Lightweight prospect Fidel Maldonado scored an eight round unanimous decision over Eric Cruz in an eight round bout in Pharr, Texas.

Scores were 77-74; 76-75 and 76-75 for Maldonado, 134 1/4 lbs of Albuquerque, NM and is now 12-0. Cruz 132 3/4 lbs of Puerto Rico is now 13-8-3.

Jorge Suarez survived a first round knockdown to comeback to win a six round unanimous decision over Larry Smith in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Smith landed a right while Maldonado leaned in and Maldonado fell to the canvas. It was a flash knockdown as Maldonado came back to be more active over the next five rounds.

Suarez, 149 lbs of San Antonio, TX won by scores of 58-54; 57-55 and 57-55 to go to 5-0. Smith, 151 1/2 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 11-7

In a battle of pro debuting teenagers, Jose Garcia and Javier Rodriguez fought to a majority draw by scores of 39-37 Rodriguez and 38-38 on two cards

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBA regular Heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin will make his first defense against Cedric Boswell on December 3rd in Finland.

Also on the card will be top contender Robert Helenius.

“Winning (a) world title was like a dream coming true for me,” said the 32-year-old Povetkin, who is trained by ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas. “Now I need to prove myself against quality contenders out there. I look forward to fighting Boswell. He is a tough opponent. But I have worked so hard to become champion there is no way I will allow him to take the belt away from me. I can promise my fans an exciting fight in Helsinki on Dec. 3.”

“This is going to be a true night of heavyweight explosions,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “Alexander Povetkin is one of the most exciting and fastest heavyweights since many years. He will prove his worth against Boswell, a world-class contender with an excellent record. This being a Heavyweight title fight, the should be plenty of Online Betting for this fight.

“On top of that, KO specialist and world-ranked No. 1 challenger Robert Helenius has set the bar very high for another massive performance after KO’ing three former champions. It is going to be a real advertisement for heavyweight boxing.”

“My entire life I have been waiting this moment,” Boswell said. “Now the big day has finally come. Povetkin is a good kid but he is a kid and he will be in trouble once we are in the ring. I have the experience and the strength to beat him. I will shock the boxing world on Dec. 3 when I take home the (belt) to America.”

In a battle of undefeated Super Middleweights, Edwin Rodriguez won a ten round unanimous decision over Will Rosinsky at the MGM Theatre at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

The two fought an up-tempo fight with both guys wailing away landing hard combinations. Rosinsky was backing Rodriguez up with combinations but Rodriguez was able to score off the back foot with some solid power shots.

Rodriguez scored the best shot of the fight when he buckled Rosinsky with a wicked left hook as he was getting baked up towards the ropes.

Somehow all three judges scored the bout 100-90 for Rodriguez, 171 lbs of Worcester, MA and he is now 20-0. Rosinsky, 171 lbs of Queens, NY deserved a lot better in terms of the scoring and is now 14-1.

Gabriel Bracero remained perfect by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Daniel Sostre in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Bracero consistently backed Sostre up and landed hard combinations with straight shots. Sostre was game and tried to fight back but he had little success as Bracero was very solid throughout the fight.

Bracero, 140 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 100-90; 100-90; 99-91 to remain perfect at 18-0. Sostre, 138 lbs of Vega Baja, PR is now 8-5-1

Unbeaten super lightweight prospect Ray ‘Tito’ Serrano (17-0, 8KOs) kept his unbeaten record with a tougher than expected unanimous decision win over the very tough Angel Rios (9-8, 6KOs) after ten heated rounds. Both combatants fought at close quarters, but it was Serrano’s superior technique and defense that prevailed. Rios was the aggressor, stalking his faster and mobile opponent and occasionally landed effective shots to the body. Serrano controlled the action in the early rounds by timing his jab and exploited his openings by landing swift combinations. Rios had his best round in the fourth when he landed a hard overhand right, but Serrano quickly recovered and continued to box in and out to befuddle his shorter and slower foe. Things heated up in the eighth when Rios verbally taunted Serrano and both fighters landed clean shots to the chin. Rios, knowing that he’s behind, fought with determination in the ninth, but Serrano’s technique was the factor. Both guys fought hard to the finish and Serrano held the edge in landing cleaner shots. Scores were initially announced incorrectly, but Serrano wins regardless via unanimous decision.

In a shocker, unheralded Doel Carrasquillo (16-18-1, 14KOs) upset local hero Shamone Alvarez (21-5, 12KOs) after five punishing rounds scheduled for eight in a welterweight contest. The Atlantic City native wasted no time taking it to his opponent, charging with hard shots to the body in the opening seconds, but walked into a hard left hook that dropped him for an eight count. Alvarez rose back, but on shaky legs and was hurt again with an onslaught of left overhand rights and hooks by Carrasquillo. A series of uppercut dropped Alvarez again in the second, but the veteran managed to get up and survive the round. Alvarez, who’s had many of his fights here in Atlantic City, used all of his experience to stay in to remain competitive. In rounds three and four, he was able to stick and move and appeared to be outboxing his one-dimensional foe. Every punch Carrasquillo landed seemed to matter, stunning Alvarez with every punch that found its mark. However, Carrasquillo unleashed another attack in the beginning of fifth, landing hard hooks to the head that again dropped Alvarez. The ref allowed the fight to resume, but Alvarez was hit and staggered again, prompting his corner to alert the ref to stop the fight. The official time of the stoppage was 1:16.

Union City, NJ’s Jason Escalera (12-0, 11KOs) quickly disposed of Kansas City, MO’s Mickey Scarborough (6-4, 6KOs) in two rounds. Escalera virtually landed the same right hands three times, which each punch sending his mismatched opponent to the canvas. Scarborough somehow beat the count each time, but was blasted out in the second round when he was again hit by a right hand.

Also in action, popular heavyweight Vinnie Maddalone pleased the Atlantic City crowd with an exciting first round KO over West Vrginia’s Mike Sheppard. Maddalone was quick to find his mark and hurt Sheppard with a right hand. Smelling blood, Maddalone went for the finish with a crippling left hook to the body that dropped Sheppard for a full ten count at the 1:22 mark.

Heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon (29-2, 21 KO’s) took out an overmatched Tyson Cobb (14-3) in round three of their scheduled eight round Heavyweight bout. Witherspoon dropped Cobb with three times in round two with hard combinations. The third knockdown came from vicious body punch at the end of the round. Witherspoon didn’t waste time as he landed a booming right that sent Cobb plummeting to the canvas as 1:07 of round three .

Photos by Ed Diller/Star Boxing

NEW YORK–Nonito Donaire always dreamed of fighting at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Tonight, his dream came true when he faced Omar Navarez. Donaire sported a record of 26-1, 18 KO’s and weighed in at 116 1/4lbs, while Omar Navarez had a record of 35-0-2, 19 KO’s amd weighed in at an even 117lbs.

The fight started slow, with each fighter establishing their range. Donaire was definitely the stronger fighter in the ring, but was giving Navarez a lot of respect. Navarez did well in using his southpaw stance to his advantage. Despite Donaire being in control, neither fighter made a lasting mark in the first quarter of the fight.

Things heated up a bit in the fourth, as a combination from Donaire briefly stunned Navarez. Both fighters exchanged quick combinations after that, but it was Donaire in control. Navarez, fighting out of a defensive shell, was able to control the pace of the fifth round, seemingly frustrating Donaire. The sixth round of the fight saw the pace swing right back in Donaire’s favor with his flashy combination fighting.

Unfortunately for the fans, Navarez stopped throwing punches I’m the seventh round, making the fight very dull. Entering the tenth round, Navarez’ offense was still a no-show. In the eleventh, Navarez finally decided to throw, but it was too little too late.

In the twelfth and final round, the crowd chanted, “This is bullshit.” They were not entirely wrong, but at least Donaire tried to fight. The final scores read 120-108 on all three scorecards, giving Donaire a shutout victory.

The co-feature of the evening saw Miguel Angel Garcia (26-0, 22 KO’s, 125lbs) look to continue his unbeaten record against journeyman Juan Carlos Martinez, (18-12-1, 6 KO’s, 125lbs). Despite his less than stellar record, Martinez started the fight throwing nice combinations, but they did not seem to phase Garcia. Garcia, on the other hand, just seemwd overly patient. Occasionally, he would land a powerful right hand just as a reminder of what he is capable of. Finally, towards the end if the third, Garcia landed a picture perfect counter left hook that dropped Martinez hard. Martinez beat the count and managed to survive the round, but not before eating another left hook right before the bell. Instead of starting the fourth round strong, Garcia went back to his rigid game plan and waited for the opening. This time it was a right hand. Martinez was down again, but not out. With so much time left in the round, the end was inevitable, and another hard combination forced the referee to call the fight at 2:46 of the fourth round giving Garcia a TKO victory. Garcia is unbelievably economical with his punches.

The popular Tommy Rainone (14-4, 3 KO, 150) faced off in a tougher than expected bout against Brad Jackson (13-6-1, 7 KO’s). Rainone is a fighter that likes to fight from a distance amd work his way inside with combinations. Jackson, on the other hand, is a tangy fighter himself, but also happens to be much taller than Rainone. This combination amounted to an extremely boring fight that saw fans booing the fighters and cheerig the final bell. The scores of the bout read 60-54, 59-55, 58-56 all for Tommy Rainone, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

In a match-up scheduled for four rounds, Jonathan Gonzalez (4-0, 4 KO’s, 113 1/4 lbs) squared off against Jose Rivera (3-3-2, 113 lbs). Gonzalez’ speed was too much for Rivera. After scoring a second round knockdown, Gonzalez continued to coast through the fight despite Rivera constantly being in his chest. In the end, the scores read 60-53, 60-53, and 59-54.

The popular Sean Monaghan (9-0, 5 KO’s, 174 1/4lbs) took to the ring against Anthony Pietrantonio (7-7, 6 KO’s, 174 1/4 lbs) in a fight scheduled for six rounds. Both fighters showed early that they wanted to make a statement with their power punches. Pietrantonio learned quickly that you so not trade punches with Monaghan, a he was met with lots of leather over the course of the fight. By the fifth round, Monaghan had his opponent winded, and sensed a stoppage. A garage of power punches followed, and the referee had no choice but to stop the fight at the 2:51 mark if the fifth round, giving Monaghan a TKO win.

Michael Zewski (10-0, 6 KO’s, 148lbs) looked to keep his unbeaten record intact against Keuntray Henson (4-3, 1 KO, 147lbs). It wasn’t hard work, and Zewski looked impressive showcasing his range and smarts at such an early point in his career. Henson came out aggressive in his southpaw stance, and Zewski remained pissed behind his jab and sneaky left hook. Soon afterwards, Zewski unleashed his right hand, and Henson went down. He barely beat the count, making it up at the count of nine. Zewski went right back to work and smashed Henson with a left hook, knocking him out. The referee called the fight at 1:27 of the first round, and Zewski is credited with a spectacular TKO.

The opening bout of the night featured Long Island native, Cletus Seldon (3-0, 1 KO, 146 1/2 lbs) against Jose Segura (2-2-2, 1 KO, 146 1/4 lbs) of Miami. Seldin showcased his power early, scoring a knockdown off a right hand. Segura was able to regain his senses quickly, but Seldin’s overwhelming style dominated the rest of the fight. Segura started the second round landing some combinations, but that only caused Seldin to shift gears and turn up the pressure. A fierce combination had Segura reeling and finally down. He beat the count, but was immediately met with a powerful left that sent him right back down. The referee waved off the fight at 2:52 of the second round, giving Seldin a TKO victory.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the WBC has overturned the decision of last Saturday night;s controversial Light Heavyweight championship where Chad Dawson shoved Bernard Hopkins to the canvas and the bout was ruled a stoppage win for contest. The Mexico based sanctioning body ruled on Thursday that the bout should never have been ruled in Dawson’s favor and the title was returned to the forty-six year old legend.

“I feel very happy. I feel that justice was done,” Hopkins told ESPN.com.

“I’m disappointed that the WBC saw fit to call it a technical draw,” Gary Shaw, Dawson’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “I’m sure, as sure as I can be, is that the WBC will put Chad as the No. 1 mandatory again. I don’t think it was the right decision. We believe Hopkins committed the first foul by going on Chad’s back. Chad did what anyone would do and tried to get him off his back. I accept their ruling but I don’t agree with it.”

