Isaac Chilemba scored the biggest win of his career when he took a ten round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Edison Miranda at The Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas.

Chilemba controlled the action using his height as he moved in and out. Miranda was cut badly around the left eye that was caused from a headbutt.

Miranda never seemed to get into the fight as it was Chilemba who did was he pleased. Both guys were docked points in round five for Rabbit Punching.

With being a bloody mess, Miranda was not able to mount much offense and the lead that Chilemba had built up was safe from the once-feared punching Miranda.

Chilemba, 174 lbs from South Africa is won by scores of 97-91; 96-92 and 96-92 and is now 19-1-1. Miranda, 174 1/2 lbs of Hollywood, FL is now 36-7

In a battle of undefeated Jr. Lightweights, Rances Barthelemy scored an eight round unanimous decision over Hylon Williams Jr.

Barthelemy mixed up an assortment of punches and styles as he used his length and jab and at other times he worked well on the inside by featuring an uppercut. Williams did not have many answers. It was a spirited effort by Barthlemy as he switched from orthodox to Southpaw and Williams never seemed to get any type of rythem.

Barthelemy, 130 lbs of Las Vegas via Cuba won by scores of 80-72; 79-73 and 79-73 and is now 15-0. Williams, 130 lbs of Houston, TX is now 15-1.

Undefeated knockout artist Magomed Abdusalamov scored a second round stoppage over Pedro Rodriguez in a scheduled four round Heavyweight bout.

Rodriguez had an effective first round before getting hammered on the ropes by eating about ten shots that was punctuated by a big left hand that sent Rodriguez to the canvas and the fight was stopped by referee Russell Mora.

The time of the stoppage was 1:04 for Abdusalamov, 227 lbs of Oxnard, CA and is now 13-0 with all wins coming via knockout. Rodriguez, 243 lbs of Miami is now 7-1.

SAN ANTONIO – There was Bob Arum. There was Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. There were Nonito Donaire and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. There were Jose Sulaiman and Lupe Contreras. There were Marco Antonio Rubio and a mariachi band adorned in tight rose-colored garb and silver buckles. They were all waiting – waiting for Junior.

Friday at Alamodome, 25 minutes after he was scheduled to take the scale, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (44-0-1, 31 KOs), who will face fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio (53-5-1, 46 KOs) for the WBC middleweight title Saturday night, led his entourage to the stage. In a moment it was over; Chavez Jr. had weighed 159 1/2 pounds and Rubio had made 159, and the last of their prefight rituals was finished.

Chavez Jr. arrived in royal-blue workout attire – every thread of which he removed before taking the scale – and arrived looking drawn but otherwise unworried. After skipping an open workout Tuesday, under orders from his fitness trainer, Alex Ariza, Chavez did not hurry to endear himself to Alamo City fans. Instead he went through the motions, did no more than necessary, and did little to disabuse those who commented on his arrogance this week.

Chavez Jr., who has not faced another Mexican national since stopping Raul Munoz five years ago, might be surprised how transient his fans’ collective loyalty can be – if he gets in trouble against Rubio, Saturday. Chavez Jr. is absolutely the ticket-seller for this event, one expected to attract 12,000-14,000 fans, but fighting, as he will, before a South Texas crowd, more than a partisan-Mexican one, he could find more than a few in attendance cheer his opponent.

Before Chavez Jr. and Rubio took the scale, Friday, “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire (27-1, 18 KOs) and Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-1-1, 18 KOs) each made weight for their WBO super bantamweight title match. Donaire weighed 121.6 pounds, and Vazquez Jr. weighed 122.

Donaire, who strolled through the Alamodome crowd in what appeared to be a Tampa Bay Lightning hat cocked sideways, was his usual picture of quiet confidence. Vazquez, though, possessed the more chiseled physique onstage and did not tire of showing it to a small Puerto Rican contingent gathered behind the barrier.

Alamodome doors for “Welcome to the Future” will open at 5:30 PM local time, Saturday, with first bell scheduled to ring at 6:30.

Sources have confirmed the death of ninety year old legendary trainer Angelo Dundee today in Florida.

Dundee was most known for being the trainer of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard and was widely one of the most beloved figures in the sport.

At today’s Licensing hearing for Pound for Pound king Floyd Mayweather, it was revealed that he will take on Miguel Cotto May 5th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Part of the licensing hear for Mayweather was to make sure he had an opponent and when asked, Mayweather responded with Cotto.

The hearing took place due to Mayweather’s plea to a assault charge that will land him in jail for eighty-seven days.

If granted the License, the fight will bring in major revenue for Las Vegas, which was part of the rationale for Mayweather’s delayed sentence.

It’s official. Boxing superstar Floyd “Money” Mayweather will return to the ring, step up in weight and challenge three-division World Champion Miguel Cotto for his WBA Super Welterweight World title in what will be a gargantuan showdown between two future Hall of Famers who bring excitement and fierce competition every time they step into the ring. Mayweather vs. Cotto will take place on Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be televised live on pay-per-view.

Mayweather, a seven-time world champion in five weight classes, is excited to be facing the heavier, much-tested Cotto, who is the pride of Puerto Rico and has the experience, heart and determination to give pound for pound king Mayweather the toughest fight of his career.

“Miguel Cotto is a world class fighter who can never be taken for granted and continues to prove he is one of the best in boxing,” said Mayweather, whose only other fight at super welterweight came in a World Boxing Council (WBC) world title win over Oscar de la Hoya in May 2007. “It will be a challenge for me to compete with him at this weight, but this is the type of test I thrive on and gives me the motivation to train even harder. I have no doubt in my mind that my title belt collection will increase once again and Cotto’s reign as champion will come to an end on May 5.”

Cotto, coming off of the second defense of his title, a spectacular tenth-round technical knockout win over Antonio Margarito in December 2011, is ready to face Mayweather and believes he is Mayweather’s most competitive career challenge to date.

“I am here to fight the biggest names in boxing,” said Cotto who true to his warrior spirit that has distinguished his entire career has accepted this challenge to face the undefeated Mayweather. “I’ve never ducked anyone or any challenge in front of me. I have accepted everything to give the fans what they like…great and exciting fights. That is what the sport of boxing is all about; making the fights that the fans want and deserve to see. On May 5, stay tuned, because I will convincingly beat Floyd Mayweather.”

In addition to agreeing to the terms of the bout which will take place on Cinco de Mayo, one of boxing’s biggest weekends, both fighters have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

“Floyd always asks us to find the best available competition for him to fight and we have found that in Miguel Cotto,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. “This is a very risky fight for Floyd as Miguel is a solid 154-pound champion who has already proven to have great boxing abilities and to be a very competent and strong puncher. This is a big test for Floyd, but as always I believe, he is the superior fighter with unmatched skills. This will make the difference and lead to another Mayweather victory the night of May 5.”

