinced Leija to start promoting, regardless of what aficionados sometimes opine of his new profession.

“The number one sport for Mexican-Americans is boxing, and we have a huge base of Mexican-Americans here in San Antonio,” said Leija. “And no one can take your good name away from you except you.”

Leija promised that as a promoter he would remain a fighter’s guy.

“Look, I know what they’re going through,” said Leija. “I know what it’s like to have to do this to put food on the table for your wife, and for your kids. I’ve been there. You get paid, and the check goes in two weeks. I know.”

Leija’s hope is to create an infrastructure that can nurture young professional talent in what has long been one of the country’s best fight cities. That hope currently rests on the 119-pound frame of Adam Lopez (1-0, 1 KO), a local amateur standout who will make his second career prizefight Saturday, against Puerto Rican Ramon Bayala (0-2). Ivan Najera (6-0, 5 KOs), a San Antonio lightweight who will face Detroit’s James Lester (9-7, 4 KOs) Saturday, is also expected to attract ticket-buyers.

Saturday’s main event will see undefeated Russian featherweight Evgeny Gradovich (12-0, 6 KOs) fight Mexican Franky Leal (16-5-3, 10 KOs). Alamodome doors will open at 5:00 PM local time, with first bell scheduled to ring on its eight-match card at 6:00. 15rounds.com will have full ringside coverage.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com., an intriguing world unification doubleheader is in the works for a potential August 25th date on HBO featuring WBO Middleweight champion Dmitriy Pirog and IBF champion Daniel Geale as well as WBA Super Welterweight champion Austin Trout taking on WBO champ Sergiy Dzinziruk.

“It’s very close. We’re 99 percent done,” Said Artie Pelullo, who promotes Pirog and is the co-promoter of Dzinzuruk. “I’m very excited about the opportunity for Pirog to be on HBO and for Dzinziruk to be back on HBO. These four fighters are among the best in their respective weight classes, and it’s been a long time coming that they are on HBO.”

“These are two very interesting, pick ’em fights,” said Garry Shaw, who promotes Geale, co-promotes Trout with Greg Cohen and co-promotes Dzinziruk with Pelullo, who also promotes Pirog. “We’ll come out with someone important at 154 and definitely someone important at 160. So I really like this card. I really believe there will be two people who come out of these fights who will be important to boxing in these two weight divisions.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF/WBA/WBO?Ring Magazine Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko will rematch Tony Thompson on July 7 in Switzerland.

A Tuesday Purse bid was called off due to Klitschko adviser Shelly Finkel.

“There is no purse bid because we made a deal,” Finkel said.

Klitschko (57-3, 50 KOs), who turned 36 on Sunday, will be meeting Thompson (36-2, 24 KOs), 40, of Washington, D.C., in a rematch. He first faced Thompson on July 12, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany and dominated. Klitschko led 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92 on the judges’ scorecards before scoring a crushing 11th-round knockout.

Zab Judah (41-7, 28 KO’s, 138lbs) had his first ever fight in Brooklyn, NY, and it was up against rising talent, Vernon Paris (26-0, 15 KO’s, 138lbs). The bout took place at the Aviator Sports Center, which has become the home for boxing in Brooklyn.

With Judah being a southpaw and Paris in the orthodox stance, both fighters quickly worked at establishing their straight hands. Judah was the first to gain control, and he showed no signs of losing that control.

Any analyst will tell you that when opposite handed fighters face eachother, footwork is key. If one fighter’s lead foot is outside his opponent’s, he has the angle and leverage to land the better blows. Paris was losing the footwork battle badly. Judah beat him to the punch every single time as Paris could not grasp the very basic aspect of proper punching against a southpaw.

Judah repeatedly stunned Paris throughout the fight. To his credit, Paris showed a great chin, and was occasionally able to follow up with good shots of his own. But those shots were few and far between.