“I said all along that Bernard Hopkins did not lose that fight, there is no question about it,” said Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, Hopkins’ promoter. “I am happy that Bernard continues to be the light heavyweight champion of the world.”

“The head offices of the WBC sent videos, medical reports and the WBC corresponding rules to the Board of Governors, that unanimously declared a technical draw on the fight. Therefore, Bernard Hopkins is still the WBC light heavyweight champion of the world,” WBC president Jose Sulaiman wrote in the ruling.

“I’d like to thank Mr. Sulaiman and the board for looking at the tape and just for taking the time to look at the tape,” Hopkins said. “They came up with what I think is the right decision. Like me or hate me, I think most people will think it’s the right decision that they made.

“I’m a little surprised it was this soon and now I am hoping the commission in California can (have a hearing) sooner than Dec. 13. But if not, I can wait. I’m normally on the end of bad decisions, like in the Joe Calzaghe fight or the Jermain Taylor fights. It feels good to be on the right end of a decision.”

“The WBC respects and cannot intervene in the decisions of the boxing commissions where the fights happen, but it does intervene in regards of the recognition of a WBC title,” Sulaiman wrote. “We hope that the California commission will review our ruling on their next meeting in December.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr. will continue his now floundering career when he takes on Max Alexander on December 10th in Atlanta.

“Roy is going to do a little tuneup fight, get back in the ring and see how he feels,” said Mcgee Wright who advises Jones. “He’s been training for the fight for about six weeks already.”

“I think Roy just doesn’t want to go out on a loss,” Wright said. “He wants to see how he feels and see if he wants to go any further. With Lebedev, he was in the fight until the last 10 seconds and Lebedev is the No. 1 contender. It ain’t like Roy can’t compete.”

“We sent him to the Mayo Clinic and he got a clean bill of health,” Wright said. “Had a full physical, everything they do, and they said he was fit to fight, perfect condition. We wanted to see if he was able to fight, or if he had anything wrong with him, and they said no.”

Wright’s view of the match for Jones is simple.

“If you can’t beat him, you need to stop,” he said.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Mexican Sensation, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will defend his WBC
Super Welterweight title against former Welterweight champion Kermit Cintron on November 26 in Mexico.

“It’s finalized. It’s a great fight, another dangerous fight for Canelo and another step up for him,” Said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.

“There is no question about it that Cintron is a very dangerous guy,” Schaefer said. “That’s what you need to do with Canelo. He’s 21 years young and this is about building up to the bigger names and bigger fights. Canelo is well on his way. I think our matchmakers, Eric (Gomez) and Roberto (Diaz), along with (Golden Boy president) Oscar (De La Hoya), who is closely involved in this, have done a very good job on the matchmaking side. To tell you the truth, I’m a little worried because Cintron is a tough, tough, tough guy and a good puncher.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that “Former” Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has filed an appeal with the California Athletic Commission to not only over turn his controverisal second round loss to Chad Dawson past Saturday but to have Dawson disqualified for launching Hopkins to the canvas and injure his left shoulder.

“Dawson should be disqualified because that was no accident,” Hopkins said. “I think it should be a DQ because it was intentional. He intended to hurt me, period. I’m asking for a disqualification because of the intent. I leaned over because I missed a punch, that’s normal. What’s not normal is when a guy raises you up a couple of inches and throws you to the canvas, which caused me to hit my elbow, which sent a shock up to my shoulder, which caused the dislocation.

Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, Hopkins’ promoter, said he thought the result of the fight will at least be changed to a no contest pending the commission’s review.

[+] EnlargeBernard Hopkins
Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesBernard Hopkins is seeking a disqualification win after dislocating his shoulder in a controversial loss to Chad Dawson on Saturday.

“Based on the feedback we’ve gotten from so many people it seems pretty clear that it should be overturned,” Schaefer said. “The fact is, everybody I have talked to says this was a wrong call. So that is what we are filing for, a disqualification. The fact is, lifting Bernard up by the legs is not just something that happened like a push. You lift someone up to make them lose their balance, and that is what happened here.

“That to me is flagrant, and it should be ruled as such.”

Stephen Espinoza, the attorney for Golden Boy Promotions, told ESPN.com that he filed the formal protest with the California commission on Tuesday night.

“We reviewed the appeal with Bernard and his attorney so we could forward it to the commission,” Espinoza said. “It’s an appeal letter explaining our position.”

“I’m in a sling and it’s not comfortable,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been taking the Motrin they gave me, but I’m a vitamin guy, not an aspirin guy. They’re like 500 milligram pills, but I’m only taking half at a time.

“I got to keep a pillow under my arm, so I don’t move so much when I sleep. I’ve been battling that, but I can deal with it. I can’t get my jacket on without hurting my shoulder. I got my daughter helping me get my arm in my damn jacket. I just hope when I hear the MRI results that I don’t have to go under the knife and that there is no tear or anything. Whatever it is, I just want to get started on my rehab and set up what I’m going to do next.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that IBF has ordered an immediate rematch between newly crowned champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez and former two-time champion Steve “USS” Cunningham.

The first bout, which took place on October 1st saw Hernandez take the belt in controverisal fashion as the bout was stopped after six round due to a cut suffered by Hernandez.

The cuts did not seem severe at the time of the stoppage with Cunningham coming on after digging himself in hole after being knocked down in the opening round.

“We just appreciate the IBF’s consideration of this matter and believe their ruling is the correct one,” John Hornewer, Cunningham’s attorney, told ESPN.com. “Hernandez and Cunningham should both want the chance to settle this in the ring, and a rematch is the way to do that. This is the fairest result for everybody.

“I don’t think the decision (to stop the fight) sat well with anyone. I don’t think Hernandez felt good about the way he won the title.”

“Hernandez boxed the entire fourth round with no significant bleeding from the cut that he had received in the third round. During round six there was another clash of heads that was also ruled accidental. This clash of heads produced a cut above the left eye of Hernandez. At the conclusion of the round, Dr. Wegner got on to the ring apron to examine the cut above Hernandez’s eye. At the conclusion of Dr. Wegner’s examination, he called the referee to the Hernandez corner and recommended that the fight be stopped.