“What we have here are two champions of amazing caliber set to meet in the ring on May 5 and give boxing and sports fan one of the most compelling match-ups in the sport’s history,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. “Floyd Mayweather has already achieved worldwide recognition as one of the best fighters ever and Miguel Cotto is one of the greatest fighters of this era. I commend both fighters for agreeing to the fight each other on one of the biggest weekends for boxing and also commend them for agreeing to participate in Olympic style drug testing, a precedent set by Floyd, which continues to uphold the integrity of the sport.”

The undefeated Mayweather, (41-0, 25 KO’s), a seven-time world champion in five weight divisions, remains boxing’s biggest attraction, wowing crowds and generating record pay-per-view numbers each time he steps into the ring. During his extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over world champions such as Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley. His last fight against then WBC Welterweight World Champion Victor Ortiz on September 17, 2011 not only showed his boxing skills, as he took the younger Ortiz to school in the first three rounds before knocking him out in the fourth stanza. He is also no stranger to appearing on the classic Mexican celebratory weekends such as Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day as his fight with Cotto will mark the fifth fight of his career to land on one of those weekends. Mayweather returns to face Cotto in an attempt to capture his eighth world championship.

Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has held a world title every year since 2004 while winning 16 of the 18 world championship bouts in which he has fought. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter and one of its greatest of all time, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it to capture the WBA Welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. After losing the WBA title to Margarito in July 2008, Cotto won his second welterweight belt in February 2009, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round to become the WBO Welterweight champion. He lost the title in his second defense in November 2009, but captured the WBA Super Welterweight title in June of 2010 at Yankee Stadium in New York by stopping then-undefeated defending champion Yuri Foreman. Cotto successfully defended that title by stopping Two-Division World Champion Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th round in March of 2011 and, in his last fight, finally avenged his loss to Margarito, once again retaining his title and giving him true peace of mind.

Mayweather vs. Cotto, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBA Super Welterweight World title, is presented by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. More information on Mayweather vs. Cotto, including ticket prices, pay- per- view information as well as press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.

Dan Rafael of espn.com has confirmed that WBA/WBC Super Middleweight champion ANdre ward has been named the 2011 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

“I want to thank God for giving me the strength to put in the work year after year to get to this point. I also want to thank my manager, James Prince, my promoters Antonio Leonard and Dan Goossen, everyone who is a part of Team Ward, as well as all of my family, friends, and loyal fans who have been behind me all these years,” Ward, 27, of Oakland, Calif., said. “This award is just as much for them as it is for me.

“Even in the midst of receiving this tremendous award, Team Ward is not going to let up. In 2012 and beyond we’re going to push forward and, God-willing, we can be considered for these awards every year. It’s easy to get comfortable at a time like this, but I can assure everybody that I’m going to continue to put in the work to be the best that I can be. I’m going to stay humble, keep God first and, with that, the best is yet to come.

Ward, who was also named ESPN.com fighter of the year, won the award over nominees Nonito Donaire, Wladimir Klitschko, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I’m very proud of all of what he has accomplished since the day we signed him,” said Goossen, who has promoted Ward for his entire career. “He’s been a joy to work with and a tremendous fighter inside the ring. It’s been a great ride, but the irony of it all is I think we’ve just begun. There’s a lot more to accomplish and showcase with Andre. You don’t have an athlete like this that comes around too often in the history of our sport. He has the fabric and makeup of the great ones. I just think he’s headed for greatness.”

Ward will have familiar company when he receives his award. Virgil Hunter, who has trained Ward since he picked up gloves as a boy, won the Futch award for trainer of the year.

“I’m very happy for my trainer and Godfather, Virgil, for winning this prestigious award,” Ward said. “I’m probably more excited for him than I am for myself. I’ve always wanted him to win this award because he is one of the hardest working trainers in the game.”

Said Goossen, “As proud of Andre as I am, I am equally proud to see Virgil get something I believe he is due. He’s a different breed of trainer. From the fundamentals to the mental aspect, he is right there with the best.”

Junior middleweights Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak will share the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier award for fight of the year. Their first bout, which headlined on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” on July 15 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, was a rousing all-action slugfest that ended in a majority draw. Many view it as the best fight in the history of “Friday Night Fights” and it will be remembered as an intense battle during which Wolak fought through massive swelling that closed his right eye.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former two-time Welterweight champion Andre Berto injured his arm in training today which now puts in doubt his February 11th rematch with former champion Victor Ortiz.

“He had to go the hospital to get it checked out and he is hurt. I know the fight is in jeopardy of not happening on that date. It didn’t sound good,” one source said.

On whether the fight would be postponed, another source said, “When one of the guys in the fight is in the hospital for an arm injury two weeks before the fight, that is bad news.

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

According to TMZ.com, former undisputed Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Tyson will be inducted during the ceremony at American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL on March 31. As has become tradition, WrestleMania XXVIII takes place the following day.

Iron Mike tells TMZ, “I am honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. I was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, but the most fun I ever had in the ring was with WWE.”

Tyson’s history with the WWE goes back to 1998 when, after a confrontation with Stone Cold Steve Austin on Monday Night Raw, Tyson served as special enforcer for the main event at WrestleMania XIV between Austin and Shawn Michaels (see above).

Tyson made his return to the WWE last year, when he hosted Monday Night Raw.

Other non-wrestlers in the WWE Hall of Fame include Drew Carey, Pete Rose and William “The Refrigerator” Perry.

Ruslan Provodnikov scored a sixth round stoppage over David Torres in a scheduled ten round Jr. Welterweight bout in Airway Heights, Washington.

It was noticeable early that Provodnikov’s size and strength was going to be a problem for Torres as Provodnikov dropped Torres midway through round one with a perfectly timed right. Provodnikov continued to power forward with a diversity of punches with Torres only able to fend off with an occasional uppercut. Provodnikov started using more of a bodt attack in the fourth and fifth and it was wearing on Torres.

In round six, Provodnikov landed a huge right hand that sent Torres down for a second time. Clearly hurt but trying to fight back, Torres showed a lot of courage only to be blasted on the ropes that sent him down for a third and final time and the fight was stopped at 2:53 of round six.

Provodnikov, 140 lbs of Berezoa, Russia is now 21-1 with fourteen knockouts. Torres, 137 lbs of Othello, Washington is now 21-3-2.

Former world title challenger Ji-Hoon Kim scored a ten round unanimous decision over Yakibu AMidu in a Lightweight bout.

It was an entertaining fight with Amidu have a little success with his right hand and body work. Kim started to rev up the engines and landed some solid right hand that drover Amidu back to the ropes and Kim took most of the later rounds.

Kim of South Korea won bu scores of 98-92; 97-93 and 96-94 to raise his mark to 23-7. Akibu, 132 lbs of Los Angeles is now 17-3-1.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former world Heavyweight title challenger Chris Arreola will be in action on February 18th against once-beaten Eric Molina in Corpus Christie, Texas.