As both fighters entered the ninth round, Paris was way behind on the scorecards and needed something drastic to occur in order to come away victorious. Judah made sure that wouldn’t happen by sticking to the gamelan that was working to absolute perfection. He stunned Paris with another left hand and backed him into a corner. With Paris stunned and trapped, Judah stepped back and measured the situation before unleashing another combination that forced the referee to step in and call the fight. Judah came away victorious in impressive fashion, acoring a TKO victory at the 2:27 point in the ninth round.

The popular Tomasz Adamek (44-2, 28 KO’s, 222.5lbs) took to the ring against Nagy Aguilera (17-6, 12 KO’s, 226.5lbs) in what was expected to be a one sided affair. Aguilera was aggressive early, taking advantage of Adamek’s notoriously slow starts. Aguilera did well until Adamek landed a left hook that badly wobbled Aguilera’s legs.

From that point on, Adamek was in control of the slugfest, repeatedly landing the ol’ one-two combination, and then slipping out of harms way. Despite the I’ve sided nature of the fight, Aguilera landed some hard blows of his own, temporarily quieting some of Adamek’s passionate fans.

After ten rounds, the scores read 99-91, 100-90, 100-90 for Adamek, giving him the unanimous decision victory.

Sergei Liakhovich (25-4, 16KO’s, 231lbs) took on Bryant Jennings (12-0, 5 KO’s, 219.5lbs) in a crossroads battle. From start to finish, Jennings was in total control of the bout. His better footwork led to better opportunities to throw combinations. And throw combinations he did. Jennings landed at will and had Liakhovich staggered in nearly every round. Liakhovich was just too slow and had no answer for Jennings.

Over the course of eight one sided rounds, Liakhovich took a beating. Before the round, the ringside physician took Liakhovich aside for a closer look. He let the fight continue, and Jennings continued the beating. After the round was over, the doctor advised that the fight should should be stopped. Jennings was credited with a TKO victory at the 3:00 mark of the ninth round.

Cruiserweights Santader Silgado (20-0, 18 KO’s, 196lbs) and Willie Herring (13-9-3, 4 KO’s) took to the ring next. The experts in attendance were going to get a good look at Silgado, who boasts an impressive record.

Things did not start so peachy for Silgado, as Herring turned out to be a crafty counterpuncher. The early rounds were a closely contested chess match.

In order to work his way inside, Herring made many aggressive lunges forward that led to headbutts. Eventually, a headbutt seemed to open up a cut over Silgado’s right eye, but luckily, his cutman, Danny Milano was on hand, and the bleeding was stopped.

Things changed in the fifth round. Silgado landed a body blow, and Herring was able to sell it as a low blow. From that point on, Silgado was in control and used his advantage in size very well for the rest of the fight. Herring’s continued attempts at selling phantom low blows did not work.

The final round saw lots of fireworks as Herring was able to land some looping hooks. The second half of the round had Silgado back in control. In the end, the final scores read 77-75, 78-74, and 78-74 in favor of Silgado, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Much to the delight of his adoring Brooklyn fans, Curtis Stevens (21-3, 15 KO’s, 162lbs) made short work of Romaro Johnson (11-5-1, 6 KO’s, 160lbs) in their bout. Not long after the opening bell, a combination from Stevens sent Johnson onto the canvas. Johnson quickly made it up to his feet, but Stevens gave him no breathing room, and another combination sent Johnson down.

Johnson beat the count again, but the referee stayed close by to jump in if there was danger. That danger came quick, as another combination landed, and the referee called an end before Johnson even landed. The time of the TKO came at 2:16 of the first round.

The opening bout og the evening saw Angel Garcia (1-0, 1 KO, 130lbs) dominate and stop Alan Beeman (debut, 129.5lbs) in three rounds.

HOUSTON – Finally, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, at age 35, did not have enough of what once made him great to wrest a victory from a well-prepared young challenger. There was no shame in Morales’ losing, and there was enough pride in his effort to make Danny “Swift” Garcia’s victory a meaningful one.