“Based on the recommendation of the doctor, the referee stopped the bout and indicated that since both of the cuts that Hernandez sustained were caused by accidental fouls, a decision would be rendered based on the judges’ scores. It appeared that the bleeding from Hernandez’s cuts had been stopped. There was no blood on Hernandez’s face.”

LOS ANGELES – Chad Dawson held up his gloved hands in celebration. Bernard Hopkins held his left shoulder in pain. Fans, an endangered species, held their noses. It stinks.

Stinks all over again.

Within one month after the controversy over the when, where and motivation for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. combination that knocked out Victor Ortiz while Ortiz wasn’t looking or defending himself, boxing has to explain another pay-per-view fight that ended in boos.

Dawson was credited for a victory, although it wasn’t clear whether it would stand. Here’s why: At 2:48 of the second round of a fight for Hopkins’ World Boxing Council light-heavyweight title at Staples Center, Dawson went under a right from Hopkins and picked him up like a linebacker. Dawson dropped him on the canvas, on to his left shoulder and under a bottom rope. He got more than a sack. Instead, referee Pat Russell gave him a victory.

Russell ruled that Dawson won by technical knockout.

“It was not a foul,’’ Russell said. “It’s a TKO. He could not continue because of injury.’’

Russell could not continue either. Pat Dodd of the California State Athletic Commission ordered him to shut up.

“At this time, it’s a TKO, for now,’’ said Dye, who didn’t need an interpreter to tell everybody that this fight’s result has yet to be decided.

A frustrated Hopkins didn’t need to look at the film. His opinion was immediate.

“It should have been no contest,’’ the 46-year-old Hopkins said. “He asked me if I could continue. I said, yeah, with one arm.

“They want me to leave boxing. This is one way to do it.’’

Dawson behaved as though he hopes he never sees Hopkins again. In the crazy aftermath at the center of the ring, Dawson walked toward Hopkins corner, pointed at him and shouted insults.

“I’m sorry for the disappointment for the fans,’’ Dawson said. “B-Hop disappointed a lot of fans. He’s been running from me for three years. He likes to run around and talk like he’s a Philadelphia gangster. He’s no gangster. Gangsters don’t quit.

“He wouldn’t fight. I gave him the shoulder.’’

For fans, it was a cold shoulder. Another one.

If you want to know why it’s called blood sport, download a photo of Jorge Linares (31-2,20 KOs) after a loss to Mexican Antonio DeMarco (26-3-1, 19 KOs) for the World Boxing Council’s vacant lightweight title. Linares’ face is there, somewhere, behind all that blood. It dripped from a deep wound at the bridge of his nose and from one above his right eye. Both were suffered from blows seemingly uninterrupted from round to round. It ended, perhaps, because Linares, of Venezuela, could bleed no more. He led on all three score cards when Raul Caiz Sr. stopped it at 2:32 of the 11th round..

Philadelphia junior-welterweight Danny Garcia (22-0, 14 KOs) improved his chances at a title shot with a split decision over Kendall Holt (27-5, 15 KOs) of New York in a WBC/IBF title eliminator. Garcia employed a thorough array of punches – head to body, body to head – in winning a fight that was curious only the scorecards. “I got out-hustled,’’ said Holt, who must have been surprised to hear that one judge, Wayne Hedgepeth, had him winning, 115-113.

The card’s first televised bout included Paulie Malignaggi, who is in a battle to get back into the welterweight picture. His battle almost ended when it started. Malignaggi ((30-4, 6 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., was rocked by Mexican Orlando Lora (28-2-1, 19 KOs) in the first round. Malignaggi staggered, yet held on long enough to rally in the second and score often enough in the remaining nine rounds for a victory by unanimous decision.

In the final bout on the non-televised portion of the undercard, junior-featherweight Manuel Avila (5-0, 2 KOs) of Fairfield, Calif., scored a third-round knockdown, dropping David Reyes (2-1) of Los Angeles with a beautifully-executed left hook. Avila needed it. He won a split decision.

Dewey Bozella, wrongfully convicted of murder in 1983, won a unanimous decision over Larry Hopkins in a four-round cruiserweight bout on the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard.

Bozella, released from New York’s Sing-Sing Prison in 2009 after serving more than 20 years, fought for decades to pro his innocence. He needed only a couple of rounds to prove he was a fighter than Hopkins (0-4) of Houston.

“I used to lie in my cell dreaming about this,’’ Bozella said. “My dream came true.’’

The 52-year-old Bozella, who got a call from President Barack Obama and was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, looked nervous and stiff in the opening round. The quicker Hopkins rocked him with right hands. But Bozella employed the patience and determination he had acquired over his two-plus decades in prison. He walked forward, hitting Hopkins with body punches and just about anything else he could throw. Hopkins began to tire. In the fourth, he was done.

Hopkins spit out his mouthpiece five times. He was penalized point for the second time. He tried to catch it in midair as it popped out of his mouth for the first and final time. As he juggled it, Bozella rocked him with a right hand. Call it a punch for freedom.

If Nick Casal of Niagara Falls, N.Y., needed target practice, he got some in the third round of a welterweight fight, the third on the card, against Michael Anderson of Newark, N.J. Casal (22-4-1, 17 KOs) dropped Anderson (11-1-1, 9 KOs) once with a left-right combination and again with another combo before referee Ray Corona stopped it at 2:54 of the round and Anderson hanging on the ropes.

In the card’s second bout, a body shot from Mexico City junior-middleweight Freddie Hernandez put Luis Collazo, of Brooklyn, N.Y., onto one knee in the eighth round. Collazo (31-5, 16 KOs), best known for losses to Andre Berto, Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton, looked like he was praying. His prayers weren’t answered. The more aggressive, quicker Hernandez (30-3, 20 KOs) won a unanimous decision.

Middleweights Donyll Livingston and Kurtis Colvin were the warm-up act, one of eight before Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson entered the ring Saturday night for the main event at Staples Center.

Livingston’s speed, perhaps a good sign for Dawson, prevailed.