The bout will be part of a card that will feature Paul Williams battling Nobuhiro Ishida and IBF Light Heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud taking on Gabriel Campillo.

“We’ve come to an agreement with (Molina promoter) Don King to have Molina challenge Cris,” Dan Goossen, Arreola’s promoter said Thursday. “Cris is a world class heavyweight and we’ll find out where Molina is. We expect a good fight, a good challenge and we certainly believe Cris will come out on top. And between Molina, his camp and Don, they believe they will pull the upset.”

“The game plan is simple — we’re looking to fight for the world title this year, end of story,” Goossen said. “Cris has every opportunity to make history and accomplish the goal that was set many years ago when he started out, to have him to be the first Mexican-American to hold a heavyweight championship.”

“This fight is very important because it will tell me where I’m at,” Molina said. “If I win, it’ll mean greater things ahead for me. If I lose, I’ll know that I had my shot. But I don’t plan to lose.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that pound for pound king, Floyd Mayweather must reapply for a Nevada License of February 1st before being able to fight as planned on May 5th in Las Vegas.

Mayweather, who is due to report to prison on June 1st will most likely have to answer questions about his pleas before the five member board granting him permission to fight on May 5th

PHILADELPHIA–Bryant Jennings scored an impressive ten round unanimous decision over Maurice Byarm in a battle of Philadelphia based Heavyweights at the Asylum Arena.

Jennings outworked Byarm for most of the fight. Jennings came out moving around the exterior of the round with Byarm just following Jennings around the ring. that gave Jennings an opportunity to use his reach and land several blistering combinations on Byarm. That same scenario played out for much of the first half of the fight.

Byarm got going in round five as he started to let his hands go and begin to land combinations as he focused on some body work before coming upstairs.

Neither man had gone more than six rounds in any fight and both seemed to have just brief periods of fatigue but did a nice job of getting second and third winds.

Jennings came on at the end of alot of the rounds and finished strong which enabled him to get the verdict in most of the rounds. Jennings came out blistering in round eight as he landed a huge right hand that Byarm not only shook off but came back with a nice combination of his own.

Both guys fought well down the stretch, but Jennings had a solid lead and came away with the victory.

Both fighters should be commended for taking the bout on less than a week’s notice after the sudden pullout of Eddie Chambers who was supposed to fight Sergei Liakhovich.

Jennings, 220 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 97-93; 96-94 and 96-94 to remain perfect at 12-0. Byarm, 244 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 13-1-1.

Gabriel Rosado scored a fifth round stoppage over veteran Jesus Soto Karass in round five of a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Rosado was dominant throughout as he landed some solid shots with both hands. Rosado featured solid straight rights and uppercuts on the crouching Soto Karass. The domination really started in the third round as as a right hand opened up a nasty cut over the left eye of Soto Karass. the momentum continued in round four with Rosado landing big combinations that was followed by a big uppercuts. the cut worsened towards the end of the round. In round five, Rosado landed a huge combination that sent a visibly beaten Soto Karass back to the corner where Rosado landed six hard shits that forced referee Steve Smoger to stop the bout at 2:06 of round five.

Rosado, 153 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 19-5 with eleven knockouts. Soto Karass, 154 lbs of Los Angeles is now 24-7-3.

In a battle of undefeated Light Heavyweights, Sullivan Barrera scored a six round unanimous decision over Damar Singleton.

Barrera was much more active in this uninspiring fight as there was a lot of holding and clinching but it was Barrera’s lead right hands that were getting through before much of the clutching would commence.

Barrera, 174 1/2 lbs of Miami via Cuba won by scores of 60-54; 60-54 and 59-55 and is now 9-0. Singleton, 176 1/2 lbs of Toeldo, OH is now 7-1.

In the opening bout of the evening, Naim Nelson kept his undefeated mark in tact with a four round unanimous decision over Pedro Andres.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Nelson, 137 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia and is now 4-0. Andres, 136 lbs of Bridgeton, NJ was making his pro debut.

Jose Peralta ALejo scored a six round unanimous decision over Lenwood Dozier in a Welterweight bout.

Alejo, 145 lbs of Jersey City, NJ won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 7-1. Dozier, 146 lbs of Glen Burnie, MD is 7-4-1.

Ray Robinson boxed well and scored a eight round unanimous decision over grizzled veteran Doel Carrasquillo in a Welterweight bout.

Robinson, 148 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia won by tallies of 79-73; 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 13-2. Carrasquillo is now 16-19-1.

This show was the first event of the new NBC Sports Network boxing series and was promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing with the main event co-promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions

NEW YORK–It was upset city in New York as DeMarcus Corley (38-10-1, 22 KOs) shocked the previously undefeated Gabriel Bracero (18-1, 3 KOs) in the main event of “Broadway Boxing” promoted by Lou Dibella. The fight was for the NABF Super Lightweight title. Corley, who is 37 years young and coming off of a six match losing streak was not expected to win the fight. Bracero’s handlers felt that Corley’s experience and elusiveness would give him trouble, but not THIS much trouble. From the outset, Corley was in control of the ring. He was, as always, fighting defensively, but surprisingly was the one coming forward; something that Bracero shouldn’t have allowed. In the second round, a straight left hand landed flush on Bracero’s face, opening up a cut that began to squirt blood. The referee had the ringside doctor look at it immediately, but the doctor ruled that he was safe to continue. Corley smelled blood. In an exchange, corley landed with a more crisp combination, finishing up with a picture perfect right hook that landed right on Bracero’s chin. Bracero was down and looked very hurt. He somehow beat the count and was able to get out of the round.

The third saw Bracero quickly regain composure, but he was still on the wrong side of nearly every exchange. A powerful straight left landed flush on Bracero, and he was down again. Hurt, but Bracero beat the count a second time.

Two rounds passed in which Bracero seemed unable to take control, and he found himself on the canvas a third time. It was another straight left, but this did not do much damage. Entering the second half of the fight, Bracero changed his gameplan a bit. Instead of walking straight backwards, he was moving from side to side. He made room instead of giving it up. It worked well. He took control of the fight.

Still, the fight seemed in the bag for Corley as three knockdowns seemed impossible to overcome in a ten round fight. Bracero was never considered a puncher. Then came the eighth round where he landed a straight right that knocked Corley back. The ref ruled it a knockdown saying that Corley’s glove touched the canvas. Bracero was unable to capitalize in that round or the final two. When the scores were announced 96-90, 94-92, and 94-92 for Corley, the classy Bracero applauded his victor.

The popular Seanie Monaghan (12-0, 8 KOs) took on a very entertaining Billy Bailey (11-14, 4 KOs) in a light heavyweight fight. Monaghan wanted to go rounds to showcase some new techniques his team had been working on in the gym. He was always known as a face first brawler, but came out with a different game plan. This time he stalked his opponent and picked his shots in a much better manner. His body punching improved as well. Monaghan was always a volume puncher when it came to the body, but this time he used it to force his opponent to drop his hands. It worked perfectly in the second round where he landed two crushing blows to Bailey’s mid-section and then followed up with a huge right hook that sent Bailey down.