Saturday in Reliant Arena, Philadelphia’s Garcia (23-0, 14 KOs) decisioned Tijuana’s Morales (52-8, 36 KOs) by unanimous scores of 117-110, 116-112, 118-109, in a fight for a junior welterweight title that Morales lost on the scale Friday, when he missed the fight’s contracted weight by two pounds.

Saturday, after an uneventful first round that Garcia nevertheless won with quicker hands, both fighters became slightly more active in the second. Despite a trio of right uppercuts landed by Morales at the midway point of round 2, though, the second belonged to Garcia much as the first had.

The end of the third round saw Garcia land a succession of right hands to Morales’ chin that forced the Mexican icon to drop his gloves, hold onto the ropes and look startled. Morales resumed his hesitancy in the opening third of round four before being caught with one Garcia right hand too many. Morales then adjusted his left guard, promised himself he’d not lower it again, and promptly had his best round of the fight.

After an even fifth that saw Garcia warned for a low blow, the Philadelphian pinned Morales to the ropes and assaulted him with lefts and rights for the opening 90 seconds of round 6. Then Morales, showing some of his world-class wiles, set a trap for the younger man and beat him back in the round’s final minute.

After that, Garcia made an adjustment of his own. He stopped endeavoring to hurt or stop Morales and merely tried to outbox him. The adjustment worked, and Garcia won the seventh, eighth and ninth.

Round 10, though, saw Morales find Garcia with right hands enough to begun a stream of blood from Garcia’s nose, marking the first round Morales convincingly won in four.

In the eleventh, Morales’ confidence led him to launch a right uppercut from distance, a classic no-no, and Garcia capitalized by dropping him with a left hook. Morales rose at the count of eight and made it to the end of the round, but his legs were not sturdy.

The fight ended much the way it began, with Garcia too young and fast for the Mexican veteran.

Ringside judges marked a wide unanimous decision for Garcia. And the 15rounds.com card concurred, scoring the match 117-111 in his favor.

KIRKLAND VS. MOLINA
A remarkable fight was stopped prematurely in Saturday’s co-main event. The culprit was a cornerman or referee, depending on one’s feelings about enforcing the letter of a regulation.

Texas super welterweight James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs) defeated Chicago’s Carlos Molina (19-5-2, 6 KOs) by 10th-round disqualification, in a fight Molina was winning, when Molina’s cornerman improperly stepped on the ring apron before the 10th round had officially concluded.

Afterwards, both Kirkland and Molina said they would like a rematch.

Molina started the fight boxing and moving well, circling away from Kirkland’s power and keeping himself out of reach with range-finding jabs and crosses to Kirkland’s body. After an even second round, Molina worked his way back on to Kirkland’s chest in the third, slowing the Texan’s pace and discomfiting him for at least two of the round’s three minutes.

In round 4, a trend emerged clearly: James Kirkland was fading after the first minute of each stanza. Kirkland would have little trouble finding Molina with left crosses and uppercuts, from his southpaw stance, but then would lose his pace after 60 seconds. Kirkland, his mouth open, would start taking breathers, and Molina would move forward, land scoring punches and steal rounds.

The fifth and sixth, both very close, were marked by Kirkland’s loading-up on aggressiveness and punches early, in the apparent hopes of making an impression enough on the judges that Molina’s lighter, though more sustained, offense would not sway them in the final 90 seconds of each round.

Rounds 7 and 8 saw declining activity from both men, but enough activity by Molina to win them. The eighth, particularly, saw Kirkland exposed in some ways as a prizefighter who is uncomfortable on the inside and incapable when pushed backwards.

Even the ninth round, which may have been Kirkland’s best, saw the Austin prizefighter fade late and collect light but effective right hands from Molina.