Livingston (6-0, 3 KOs), of Palmdale, Calif., started fast, staggering Colvin (6-1, 5 KOs) with right hand in the closing moments of the first round. But Colvin, of Austin, Tex., held on, recovered and rocked Livingston with some wicked uppercuts in the fourth and again in the fifth. But when he needed the speed, it was always there for Livingston, who in the end finished with six-round victory by unanimous decision.

According to TMZ.com Manny Pacquiao’s former accountants claim they’ve discovered the boxer’s BIGGEST WEAKNESS … he sucks at paying his taxes … this according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ.

The number crunchers claim they were called in to save PacMan’s ass last year … because, according to the suit, Manny’s tax issues “seriously affected [his] ability to fight.”

The accountants claim they straightened out his money problems — and even let Pacquiao borrow some cash — but Manny never paid the them back and totally ignored the bill.

Now the pencil pushers are suing for their jack — $649,016.95.

Calls to Manny’s people have not been returned.

Michael Perez remained perfect as he stopped Tyrone Harris in round two of a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout in Puerto Rico.

Perez dropped Harris three times in round two with mostly hard body combinations. The referee allowed Harris to continue but the fight was quickly stopped as Perez jumped on Harris.

Perez, 135 1/2 lbs is now 15-0-1 with nine knockouts. Harris, 136 3/4 lbs of Lansing, MI is now 24-9.

Jayson Velez remained perfect as he stopped Jonathan Arias in round five of a scheduled ten round Featherweight bout.

Velez dropped Arias from a right hand at the end of round two and then dropped him in the opening seconds of round five from a right/left/right combination and the fight was stopped twenty-three seconds into the round as Arias got to his feet.

Velez, 125 1/2 lbs of Juncos, PR is now 17-0 with thirteen knockouts. Arias, 123 1/4 lbs of Mexicali, MX is now 16-6

Angel Cruz scored a six round split decision over Juan Herrera in a Bantamweight bout.

Cruz, 117 1/2 lbs dropped Herrera in the first round and that proved to be the difference and he is now 6-1-1. Herrera is 5-4.

LOS ANGELES – Bernard Hopkins kept it light. He also kept his sunglasses on. Then again, it was Hollywood and he is the designated star for his fight Saturday night against Chad Dawson at Staples Center, just a few freeway miles from the scales Friday at Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Hopkins, always more Captain Defiance than Father Time, was at 173.4 pounds, nearly two pounds under the light-heavyweight limit. Middle-aged men are supposed to struggle with their weight. But 46-year-old Hopkins doesn’t. He has only the age and none of the middle so common to most in his generation.

Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) has fewer years and nearly one more pound than Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs). Dawson, who is 17 years younger than Hopkins, tipped the scale at 174.2 pounds. Will it matter after opening bell? Probably not. But it was good theater on a warm afternoon at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, where a Hopkins has been memorialized in wax.

Waxed, of course, is what each intends to do to the other in a bout for the World Boxing Council title that Hopkins won in rematch victory over Jean Pascal in May. Differing style have generated some worry that the HBO-televised fight could be deadly dull. Hopkins’ best chance is believed to be on the inside against the swift Dawson, who swift feet and boxing tactics could keep him on the perimeter.

“I want you to bring the best out of me,” Hopkins said to Dawson Wednesday at the formal news conference. “I am challenging Chad Dawson to try to knock me out. I want to see the best Chad Dawson.’’

The Dawson who Hopkins wants to see, however, might not be the smartest Dawson, whose youthful energy and proven endurance might be his best weapon over the scheduled 12 rounds. But the calculating Hopkins has talked other opponents into a lot of traps over the many years. Dawson doesn’t say much, so it’s hard to know if any of Hopkins words are about draw him into another one.

“I just want prove I’m the best light-heavyweight in the world,’’ Dawson said. “It was Bernard Hopkins. But now it will be me.’’

Undercard weights

Antonio DeMarco 134.4 pounds versus Jorge Linares at 134.6 for the WBC’s vacant lightweight title.

Kendall Holt 139.4 pounds versus Danny Garcia 139.4 in a junior-welterweight eliminator for the WBC/International Boxing Federation titles.

Paulie Malignaggi 147.4 pounds versus Orlando Lora 147.5 in a welterweight bout.
Dewey Bozella 190.6 pounds versus Larry Hopkins 192.5 in a cruiserweight bout.

In a surprising move inside the boxing industry, Ken Hershman who ran Showtime sports will take over just a few blocks up the road at HBO replacing Ross Greenburg.

“Richard [Plepler, HBO co-president] and I believe that Ken is a perfect fit for HBO Sports,” HBO co-president Michael Lombardo said in a statement announcing Hershman’s hiring. “He has a deep and thorough understanding of the sport of boxing and that background will be invaluable as he transitions to his role at HBO. Ken has demonstrated a capacity to think outside the box, and the combination of his experience and reputation make him the ideal executive addition to HBO’s already stellar sports department.”

“Working at Showtime was an amazing experience, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have developed countless friendships and relationships across the organization,” Hershman said in a statement. “While I am sure that I will miss them all, I am excited by the opportunity to join the team at HBO and contribute to one of television’s most dynamic companies.”

“I think Ken Hershman is a very accomplished executive,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who has done regular business with HBO for years but also has worked with Hershman on fights he delivered to Showtime. “I think he’s done a fantastic job at Showtime and I have the highest regards for him.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Super Featherweight champion Ricky Burns has vacated his title to move up to face Michael Katsidis for an interim Lightweight belt on November 5th in England.

I’m motivated by challenges and facing a top name like Michael Katsidis has really got me excited,” Burns said. “He’s been in the ring with some of the best in the business like Juan Manuel Marquez and he’s well known to the fans (in England) after his wins against (Graham) Earl and (Kevin) Mitchell.

“Katsidis comes to have a war, but so did Roman Martinez when I won the world title. Against a fighter that comes to have a fight, I put on my best performance.”

“The time is right for me to move up a division as I have been making (130 pounds) for years and it was getting more and more difficult, so when the opportunity to fight Katsidis for the (interim) title came up it was an offer I didn’t want to miss,” Burns said.

“He’s seen what Katsidis has done to Earl and Mitchell over here so he’s got to really prepare for him,” Said Frank Warren, who will promote the bout. “Katsidis, who comes in (wearing a) gladiator (costume) and fights like one too, has got a perfect record against the Brits so Ricky could cause a big upset.”