Bailey beat the count and made it out of the round with a little help from the bell. The rest of the fight saw Monaghan continuing his method with Bailey responding with taunts and playing to the crowd. The crowd loved it, and both fighters seemed to be responding well to eachother. Monahghan dominated the rest of the fight, winning a unanimous decision by scores of 79-72, 80-71, and 80-71.

Boyd Melson (7-0, 3 KOs) made easy work of Sean Rawley Wilson (6-6, 1 KO) in their junior middleweight bout. Melson used quick reflexes and speed to overwhelm his opponent over the course of the six rounds en route to a shutout unanimous decision victory with all scores reading 60-53.

Luis Del Valle (15-0, 11 KOs) fought a tougher than expected Jose Angel Beranza (34-21-2, 26 KOs) in their junior featherweight bout. Del Valle was in control the whole fight, but Beranza was not there just for a payday. He fought hard with his much younger opponent and had some very impressive moment while stealing some rounds. But Del Valle just punches too hard, is too fast, and can defend himself too well. The entertaining fight went the full eight rounds and the final scores read, 80-72, 78-74, 79-73 for Del Valle. Some felt that the fight could have been closer.

Ran Nakash (26-1, 18 KOs) made his return after a disappointing loss to Marko Huck. He fought the tough Derek Bryant (20-7-1, 17 KOs). Bryant had nothing for Nakash, as he was bullied around the ring for eight rounds en route to a shutout. The three judges scored the bout 80-72 in favor of Nakash.

Danny McDermott (8-3-2, 3 Kos) took on Terry Buterbaugh (6-6-3, 3 KOs) in a junior welterweight matchup. The style matchup looked good on paper. Buterbaugh is someone who throws a whole lot of punches, while Mcdermott is someone who has a great chin while landing more precise blows. It was a bit sloppy at times when reality hit that their styles did not really gel as we all had hoped. The fight ended up being scored a draw, with scores reading 55-59, 59-55, 57-57.

Sonya Lamonakis (6-0-1, 1 KO) fought an all out brawl with Carlette Ewell (15-7-1, 9 KOs) in their heavyweight bought. Both fighters landed big punches throughout the fight and gave them a standing ovation when it was all over. The judges ruled it a draw with scores of 58-56, 56-58, 57-57. Many at ringside thought Ewell should have gotten the nod.

In a sloppy affair, heavyweights Thomas Hardwick (4-0, 2 KOs) and Richard Mason (0-4) squared off for four rounds. Hardwick was the more polished fighter of the two and won an easy unanimous decision victory based off of his harder and more accurate punching. The scores read 40-36 in his favor.

The opening fight of the night was a surprise as the very talented Alex Perez (15-0, 9 KOs) squared off against Josh Sosa (10-2, 5 KO’s). Most Broadway Boxing cards open with young fighters, new to the professional ranks, but Perez is a legitimate welterweight prospect in the region. From time to time, Dibella enjoys catering to the hardcore boxing fans that show up early no matter what. This time, we saw the knockout of the night. After scoring a spectacular knockdown in the first round off of combination punching, Perez only needed half of the second round to fishing Sosa off. An absolutely perfect right hand landed on the point of Sosa’s chin, sending his head snapping back as his knees buckled underneath him. The time of the stoppage was 1:39 of the second round, giving Perez a TKO victory.

Las Vegas, NV- Cuban star Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0 ) and previously undefeated American Rico Ramos(20-1) brought fans a forgettable show Friday night at the Palms in Las Vegas, for all but about 20 combined seconds of round one and six. Two meaningful exchanges was all Rigondeaux needed however to score a stoppage.

An overwhelming majority of the bout saw both fighters staring eachother down, looking for an opportunity to counter punches that never happened. Rigondeaux looked to be on his way to a quick victory, as he dropped Ramos with a Right hand in the opening round, and pressed the action until the bell saved Ramos from first round stoppage.

After an intriguing first round, it didn’t take long for fans to not only lose interest, but join together in a chorus of boos from a lack of action. For as little as Rigondeaux did, Ramos did far less. The fight’s second interesting occurrence came in round six, when Ramos complained of a rabbit punch, that looked from the outside to have hit the top of his forehead. When Ramos was instructed to continue fighting Rigondeaux wasted no time, pressing the gas, hurting “Suavecito” with a body shot, and pressing on from there until he was on the canvas for a ten count.

Rigondeaux walked away with a stoppage, and his WBA Super Bantamweight title still in hand, while Ramos walked with his first career defeat, and a lackluster national television showing under his belt.

“Rico Ramos is a very good fighter,” said Rigondeaux. “But I train very hard and when I train, no one can beat me.”

“2012 is going to be my time. I’ve got the greatest promoter of all time, Bob Arum. I just want them to open the doors for me.”

“He showed he was a true champion, he was real tough. I showed I was a true champion by getting up. He caught me the first round and I went down. Then in the third he started to slow down.

He hit me in the back of the head and I got dizzy. The referee told us to fight and I wanted to take my time. That’s when he caught me with the head butt and I fell. I’m gonna bounce back harder. I’ll be up in that gym next week. It don’t stop.”, Said Ramos

While the main event had all the makings of tactical chess match, fans at the Palms might have had their expectations raised by the all out war between Guy Robb(7-1) and Joel Diaz(7-0) treated them to in the televised opener.

Robb opened up going strong to the body, but eating a high volume of right hands, as Diaz capitalized on the opportunity to tag his unprotected left side. Robb flipped the momentum in round two, dropping Diaz with a thunderous right hand. The pace of the bout wouldn’t belong to Robb long as he went down in round three twice in the midst of back and forth exchanges.

Northern California native Guy Robb went back to the game plan that brought him success early on and hammered away at Diaz’s body in the fourth round, and seemed to get the better of the exchanges making for an interesting situation on the scorecards.

With both men visibly gassed, Diaz seemed to have just a little bit more left as the fight continued. In round seven Diaz bombed away on the open left side of Robb, who’s defense worsened as the bout wore on. The pressure seemed to overtake Robb, who stopped firing back during a strong rally from Diaz with just under a minute left, and referee Vic Drakulich stopped the action, giving Diaz a KO7 win.

“It was much harder than I thought. I was expecting it to be more like my previous fights, but not everybody’s the same. I can’t hit everybody with one punch and knock them down.”, Said Diaz

This was my first time going 8 rounds. One of my fights before went 4 rounds, and all of the others ended in the first.

They gave us a call last Wednesday, to fill a spot as the co-feature on the Rico Ramos card, and who would turn that down? So we took the fight, we were already training, might as well

First time I’ve ever been knocked down. It was a lucky punch that caught me off guard, and I got up really quick. Hopefully it will never happen again. We’re gonna go back to the gym and continue working on my chin, like I’ve been doing”

In the opening televised bout, Burbank native Matt Villanueva(7-0-1) looked impressive in a seventh round stoppage of Mike Ruiz(8-2-1). Ruiz was gritty, and won a new crop of fans with his heart but was ultimately undersized and turned out to be tailor made for Villanueva.