The 10th saw both men exhausted enough to land on the blue mat, Kirkland from exhaustion, Molina from a punch. And that was when the fight fell apart. Beating referee Jon Schorle’s count comfortably after the bell to end the round had rung, Molina walked back to his corner, where his trainer had already entered the ring. Enforcing a rule that mandates a fight must be stopped if a cornerman climbs on the apron before the end of a round, referee Schorle disqualified Molina, awarding a 10th round victory to Kirkland.

At the time of the stoppage, Molina was winning by majority-decision scores of 87-84, 88-83 and 85-86. The dissenting scorecard belonged to Texas judge Gale Van Hoy. The 15rounds.com ringside scorecard concurred with the other two judges, marking the match 88-85 for Molina.

“I’ve been refereeing 29 years,” said Schorle after the fight. “That’s the first time I’ve ever had to do that.”

UNDERCARD
In the last pre-television fight of the night, Houston super welterweight Jermell Charlo (17-0, 8 KOs) did what his brother Jermall could not earlier, dropping his opponent, Chicago’s Chris Chatman (10-2-1, 5 KOs), and stopping his match in a thrillingly concussive way. After an interesting pair of opening rounds, six minutes that saw Chatman look lively and Charlo slip most of his punches, Charlo floored Chatman, whose head slammed the blue mat, causing the fight to be stopped at 1:22 of round 3.

Irish lightweight Jamie Kavanaugh (9-0-1, 4 KOs), who fights out of California, needed none of his people’s fabled luck in the evening’s fourth match, working his way through Florida’s Cesar Cisneros (3-4-2, 1 KO) and stopping him at 2:28 of round 5. After being cut in the match’s opening stanza, Kavanaugh sat down on his punches, opened a gory gash over Cisnero’s right eye and finished the match with aplomb.

Local welterweight Lanard Lane (13-1, 8 KOs) completed Saturday’s third fight with an exclamation mark of sorts, beating on game but overmatched Milton Ramos (7-3-2) of Waco, Texas, and stopping him at 1:34 of their eighth and final round. In claiming the eighth knockout of his career, Lane showed every tool but stopping power, landing numerous right crosses without quite claiming Ramos’ consciousness and ultimately leaving the referee to stop the bout.

The second match of the night, a super welterweight match between undefeated Houstonian Jermall Charlo (9-0, 5 KOs) and Nebraskan Shawn Wilson (5-9, 1 KO), was a mismatch from its opening moments, as Charlo was too long, too well-schooled and too fast for Wilson, who fought with a certain strong-jawed resignation through the first four rounds before succumbing to a sustained assault and losing by technical knockout at 2:21 of round 5.

Saturday’s action began with a quick stoppage, when Florida super welterweight Daquan Arnett (2-0, 1 KO) dropped San Antonio’s Fabian Cancino (0-4) with a left hook to the liver. After an enthusiastic start, Cancino was unable to rise before the 10-count, and Arnett scored his first career knockout at 1:51 of round 1.

Opening bell rang on an empty Reliant Arena at 5:12 PM local time.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Maybe, it was a wake-up call. Maybe, it was just embarrassing. Whatever it was, it worked Friday night for Las Vegas super-featherweight Diego Magdaleno in front of a soldout crowd of 2,000 at Casino Del Sol.

Magdaleno got up from a surprising knockdown in the fourth round, seemingly angered and unmistakably determined to make amends.

Mission accomplished.

Magdaleno (22-0, 8 KOs) rocked Fernando Beltran Jr. (35-8-1, 19 KOs) with menacing purpose and head-rocking rapidity, finally forcing Beltran’s corner to surrender at 2:28 of the seventh round.

“I was upset at myself,’’ said Magdaleno, who retained his Northern American Boxing Federation title and improved his chances at getting a shot at a major crown. “I’m my own worst critic.’’

Magdaleno almost drove Beltran, a Mexican journeyman, through the ropes in the sixth. In the seventh, Beltran was on unsteady feet and appeared ready to collapse when his corner threw in the towel.