“England is like my second home now and it’s great to come back to the Wembley Arena where I had a fantastic battle with Graham Earl,” Katsidis said. “I’ve beaten the two English guys in Earl and Kevin Mitchell, so now Scotsman Ricky Burns is stepping up to fight me and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“Ricky’s a good strong world champion at (junior lightweight), but he’s in for a whole new world against me. He’s never faced anyone like me who will be coming at him all night, constantly throwing punches.”

In a battle of undefeated Lightweights Sharif Bogere scored an emphatic third round stoppage over Francisco Contreras in a scheduled ten round bout at The Texas Station Gaming Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas

The two exchanged some good flurries and shots over the first two plus round until Bogere landed a right hand on the chin that made Bogere turn away. Bogere then landed a right that seemed to graze off the shoulder of Contreras that sent plummeting to the canvas where he would lay for about ten minutes before being carried out on a stretcher.

Bogere, 135 lbs of Kampala, Uganda is now 21-0 with thirteen knockouts. Contreras, 135 lbs of La Romana, DR is now 16-1.

Jermell Charlo remained perfect by scoring an eight round unanimous decision over Francisco Santana in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Charlo controlled the distance with the exception of a hard right that landed from Santana that momentarily stunned Charlo.

Charlo regained his composure and even had a strong finish to that six round. Charlo boxed and moved and came home by scores of 79-73; 79-73 and 78-73.

Charlo, 153 1/2 lbs of Houton, TX is now 16-0. Sanata, 154 lbs of Santa Barbra, CA is now 12-3-1.

Ring Magazine Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klirschko will defends his titles against former World Cruiserweight champion Jean Marc Mormeck on December 10th in Dusseldorf, Germany according to espn.com’s Dan Rafael.

“I know that I am the favorite in all my fights but I also know that each opponent is motivated to be in the best shape ever when he fights me,” said Klitschko, who is 17-2 in world title bouts and will be participating in his 20th title fight. “Mormeck is one of the most experienced fighters I have ever faced. He has had many world title fights, has a very good technique, can take a lot of punches and is very intelligent inside the ring. To underestimate him would be a fatal mistake.”

In 2007, Haye, also a former cruiserweight champion, went to Mormeck’s native France, survived a fourth-round knockdown and rallied to knock him out in the seventh round to win the cruiserweight title.

After the loss, Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs) took nearly two years off before returning as a heavyweight. He has won each of his three heavyweight bouts against second-tier opposition: Vinny Maddalone, Fres Oquendo and Timur Ibragimov.

“I had Haye on the canvas and shortly before a knockout, which Klitschko could not do,” Mormeck said. “What I missed out against Haye I will now do with him. Wladimir has a glass chin which I will break. He cannot stand punches. Against his brother (fellow heavyweight champion) Vitali I would have thought longer about fighting him, but against Wladimir I believe I have very good chances. On Dec. 11, I will travel back to Paris with a suitcase full of championship belts. I enjoy being the underdog in this fight and I will shock the boxing world.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBA Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto replaced Emanuel Steward with Pedro Luis Diaz for his December 3rd rematch with Antonio Margarito.

“I met Pedro Luis as an amateur several years ago and had the opportunity to share time with him in several international competitions,” Cotto said in a statement. “I was instantly amazed as to the vast boxing technique and conditioning knowledge that he transmitted to his fighters. I feel that together with (strength and conditioning coach) Phil (Landman), Pedro Luis is a perfect fit to bring my best potential for my next fight in December and lead me to victory.”

“It’s kind of surprising. Everything had been in place for me to train him,” Steward told ESPN.com.

“I want to take this opportunity to express my wholehearted gratitude to Emanuel Steward, who I consider a friend and mentor,” Cotto said in his statement. “Because of calendar conflicts and other matters, we were unable to work together for this next fight. He is one of the best trainers I have ever met in boxing and I will be forever appreciative for the two fights we worked together. We have both kept the doors open to maybe join forces in the future if the circumstances and timing are adequate.

“Now I will focus on my training camp. I feel happy and thrilled as ever to commence preparing for December. I will be ready and will win the fight for all of (my fans).”

This is the second high-profile fighter to replace Steward in recent weeks. Former light heavyweight titlist Chad Dawson, unwilling to train in Steward’s Detroit gym for what would have been their second fight together, replaced him with one of his former trainers, John Scully, as he prepares for his Oct. 15 challenge of champion Bernard Hopkins.

Although Dawson made the switch, he also has spoken highly of Steward in recent interviews and television appearances.

“Naturally, I thought about that,” Steward told ESPN.com, when asked about losing two top fighters in such a short period of time. “But each case is an individual case. Dawson wanted to stay closer to home and that was the last thing I was going to deal with. So he got somebody else he was comfortable with. In this case, Miguel wanted to start training already and wanted me there for longer than our unusual five or six weeks together.”

“Phil said to me, ‘Give me two weeks to get his body in shape’ and then I was going to come in for the regular camp of boxing training. I was going this weekend,” Steward said.

Worldly culture was in a surplus at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom on Saturday night when Rafael Marquez did battle with Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan, with Nishioka’s WBC Super bantamweight strap on the line.

The hard hitting, and hard headed Marquez started the fight strongly, dictating the bouts methodical pace with well timed combinations, not without eating a number of solo right hands from Nishioka. The Japanese world champion, making his U.S. debut carried out a strategy that centered around footwork and a carefully selected offensive attack early on, landing sporadic shots over Marquez’s cover.

Following the bout Marquez expressed frustration with Nishioka’s reluctance to bring the fight to the center of the ring, and that element seemed to give the former world champion trouble in the second half of the bout. Marquez was never quite able to develop a consistent rhythm in the later rounds. A cut on the head of Nishioka halted action in the 8th round, and prompted an offensive assault from Marquez, who seemed inspired by the sight of blood. Nishioka weathered the storm and lived to see the last four rounds, where he would prove to prosper.

The 9th round was the root of a trend that would carry on through the remainder of the fight, Nishioka’s lead left hand. Marquez simply could not find an answer for Nishioka’s go to punch, which he began to follow up with combinations as the fight wore on. Nishioka’s efforts would not go unnoticed by the judges in his Las Vegas debut, as they awarded him a unanimous decision, with a potential showdown with world champion Nonito Donaire emerging as the hot topic in the aftermath of the bout.