A picture perfect left hook wobbled Diaz in round 7 and Villanueva’s killer instinct offered no time for recovery, prompting a stoppage from Russell Mora.

“I felt perfect, as far as my conditioning, this is the best I’ve ever felt. This was my first time going 8 rounds, and it was no problem. I was surprised that it went this long. He took a lot of my punches, and survived an early knockdown. He was able to get up and fight a few more rounds, and that surprised me.”, Said Villanueva

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Floyd Mayweather placed a phone call to Manny Pacquiao in an effort to make a mega fight between the two superstars for May 5th.

“They spoke,” Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather’s advisers, told ESPN.com on Thursday.

Mayweather provided details of his conversation with Pacquiao in an email to ESPN anchor Stan Verrett.

“I called him and asked him about us fighting May 5 and giving the World what they want to see,” Mayweather’s email read. “I also let him know we both can make a lot of money. He ask about a 50/50 split and I told him no that can’t happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me then you have made in your career. I also let him know I’m in control on my side but he needs to get on the same page with his promoter so we can make this fight happen.”

The message continued: “I told him to tell his promoter that he only wants to fight Mayweather and that this fight will be the biggest fight in history. His manger came to my boxing gym a few months ago and we spoke about getting the defamation of character lawsuit dropped against me and about both fighters taking the random blood and urine test. I spoke to his manager again last night about the same thing. The call last night lasted 15 or 20 minutes. I mainly spoke to his manager he got on and off the phone real quick.”

Ellerbe said he was unsure how Mayweather obtained Pacquiao’s direct line but added, “I’m sure that’s not hard to get or find out because there have been members of Manny Pacquiao’s camp who have reached out to me and other members of our team in the past. It wouldn’t be that hard.”

On Thursday in Las Vegas, where Mayweather donated $100,000 to the Southern Nevada affiliate of the Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity as part of his promise to the judge, he spoke about his desire to face Pacquiao with a handful of media on hand.

“There is no fight I want more than the Manny Pacquiao fight,” Mayweather told the gathered media. “I guess he said he agreed to fight. The only thing that is stopping this fight right now, that I truly believe is stopping the fight, is Bob Arum.”

PHILADELPHIA–Once beaten Super Middleweight Farah Ennis rebounded from his first professional loss with a very solid fifth round stoppage over durable Grover Young that highlighted a ten bout card at the National Guard Armory.

Ennis had a gameplan of working the body of the southpaw and he executed that strategy to a tee, as he placed some perfect shots to the flanks of Young. Ennis continued to back Young up with the body work and occasionally mixing up shots upstairs. The end came when Ennis drilled Young with a left to the body which made Young take a knee for the referee’s ten count at fifty-nine seconds of round five.

Ennis of Philadelphia ups his mark to 18-1 with twelve knockouts. Young of Tennessee is now 5-5-1.

The co-feature was a six round Welterweight tussle that matched unblemished Angel Ocasio and once beaten Jason Sosa.

The was a fight that proved that some geography could be the key to fights as Early Ocasio showed superior handspeed as he picked Sosa apart from the outside. A clash of heads caused a cut from the corner of Sosa’s left eye in the opening frame. It was more of the same over the next couple rounds as clearly Ocasio seemed in control. Feeling desperate, Sosa started to get inside and land some nice combinations and scored some telling uppercuts. Seeing that Ocasio was moving backwards, that may have swayed the judges to pull Sosa even on the score cards as the bout ended in a majority draw that read 58-56 for Ocasio while the two other cards were tallied at 57-57.

Ocasio of Philadelphia is now 6-0-1. Sosa of Camden, NJ is now 4-1-2.

Tim Witherspoon Jr. and Tevin Farmer waged an old school Philly War in their six round Lightweight bout.

Witherspoon, The taller southpaw looked to box from outside while fellow southpaw Farmer got inside with great success. Much like the Ocasio-Sosa bout, this was about where each fighter needed to be. Both guys got their preferred distance at times. The crowd was on their feet for most of the bout as the action was fast throughout with Framer picking up the majority decision by scores of 58-56; 58-56 and 58-57.

Hot shot Bantamweight prospect Miguel Cartagena was impressive in disposing David Rodriguez in sixty-eight seconds of their scheduled four round bout.

Cartagena landed a big right that sent Rodriguez to the canvas ans the bout was stopped when Rodriguez got to his feet. Cartagena is now 4-0 with three knockouts. Rodriguez was making his pro debut.

Heavyweight’s John Lennox and Riley Brooks waged a four round war with Lennox coming put on top with a unanimous decision.

Both guys stood toe to toe landing tremendous shots that drew “oohs and Ahhs” from the capacity crowd.

In the end, It was Lennox better boxing ability that proved to be the difference as he took the fight by scores of 40-36; 40-36 and 39-37 and is now 9-1. Brooks of Baltimore falls to 1-3.

Former world amateur champion scored a four round unanimous decision over huge Corey Winfield.

Dawejko landed some nice body shots that were followed by some hard shots to the head.

Dawejko, 230 lbs of Philadelphia won by 40-36 scores on all cards and is now 6-0. Winfield, 302 lbs of Winston-Salem, NC is now 4-9.

Brian Donahue came off a five year hiatus to scored a four round unanimous decision over Randy Campbell in a Super Middleweight bout.

Donahue dropped Campbell in the final round with a big right hand. Scores were 40-35; 39-36 and 39-36 for Donahue who is now is 2-1.

Todd Unthankmay landed a huge right hand that knocked out winless Phillip Hannah in round one of their scheduled four round Light Heavyweight bout.

Unthankmay, 175 lbs of Philadelphia is now 2-0 with one knockout. Hannah, 169 1/2 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 0-7.

Jaywoon Woods came back after an eighteen month layoff to pound out a four round unanimous decision over Rayshawn Myers in a Cruiserweight bout.

Woods landed a right hand in round three that sent Myers down for the bout’s only knockdown.

Woods, 199 lbs of Danville, VA won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 9-1-1. Myers, 182 1/2 lbs of Cleveland is now 4-12.

Tal Middleweight John Thompson used his height to easily outbox Aaron Williams over four rounds.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Thompson of Newark, NJ and is now 4-0. Williams of Kinston, NC is now 0-3.

Sources have told 15rounds.com, that after much scrambling, two undefeated young Heavyweights will be the co-feature this Saturday night as Bryant Jennings will take on Maurice Byarm as one of the featured bouts on the inaugural NBC Sports Network Broadcast from Philadelphia.

The bout was made only after the original bout between Eddie Chambers and Sergei Liakhovich was scrapped because of a rib injury to Chambers. Several scenarios were kicked around with end result being that the two undefeated Heavyweights agreed to fight.