Magdelano hops his next step is a fight for either the International Boxing Federation title held by Takashiro Ao of Japan or the World Boxing Council’s version held by Juan Carlos Salgado.

“Either one,’’ Magdaleno said. “I’m ready for either guy.’’

Best of the undercard: Yordenis Ugas, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist for Cuba at the Beijing Games, had all of the credentials and most of the hype. Johnny Garcia had most of the resilience and all of the toughness.

Resilience and toughness prevailed in a significant upset of Ugas (11-1, 5 KOs), a Top Rank prospect, who lost a split-decision to Garcia (12-0, 8 KOs), an unheralded super-lightweight from Holland, Mich. Garcia won because he got up. Ugas dropped him in the fifth with a left-right combination. The stunned look in Garcia’s eyes seemed to say he was finished. Looks are deceiving.

Garcia came roaring back. Surprised and perhaps fatigued, Ugas began to back-pedal and at one point in the sixth he almost fell through the ropes into the lap of a ringside judge. It could have been scored a knockdown. It wasn’t. In the end, however, it didn’t matter. Garcia already had made his point. Two judges scored it, 76-75, for Garcia. The third had it, 76-75 for Ugas.

The rest: Middleweight Abie Han (16-0, 10 KOs) of Mexico won a unanimous decision over Rahman Yusubov (13-6, 11 KOs) of Dallas; Mexican heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr. (14-0, 8 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Homero Fonseca (9-5-3, 2 KOs); and Mexican super-flyweight Hanzel Martinez (17-0, 14 KOs), scored a first round stoppage of fellow Mexican Jose Miguel Tamayo (12-4-2, 11 KOs).

TUCSON, Ariz. – Talks are underway for Antonio Margarito to fight in Arizona in May or June, Margarito and his manager, Sergio Diaz, said Friday.

“We’re talking about May 26,’’ Margarito said through an interpreter after his brother-in-law, super-flyweight Hanzel Martinez, threw a powerful right hand for a first-round stoppage of Jose Miguel Tamayo at Casino Del Sol.

Margarito manager Sergio Diaz said June 15 also is under consideration, possibly at Casino Del Sol’s outdoor stadium. Friday night’s card was staged in one of the casino’s ballrooms.

“May or June is fine,’’ said Margarito, who last fought in December in a dramatic loss to Miguel Cotto in New York.

Margarito, whose surgically-repaired right eye was badly bloodied by Cotto, said he is pointing to a fight in September with World Boxing Council middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Margarito said he currently training and his weight is at 165 pounds.

Roberto Garcia scored a ten round unanimous decision over Antwone Smith in a Jr. Welterweight in Pharr, Texas.

Garcia outworked Smith for most of the fight. Garcia took the lead and was more effective then Smith who goth through with some good counters.

Garcia, 154 lbs of Welasco, TX won by scores 98-92; 97-92 and 97-93 and is now 31-3. Smith, 154 lbs of Miami is now 21-4-1.

In a battle of two Jr. Middleweights coming off long lay offs after their first loss, James De La Rosa scored a eight round unanimous decision over Tyrone Brunson.

De La Rosa had a solid round one by landing combinations. Brunson had his one shining moment in round two when De La Rosa walked into a right hand that knocked him off balance and his glove touched the canvas for a knockdown. De La Rosa responded nicely in the round as he came back to back Brunson up with combinations. De La Rosa continued the consistency of landed combinations as Brunson leaned in and was only able to throw one punch at a time. De La Rosa’s work showed as Brunson began to swell under his left eye in round seven. Neither guy fought with the urgency of the previous seven rounds but De La Rosa built up a solid lead and won by scores of 79-72; 78-73 and 77-74

De La Rosa, 155 lbs of Harrington, TX came back after a fifteen month layoff when he lost to Allen Conyers and is now 21-1. Brunson, 154 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia was making his first start in nearly twenty-seven months after being stopped by Carson Jones is now 21-2-1.