In other action featherweight prospect Jesse Magdeleno stopped Isaac Hidalgo with a brutal first round attack. Nicaraguan light flyweight world champion Roman Gonzalez put his superior skills on display with a two round drubbing of Omar Soto, and short notice opponent Jose Angel Beranza stunned Christopher Martin with a split decision win.

Olusegun Ajose earned a shot at World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight champion and Mexican legend Erik Morales with a unanimous decision victory over Ali Chebah in Friday’s main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME® from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.

In the ShoBox co-feature, No. 5-ranked World Boxing Association (WBA) and 12th-ranked World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight Darley Perez scored a sixth round knockout over Oscar Meza when Meza’s corner stopped the bout following the sixth round. The win advanced the unbeaten prospect to 23-0 with 18 KOs.

In the main event, Ajose, the No. 1-ranked super lightweight contender, came out with an unorthodox yet aggressive style, landing sweeping right hooks on Chebah, the No. 6-ranked contender. Ajose opened up the third round with fireworks, landing a huge right hand to the top of Chebah’s head that send him stumbling to the canvas. Chebah beat the count but was immediately met with another onslaught from Ajose, who knocked down his opponent in 10 seconds with a brutal right hook. Miraculously, Chebah survived the round, although he lost it 10-7 on the judges’ scorecards.

Ajose (30-0, 15 KOs), of Nigeria, continued his showmanship yet he slowed his pace and failed to inflict much damage as the 12 round contest wore on. Chebah never relented in coming forward but an injured right hand prevented him from landing any damaging punches while the majority of Ajose’s power shots were high and wide.

Chebah (33-2, 26 KOs), of France, came on strong in the championship rounds, winning the crowd over in the 12th as they chanted his name. In the end, Chebah didn’t do enough to win over the judges, who scored the bout 120-106 and 119-107, twice.

“I have to give respect to him – he was a good opponent,” said Ajose. “I wanted to stop him in the third but he’s strong and he kept going. I had to be careful. I think I hit him well but he trained hard. I hurt my hand in the middle rounds and wasn’t able to finish him.”

Ajose, who was making his U.S. debut, now has his sights on Morales and the WBC title.

“I am the mandatory challenger so there isn’t any reason I shouldn’t fight him,” Ajose said. “He’s the champion so let’s get it on. They need to keep their promise and let us fight. I’m ready as soon as possible. I’d fight him tomorrow if they let me.”

While Chebah didn’t protest the decision loss he did think the scores should have been a little closer.

“I think I lost but not by as much as the judges had it,” Chebah said. “I wasn’t able to compete at the level I wanted. The gamep lan was to get him tired as the rounds went on, but in the third my hand swelled and I didn’t get any body shots. I just didn’t have any power in my right hand and that was the difference.”

Boxing legend and ShoBox commentator Antonio Tarver was impressed with Ajose’s performance.

“Ajose seemed like the real deal tonight and I don’t blame Morales if he doesn’t want to fight him,” Tarver said.

Darley Perez remained perfect by scoring a stoppage after round six of a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout.

Perez was solid over the first few rounds by jabbing and working the body. Meza was keeping Perez honest by landing a shot here and there. In round three, Meza was bleeding from the nose.

Perez continued to work the body and pump the jab and mixed in a good left hook. In round six, Perez stepped on the gas and pressed Meza to the tune of opening a cut over his left and that gave Perez even more cause to continue the systematic beating.

After round six, Meza looked beaten and the fight was stopped by his corner.

Perez, 133 1/2 lbs of Argentina is now 23-0 with eighteen knockouts. Meza, 136 lbs of Mexico is now 22-5.

“I was just getting into rhythm when they stopped it but I’m really happy with my performance,” Perez said. “I usually get warmed up after the sixth round so I think I would have knocked him out.”

“I thought they would have stopped the fight in the fifth. I could see it in his eyes – he was hurt. It was a good stoppage.”

While disappointed with his performance, Meza disagreed with his corner.

“I thought I would do more damage in the fight,” Meza said. “After I got hit in the left eye I couldn’t see the punches coming. I was hurt but I think I could have rallied. I’m not happy with the stoppage but I’ll live to fight another day.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ–Sergio Martinez retained the undisputed Middleweight title with a eleventh round stoppage over previously undefeated Englishman Darren Barker at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Martinez boxed well over the first two frames using his quickness. Barker got into the fight in round three as he landed a couple nice right hands but probably wasnt enough to take the round. In round four, Barker landed numerous right hands that had blood squirting out of the nose of the champion. Martinez settled in once again by flicking shots from his unorthodox “Hands Down” defense. Martinez started putting more punches in bunches in round six only to have Barker land a big right at the bell.

Martinez started getting comfortable by sticking and moving while Barker was looking for the one big score. Round eight was an action filled fight with Martinez and Barker standing toe to toe for much of the last ninety seconds of the frame with Martinez landing four and five punch combinations while the challenger landing a solid left hook and yet another good right.

Martinez had a big round nine as he rocked Barker with a huge right hook that buckled Barker across the ring. Martinez threw and landed some of the twenty some odd punched that were to follow and had Barker in trouble for the first time in the fight.

Martinez ended things with a huge right hook to the side of the head that sent Barker down on his back and he could not beat referee Eddie Cotton’s ten count

Andy Lee got even with Brian Vera by scoring a ten round unanimous decision in a Middleweight bout.

Lee started round one trying to establish the jab. In round two Landed a huge left that sent Vera sprawling to the canvas just before the bell sounded to signal the end of the round. Lee continued to dominate in round three as that frame was highlighted by a monstrous left uppercut that Vera took well. Round four saw the effects of Lee’s work by a cut that was formed around the left eye of Vera. The fight was fought at a fast pace with both guys getting good shots. Despite the cut, Vera came back to have a strong round five as he blasted Lee with a couple of hard right hands.

Lee landed a beautiful check hook that sent Vera head first into the corner post in round six and then buckled Vera with a hard left in round seven. Round was a great action round with Lee continuing to land solid left hands while Vera pounded away with a handful of right hands.