Jennings, 11-0 with five knockouts ids a Philadelphia resident and Byarm, 13-0-1 with nine knockouts of Washington, D.C but grew up in Philadelphia, where his father Lionel was the first man to oppose Evander Holyfield

The other scheduled television bout will pit Jr. Middleweight Gabriel Rosado and Jesus Soto-Karass

“This series is about giving the fans exciting, action-packed fights where the outcome is in doubt,” said promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events. “It is truly a shame that Chambers and Liakhovich cannot fight on Saturday, but athletes get injured. We tried all weekend to find a suitable replacement to face Liakhovich, but truly competitive opposition could not be found on such short notice. Last night we decided that it would be in the best interests of the fans and the series to go in another direction and present a fight that will live up to the standards that we have set for this project. We are thrilled to have come up with such a compelling bout. The fans in Philadelphia and those watching on TV will have plenty to cheer about on Saturday night.”

“I often hear people say that there are no American Heavyweights,” said Russell Peltz of Peltz Boxing, matchmaker for the NBC Sports Network “Fight Night” Series. “We are presenting a terrific fight on Saturday night at the Asylum between two promising American heavyweights who are willing to test themselves sooner rather than later.”

“I am really excited to get the chance to show what I can do on national television,” Jennings said about the sudden turn of events. “I’ve wanted to fight Byarm for a long time. I’m not worried about dealing with a southpaw. This is a perfect match for me.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former two division champion Vic Darchinyan will fight for a bantamweight crown when he takes on Shinsuke Yamanaka in Tokyo on April 1

“I am very happy I was able to make a world title fight for Vic,” said Darchinyan’s promoter Gary Shaw. “He wanted another opportunity so badly that we took this fight for short money to do it.”

“Vic says he feels he can fight and win at 118 pounds,” Shaw said. “He has not had the success he had in the lower divisions, but he has also fought the best fighters in the world and he has not lost to inferior fighters. I thought he won the Mares fight, absolutely, 1,000 percent.

“A lot of people thought he won that fight. The only fight I believe he was outclassed in was against Moreno and that was a style mismatch thing. It just was not a good matchup for Vic. But no matter who he fights, he brings action and he brings the fight.”

“I haven’t seen any film on him but I was able to make the fight for Vic,” Shaw said. “I’ll get some film and have a better feeling of what we are up against after I look at it. I give credit to Vic for wanting to always fight the best and being willing to travel around the world to fight wherever the opportunity is.”

Former Middleweight champion Arthur Abraham scored a fifth round stoppage over Pablo Farias in a scheduled twelve round Super Middleweight bout in Offenburg, Germany.

Abraham got pff to a slow start but started getting through with power shots in round three. In round five, Abraham dropped Farias with a body shot. Seconds later he scored a 2nd knockdown form a body shot. Abraham was all over Farias and scored a 3rd knockdown and the fight was stopped at 2:00 of round five.

Abraham, 167 1/2 lbs of Germany is now 33- with 27 knockouts. Farias, 166 1/2 lbs of Buenos Aries, Argentina is now 19-2.

Dustin Dirks scored a 4th round stoppage over Sam Couzens in a scheduled eight round Light Heavyweight bout.

Dirks dropped Couzens in round four from a right hand. A follow up flurry which was finished by a right on the ropes dropped Couzens again and the fight was stopped at 1:26 of round four.

Dirks is now 23-0 with 17 knockouts. Couzens is 8-7.

Ramona Kuehne scored an 8th round stoppage over Renata Domsodi to retain the WBO Super Featherweight title.

Domsodi was cut over the left eye and dropped in round eight and the fight was stopped at 1:24 of round eight.

Kuehne, 129 3/4 lbs is now 19-1 with 6 knockouts. Domsodi, 126 3/4 lbs is now 7-2.

Las Vegas, NV-Fans at Hard Rock Hotel’s “Joint” in Las Vegas were treated to Chris Martin and Teon Kennedy battling in close quarters for ten rounds Friday Night, but neither man was able to create distance on the scorecards, leaving a lack of closure for both camps.

Kennedy(17-1-2) was aiming to bounce back strong from a loss to Alejandro Lopez in August, and pressed the issue from start to finish, but left himself open for Martin (23-1-2) to stay in the fight. ESPN’s Teddy Atlas, and several ringside analysts scored the fight in Kennedy’s favor but Martin was able to place clean shots that turned several rounds into toss ups.

A second warning for low blows, and some swelling to the right eye in round 7 led to a more conservative offensive approach from Kennedy, an opportunity which Martin jumped on. Martin was able to put together his busiest sequence of the fight, and thought he scored a knockdown in the closing seconds, but the spill was ruled a slip by Jay Nady.

Martin spent the middle rounds watching the clock during clinches, and showed signs of fatigue but did not abandon his game plan, and continued to fire away inside on the Philadelphia native Kennedy. Kennedy’s vicious body attack clearly slowed Martin down, and softened his shots, but as the fight went on the “S.D. Kid” refused to go away, and kept things close enough to earn a majority draw.

In the co-feature Cuban welterweight Yordenis Ugas(11-0) looked to be on his way to making easy work of Esteban Almaraz (10-5), dropping his foe with a right hand in the first round, and continuing to land his overhand right early and often. Almaraz put heart, and endurance on display to survive the early assault.

Hand speed proved to be the difference for Ugas who had no problem putting combinations together, snapping Almaraz with his jab, and following with a consistent overhand right. Although his attack slowed as Almaraz proved himself able to sustain the damage, Ugas never seemed to lose control of the fight.

Almaraz never stopped coming forward, but was constantly forced back by the combination punching of Ugas who earned his way to a unanimous decision victory, shutting Almaraz out on one card, and surrendering just one round on the other two cards.

Following the televised action 22 year old super bantamweight prospect Gabino Saenz(6-0 5ko’s) suffered the first setback of his career.

Saenz appeared to be on the fast track to a stoppage win over Gil Garcia (5-2), knocking Garcia down in round 2. Although Saenz showcased superior boxing tact, and hand speed, Garcia was able to force the young prospect into his brand of fight. Garcia and Saenz traded blows for six rounds, both fighters staggered at certain points, but it was Garcia who appeared more comfortable with the bout’s pace.

At the final bell Garcia celebrated his impending victory, but as the score’s were read off a draw would be the fate of the bout, saving Saenz from his first career defeat.

Las Vegas native Anthony Lenk (13-1 7ko’s) made short work of previously undefeated Boyd Henley (8-1-1) stopping the Kansas City native in the first round of their welterweight bout. 20 year old featherweight prospect Jesse Magdaleno was also in action and looked impressive, shutting out Shawn Nichol in a six round unanimous decision win.

Heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers suffered displaced fractures of his left anterior ninth and tenth ribs in training and, therefore, has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled 10-round bout with Sergei Liakhovich on the inaugural NBC Sports Network’s Fight Night card from the Asylum Arena in Philadelphia, PA on January 21st.