The Irish fans came in full force to celebrate St. Patricks day at the theater in Madison Square Garden. They were also on hand to celebrate Ireland’s very own Matthew Macklin (28-3, 19 KO’s) as he squared off against against reigning middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO’s). The bout began with Martinez showing an aggressive stance. His straight left behind his southpaw stance was a weapon that he prepared for. Macklin fared well under the circumstances. He came into the fight as a heavy underdog despite solid performances in the past, but was showcasing some skill and tenacity under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

Macklin’s straight right hand proved to be an effective weapon. He landed them well against Martinez, whose movement makes him a difficult target, stealing rounds due to staying on the offensive. Entering the seventh round, many ringside observers had the bout scored even at three rounds apiece. In a startling exchange, a looping right hook knocked Martinez off balance, causing his glove to touch the canvas, forcing referee Eddie Cotton Jr. to rule it a knockdown. The blow did not seem to phase Martinez, and once the fight resumed, he aggressively went after Macklin, landing one hard straight left after another.

The ruled knockdown ended up becoming the turning point of the fight. It brought the champion out of Martinez, and he dominated from then on. His straight left did not seem to miss it’s target, as he repeatedly beat Macklin to the punch with his superior hand speed. Entering the eleventh round, Macklin’s face began to redden due to the blows that he was taking. About a third of the way through the round, Martinez landed a picture perfect left hand that knocked Macklin down hard. He beat the count, but was on very unsteady legs, and the blow opened up a gash on the right side of his face. It did not take long for Martinez to send Macklin down again. All it took was another left hand, and Macklin was down again. He beat the count as the round ended.

It was then that Macklin’s corner, headed by Buddy McGirt, decided to assess their fighter. They saw that he was spent and hurt, and therefore unable to continue, and wisely made the decision to end the bout. Martinez was credited with a TKO victory at the 3:00 point in the eleventh round.

In a bout that guaranteed fireworks, Edwin Rodriguez (20-0, 15KO’s) faced off against Don George (22-1, 19KO’s) in a super middleweight match. The early portions of the bout saw each fighter measuring up their jabs and trying to get into range for harder punches.

Things began to heat up a bit in the third round as both fighters traded big rights. The fight continued at a tactical pace entering the middle rounds. Despite the high expectations of a barn burner, this fight became a smart chess match. Rodriguez proved to be the better of the two at this game. He used his skills to keep George out of reach, and the plan worked very well.

With George seemingly behind on the scorecards, the twelfth round was highly anticipated. Both fighters threw big punches for the entire three minutes. It had the crowd on their feet. As the final bell rang, both fighters embraced before the scores were read. The final scores were 96-94, 99-91, and 97-93 all in favor of Rodriguez.

The popular Seanie Monaghan (12-0, 8 KO’s) squared off against Eric Watkins (6-1, 2 KO’s) in a light heavyweight bout. Watkins started off quickly, hoping to catch Monaghan off guard. Recently, Monaghan has employed a more measured approach to fighting, and took it all in stride. He started off by throwing powerful combinations to the body, and followed that up with combinations upstairs. Watkins was unable to answer with any significant punches of his own.

The bout progressed with Monaghan in complete control of the action. After eight one-sided rounds, the final scores read 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 in favor of Monaghan.

In the final non-televised bout of the night, heavyweights took to the ring when Magomed Abdusalamov (13-0, 13 KO’s) took on Jason Pettaway (11-0, 8 KO’s). Pettaway started the fight utilizing his quick footwork and boxing technique, while Abdusalamov stalked. In the opening rounds, it was evident that Abdusalamov had punching power, but he did not land that one power shot that would end the fight. Then, in the fourth round, Abdusalamov landed a combination that had Pettaway reeling and on the canvas. He beat the count, but was on very shaky legs. As the bout resumed, Abdusalamov took advantage and landed huge punches flush on the chin. An official immediately hoped onto the canvas to request an end. The referee called a halt to the bout at 1:20 of the fourth round, giving Abdusalamov a TKO victory.