Promoters Main Events and Peltz Boxing have reached out for a replacement for Chambers and will make an announcement as soon as possible.

Teon Kennedy 121.5 – Christopher Martin 121.5
Yordenis Ugas 141.5 – Esteban Almarez 142
Gabino Saenz 125 – Gil Garcia 128
Shawn Nichol 122 – Jesse Magdaleno 122
Anthony Lenk 141.5 – Boyd Henley 142

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Welterweight champion Victor Ortiz received a one-fight license in Nevada for his February 11th rematch with Andre Berto.

Ortiz had to appear before the commission due to the tactics he used during the September 17th bout with Floyd Mayweather. In that fight, Ortiz repeatedly headbutted Mayweather and stated after the fight the he purposely tried to break Mayweather’s nose.

“I was trying to break his nose, 100 percent,” Ortiz said in the interview. He later added, “Although I take (the loss to Mayweather) as a learning lesson, a learning experience, next time it ain’t gonna be that. If I’m gonna head butt you, I’m gonna break your nose (on the) next head butt.”

During questioning by the commission, Ortiz was contrite about both incidents.

“I won’t make any excuses,” said Ortiz, who was accompanied to the hearing by David Itskowitch of Golden Boy and manager Rolando Arellano.

Of the head butt, Ortiz said, “I acted in a very inappropriate manner. I don’t know what I was thinking. I want a chance to redeem myself and show you guys I’m not a dirty fighter and never have been. … In the heat of the moment, I lost it. That will not happen again, I assure you.”

He said he made his remarks at the end of a long day and that “questions were coming from left and right” and that there were “repetitive questions. Frustration took over. It was a question that had been asked all day of me.”

When a commissioner asked Ortiz how he would react if he felt like he was being fouled — he claimed Mayweather had repeatedly elbowed him — he said, “Next time, I’m not going to commit anymore fouls. … I was very embarrassed by this whole thing.”

Arellano also was allowed to address the commission, saying, “Victor takes full responsibility. There’

“It would be very limited license where you have the opportunity to prove yourself,” he said.

Commissioner Pat Lundvall also supported the one-fight license idea. “Do not let it happen again in this state,” she said.

“I’m thrilled that he got the license,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said. “When I talked to Victor, like he said in front of the commission, he apologized about what happened. I think sometimes you get carried away and you do or say things you regret. I know Victor is a clean fighter, not a dirty fighter. You can look at his record.

“This fight with Berto will be a hard and exciting fight, but it will also be a clean fight. And after the fight, the commission will see this was a one-time glitch for Victor and he will be issued a permanent license.”

One of the rumored opponents for Floyd Mayweather’s May 5th fight in Las Vegas, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero has been penciled off the list as per Richard Schaefer according to Dan Rafael.

“It’s not going to be Guerrero,” Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com on Wednesday night.

Former Welterweight world champion Paul Williams will be back in action on February 18th when he takes on Nobohiro Ishida on February 18th as part of a Showtime televised card that will also feature IBF Light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud defending against Gabriel Campillo according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Paul is anxious to get back in there and re-establish himself in the minds of people who don’t give him credit for winning the fight with Lara,” said Williams promoter Dan Goossen. “People will forget real quickly with a good performance against Ishida. Whether you had Paul winning or losing (against Lara) it was an exciting fight and that’s what Paul Williams is known for — being in those types of fights. He gives as good as he gets most of the time, so I think this should be another one of those good Paul Williams fights.

“I believe Kirkland’s performance against Angulo was a factor that showed that Ishida deserved the shot with Williams in another big fight,” Goossen said. “To me, Ishida has earned his opportunity to fight a fighter like Paul Williams and Paul has earned the right to fight the man who knocked out James Kirkland. This is a fight that will be a barometer to see where Paul is. I believe he is still at the top of the class in the 154-pound division. Ishida is somebody you have to contend with to get back to that top level.”

“One of the things I love about it is that he is right-handed,” Goossen said.

If Williams is successful against Ishida, Goossen said the hope is that Williams will get a rubber match with Martinez and a rematch with Lara.

“That’s a fight we would like to get back,” Goossen said of another fight with Martinez. “They’re 1-1. Paul wants to do it again with Lara, too, even though he got the victory because Paul is the kind of fighter who wants to erase any doubts.”

“When Campillo got call to fight on Dec. 31 he took the fight immediately,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, Campillo’s promoter. “When they canceled the fight I kept Campillo in training. Now we are getting the fight on Feb. 18. We have agreed on everything. I spoke with Don King (Cloud’s promoter) and I am waiting for the paperwork.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute and former WBC champ carl Froch are working on a two fight that deal that would see the fighters take on each other in each’s home country.

ute and Froch are negotiating a two-fight deal that would begin with a bout in the spring in Montreal, Bute’s adopted hometown where he is a major star, and be followed by a rematch in Froch’s hometown of Nottingham, England, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, Froch’s promoter, told ESPN.com on Monday.

Hearn said he was “having positive discussions with Jean and the team at InterBox” about the deal and that he was “very happy with the idea of working with them.”

“We have penciled two dates — April 14 for Montreal and Aug. 4 in Nottingham — for the ‘home and away’ bouts,” Hearn said. “Don’t see why we can’t get this boxed off in the next week or so.”

“At the end of the day, we need the second fight to be relevant and appealing,” Hearn said. “I’m very sure it will be.

“We are talking,” Hearn said of conversations with Showtime. “They have expressed their desire to keep Carl and I don’t envision any problems either side.”

Junior-welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. won’t fight on Feb. 3 at Wild Horse Pass Casino near his hometown, Phoenix, because of persistent pain from a lingering injury to his right wrist, said promoters, who canceled the card.

Gerry Truax of Showdown Promotions said Wednesday that the wrist continued to trouble Benavidez (14-0, 12 KOs) when he resumed training after he was medically cleared to fight last week.

Physicians told him to avoid contact for one month, according to Truax, the Arizona representative for Showdown, which had been planning the card in a co-promotion with Top Rank. Truax said he canceled the card because local sponsors withdrew support after being told that Benavidez would not fight.

“It wouldn’t be fair to ask Jose to fight at 50 percent,’’ Truax. “We want him to be healthy for a fight in March.’’

Benavidez, a Top Rank fighter, is scheduled to fight on March 23 on a ShoBox-televised card in Tucson at Casino del Sol. Dallas super-bantamweight Roberto Marroquin, another Top Rank prospect, is scheduled for the main event.

The 19-year-old Benavidez has been struggling with a wrist injury since he made his pro debut in his home state with a fourth-round stoppage in June of Corey Alarcon at Wild Horse Pass Casino. He aggravated the injury in November during a unanimous decision on Nov. 12 over Samuel Santana on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

According to TMZ.com, Manny Pacquiao could decide today or tomorrow whether he will fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 5th — this according to Manny’s trainer.