The third bout of the evening featured the popular Kevin Rooney (3-1, 1 KO, 163.5lbs) up against Anthony Shuff (0-1, 168lbs). Rooney opened up aggressively working his opponent, and it immediately became evident that Shuff wanted no part of it. After a barrage of punches, he looked over to the ref as if to plead for mercy. The referee granted it to him, stopping the fight at 1:27 of the first round, giving Rooney the TKO victory.

In a vert tactical match, Charlie Ota (19-1-1, 13 KO’s, 151.5lbs) took on Gundrick King (16-7, 11 KO’s, 153.5lbs). Both fighters took their time in letting their hands go, as they are both counter punchers. Throughout the bout they took turns finding openings. Gradually throughout the first for rounds, Ota was landing the fresher combinations. By the sixth, a combination from Ota ended with a solid left hook that sent King down. Ota beat the count and the round ended. The seventh round saw more action from Ota, and he trapped King in the corner and landed a right that sent King to a knee. The referee stopped the bout at the :35 point in the seventh round, giving Ota a TKO win.

The opening bout of the evening featured Thomas Hardwick (4-0, 2 KO’s, 215lbs) against TJ Gibson (1-1, 207lbs) in a four round match. Hardwick maintained control throughout the bout en route to a unanimous decision victory with all three scores reading 39-35.

Danny McDermott (9-3-2, 4 KO’s, 140.5lbs) faced off against Carl McNickels (7-3, 6 KO’s, 137 1/4lbs) in a six round bout. Like any other McDermott fight, it featured a whole lot of back and fourth brawling. The final scores read 57-55, 57-55, 56-56 in favor of McNickels, giving him a majority decision victory.

Photos by Ed Diller

Omar Figueroa stayed undefeated as he stopped Roman Ayala in round two of a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, CA.

Figueroa dominated the first round with landed punches from both hands. In round two, Figueroa landed two crushing lefts with the first being a hard shot to the body and a shot to the head that was followed up by a few shots that sent Ayala to the canvas. When he got to his feet referee Lou Moret called the bout off after Ayala stumbled back at 2:53 of round two.

Figueroa, 136 1/4 lbs of Weslaco, TX is now 15-0-1 with twelve knockouts. Ayala, 135 lbs of Mexico City is now 22-3-1.

“It surprised me when he didn’t try to box because he is a pretty tall guy,” said Figueroa. “Once he started throwing power shots with me, I knew it wouldn’t last long. He had decent power so I was careful of his wild shots but I never thought the fight would make it past the third or fourth round.”

Randy Caballero remained perfect but was extended in hist first ten round bout by scoring unanimous decision over grizzled veteran Jose Luis Araiza in a Bantamweight bout.

Caballero boxed very well over the first half of the bout as he outlanded Araiza almost two to one over the first five rounds. Araiza started landing some heavy overhand rights that seemed to get the attention of Caballero. Caballero righted the ship in rounds eight and nine as he outworked Araiza in between some attempted big shots from Araiza. Round ten was furious with Araiza landing several big shots but time ran out as Caballero had established a big lead.

Caballero, 117 3/4 lbs of Cochella, CA won by scores of 98-92; 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 14-0. Araiza, 117 3/4 lbs of Tecate, MX is now 32-6-1

“This was more of a learning experience for me,” said Caballero after the bout. “We knew he was going to try to do a couple of things in the ring and I let him do them a couple of times. That’s my mistake so we’re going to go back to the gym and keep working so we can come out even better next time.”

Lightweight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez will now fight Sergey Fedchenko instead of Rene Cuenca for a vacant Jr. Welterweight belt on April 14 according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.