Freddie Roach just told TMZ Manny and promoter Bob Arum are in the Philippines, figuring out if they can put off several deals to fight other boxers … to clear the decks for a Mayweather fight in May.
Roach is scoffing at Mayweather’s tweet, in which he calls Pacquiao a “punk,” saying, “He should look in the mirror. He’s been ducking us for 2 years.”

As for what weight class Pacquiao will fight Mayweather … Roach said 147 lbs — that’s the upper limit of welterweight.

Of course, even if Pacquiao can rearrange his schedule, both sides have to agree on a financial deal. Roach says, “We’ll do it on even terms.”

According to TMZ.com, Floyd Mayweather Jr. just issued the challenge the world has been waiting for — demanding Manny Pacquiao fight him once and for all … May 5th in Vegas.

Floyd’s jail sentence was postponed to June so he could fight at the MGM Grand on May 5th — but so far, his opponent hasn’t been determined.

Fight fans have been clamoring for Mayweather-Pacquiao for years — and now Floyd himself is calling out Manny with the message, “Manny Pacquiao I’m calling you out let’s fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see.”

Floyd sounded off in the tough and hardcore forums of Twitter and Facebook — and punctuated his challenge with, “Step up Punk.”

Manny is in the Philippines … and has yet to respond to the challenge.

Luke Rockhold retained the Strikeforce Middleweight championship with a first round round pound out of Keith Jardine at the Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Rockhold landed a huge right that sent Jardine back towards the cage and eventually on the ground. After eating a few shots, Jardine got to his feet only to absorb a nasty left hand that knocked him out on the ground. Rockhold got in a handful of more unnecessary blows before referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 4:26 of round one.

Rockhold, 185 lbs of San Jose, CA makes the first defense of his crown and is now 9-1 with two knockouts. Jardine, 185 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 17-10-2.

Former Strikeforce Middleweight champ, Robbie Lawler took out Adlan Amagov in the first round of their Middleweight bout.

Amagov hit Lawler with an illegal knee to the head that gave Lawler a few minute respit. Within in seconds, Lawler hit Amagov with a flying kick and then jumped on Amagov and landed ten unanswered blows that forced referee Steve Mazagotti atopped the bout at 1:41 of the opening frame.

Lawler, 186 lbs of Davenport, IA is now 19-8-1 with sixteen knockouts. Amagov, 186 lbs of Fairfield, NJ is now 9-2

Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion King Mo Lawal stopped previously undefeated Lorenz Larkin in round two of their bout.

Lawal pounded Larkin with about twelve unanswered blows while Larkin lay prone and the bout was stopped at 1:32 of round two.

Lawal, 205 lbs of San Jose, CA is now 9-1 with seven stoppages. Larkin, 205 lbs of Riverside, CA is now 12-1.

Tyron Woodley remained undefeated with a three round split decision over Jordan Mein a Welterweight bout

Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 for Woodley, 171 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL and is now 10-0. Mein, 171 lbs of Lethbridge Alberta, Canada is now 23-8.

Tarec Saffedine fought through a bloody right eye from the first round on to eek out a split decision over Tyler Stinson in a Welterweight bout.

Saffedine, 170 lbs of Temecula, CA won by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and he is now 12-3. Stinson, 170 lbs of Kansas City, KS bloodied Saffedine with a hard elbow in the first round and won a card 29-28 but falls to 23-8

Nah-Shon Burrell scored a three round split decision over James Terry in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards for Burrell while Terry took a third card at 29-28.

Burrell, 171 lbs of Philadelphia is now 801. Terry, 171 lbs of San Jose, CA loses a tough luck bout and is now 11-4

Gian Villante pounded out Trevor Smith in round one of their Light Heavyweight bout.

Villante got Smith on the ground and pounded him with punches and the fight was stopped at 2:05 of round one.

Villante, 205 of New York is now 9-3 with six knockouts. Smith, 206 lbs of Washington is now 9-2

Ricky Legere knocked Chris Sprang from the ranks of the undefeated by scoring a three round unanimous decision in a Welterweight bout.

Legere, 171 lbs of Lake Forrest, CA won by scores of 29-28 on cards and is now 14-4. Sprang, 171 lbs of Las Vegas is 4-1.

Esteven Payan scored a three round unanimous decision over Alonzo Martinez in a Lightweight bout.

Payan, 160 lbs of Tempe, AZ won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 13-3-1. Martinez, 160 1/2 lbs is now 35-14-1

Luis Ramos Jr. scored a ten round unanimous decision Ray Beltran in a competitive Lightweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Hotel and Casino in Indio, California.

Both fighters took turns taking the lead as there was not much to choose from. It seemed that a late surge from Beltran maybe would have got him the verdict but the judges preferred the volume and aggressiveness over the accuracy of Beltran.

Ramos Jr. showed guile as he was cut over his right eye due to an inadvertent head butt in the second round and the two clashed heads several more times during the fight.

Ramos Jr., 135 3/4 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 97-93; 97-93 and 96-94 ans is still perfect at 21-0. Beltran, 134 1/4 lbs of North Hollywood, CA suffers another close loss and is now 25-6.

Heading into the evening – after being on the losing side of many tight distance fights – Beltran declared, “The judges are my enemies.” Coming out of this evening’s fight, it’s doubtful that his position has changed.

“I was a little nervous about the decision because I knew it was a tough fight,” said Ramos. “[Beltran] was a tough fighter with a great record but I proved that I could hang in there and take punches.”

Said Ramos: “He got me with a few head butts, but the blood didn’t really bother me.”

The two men engaged in many exchanges full of hooks and headshots with Beltran staying busier but Ramos punching more accurately. The SHO Stats compiled by CompuBox listed Beltran as landing 156 of 522 punches to Ramos’ 190 of 418.

As SHOWTIME boxing analyst Steve Farhood said of the fight, “If I had to pick one word: intensity.”

In a battle of undefeated Lightweights, Omar Figueroa scored a stoppage over Michael Perez after round six of a scheduled ten round bout.

It was an entertaining scrap with each taking turns being the boss. Both especially for young fighters worked the body with effectiveness. Figueroa started to seize control at the end of the fifth round as he started to get through more. Perez kept fighting hard through the sixth but Figueroa seemed to hurt Perez at the end of the round.

The fight was stopped by the Perez corner after the sixth frame.

Figueroa, 134 1/2 lbs of Walesco, TX is now 14-0 with twelve knockouts. Perez, 134 3/4 lbs of Newark, NJ is now 15-1-1.

“It was my legs,” said Perez. “I had no power since round two. I’m disappointed.”

“I was a little disappointed. I hit him with all my best shots but he didn’t go down,” said Figueroa. “But I was confident. I never thought I was going to lose. I’ve been asking for tough opponents. I wanted to fight the best and I proved I can deal with this and much more.

“[Perez] was a tough opponent but that’s what I’ve been asking for.”