The two continued to slug going down the stretch and it was Vera who continued to land the bigger shots but a visibly exhausted Lee hung and was able to avenge his only career loss

Lee, 163 lbs of Limerick, IRE won by scores of 99-90; 99-90 and 98-91 to raise his mark to 27-1. Vera, 160 lbs of Austin, TX is now 19-6

In a mild upset, Daniel Lugo scored a four round unanimous decision over Kevin Rooney Jr. in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Scores were 39-37 on all cards for Lugo of Harrisburg, PA and is now 1-1. Rooney of Catskills, NY is now 2-1.

J’Leon Love remained perfect by scoring a six round unanimous decision over Eddie Hunter in a Middleweight bout.

Scores were 60-54; 60-53 and 60-53 for Love of Detroit and is now 9-0. Hunter of Kent, WA is now 5-7-2.

In the first bout of the evening, Troy Artis sprun an upset by dropping Israel Dufus three times in round three to gain the stoppage in that round which was a scheduled four round Middleweight bout.

Dufus controlled the first two round with good boxing skills.

In round three, Artis dropped Dufus with a hard left-right combination. He dropped him a second time from a straight right. Dufus was reeling when he ate several unanswered blows and dropped to his knees and referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 2:03.

Artis of Bronx, NY is now 3-2-1 with two knockouts. Dufus of Panama is now 2-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, one of the candidates for Fight of They Year will have it’s sequal on the December 3rd Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito undercard as Jr. Middleweight Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak will attempt to pick up where they left off their July 15th slugfest that ended in a draw.

The card will take place at Madison Square Garden.

“The rematch is a little sooner than I wanted as I wanted a title to be in place first, but the fans deserve this and this is the right stage,” Wolak told ESPN.com on Wednesday night after agreeing to the fight. “You know it will be another classic.”

“I want the fight. It’s a great fight and a great opportunity,” Rodriguez said. “It is definitely a tough fight, but I enjoyed our first fight and I know I have to be 150 percent in shape, the best I can be. He brought out the best in me. He’s a guy you have to be prepared for to be able to keep up. I see the fight going even better for myself this time.”

“It’s turning out to be, on paper, the perfect night,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef said. “What a way to come back to the Garden after not having a big fight there for a while. There is a slow process that occurs when making matches but for this one, everything ended falling into place perfectly.”

Wednesday, Top Rank’s Carl Moretti worked it out with Dunkin and DeGuardia while Ramos-Rigondeaux is headed for a purse bid.

“Adding this fight to the card, they’re going to need a renovation from the renovation with the place being so crazy,” Moretti said, referring to the ongoing overhaul at Madison Square Garden. “Delvin brings a crowd, the Polish fans will be there to support Wolak and you have a big main event, it is going to be crazy. It’s going to be a special night at the Garden.”

“People want the fight. This fight needs no promotion,” Rodriguez said. “Fighting under Cotto-Margarito, I know the crowd will be jumping. People have been waiting for this fight since right after the first fight. Everyone keeps asking, ‘When is the rematch?’ It’s something people keep telling me about, something boxing needs.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Brandon Rios will defend his WBA Lightweight title as part of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito II undercard in December 3rd in New York.

The bout will replace a previously announced WBA Super Bantamweight title clash between Rico Ramos and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

The Ramos – Rigondeaux bout was pulled from the card after a miscommunication between promoter’s Bob Arum and Dan Goossen of terms of the bout.

“We’re happy to get Brandon back in the ring. He has a telegenic personality, but it’s not just about being able to put Brandon on a major pay-per-view card that is so good. It’s about being able to put him on in Madison Square Garden and in front of a big New York crowd,” said Top Rank president Todd duBoef. “They will eat up his personality and his fighting style.”

“He was begging us at the press conference, telling us how much he wanted to be on the show,” duBoef said. “Well, he got what he wanted.”

“It’s great. We’re going to have the whole team together with Margarito. It’s pretty cool,” Rios said.

“It’s an honor to fight at that venue,” Rios said. “I’ve been told there’s something special about fighting at Madison Square Garden and I’m training hard to give fans a great fight.”

Jorge Arce proved once again that he is one of the most exciting fighters in the past twenty years as he avenged an earlier defeat to stop Simphiwe Nongqayi to defend the WBO Super Bantamweight tile in Mexicali, Mexico.

Arce dropped Nongqayi in round onw from a left hook and then continued to back the challenger up. In round four, Nongqayi caught Arce with headbutt which opened up a terrible cut around the left eye of the champion.

As usual that only inspired Arce as he came back to freeze2:01 of round four. Nongqayi on the ropes that opened the gates for an unanswered combination on the defenseless challenger and the fight was stopped at 2:01 of round four.

The fight was a rematch of a September 15th, 2009 fight that saw Nongqayi win the IBF Jr. Bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Arce.

Arce, 122 lbs of Los Mochis, Mexico is now 58-6-1 with forty-five knockouts. Nongqay, 122 lbs of London, South Africa is now 16-2-1.

Victor Terrazas scored a fourth round stoppage over Eduard Becerril in round four of a scheduled ten round Super Bantamweight bout.

Terrazas dropped Becerril in round three from a left hook. Becerril fought back in an effort to stay in the fight but that only lasted another round as Terrazas landed a big uppercut that set off a huge exchange on the ropes for which Terrazas landed a barrage of punches and fight was stopped at 2:12 of round four.

Terrazas is now 31–21 with eighteen knockouts Becerril, 123 lbs is now 13-10-2.

Francisco Kinkin Rios (6-1-2) and Abraham Alvarezozuna (14-1-1) fought to a majority draw in a four round Welterweight bout

Hate him or love him, Jon Jones is here to stay. Proving the evolution of mixed martial arts, Jon Jones (14-1) established himself as the current and future of this ever growing sport. Displaying an array of diverse striking, defense, and grappling to complete tonight’s mission, Jones impressively retained his light heavyweight crown over the charismatic Quinton Jackson at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.

In the opening seconds, Jones crouched down and crawled, attempting to go for the single leg. Jackson, weary of his opponent’s grappling strength averted and tried to force a boxing contest. It didn’t matter however, as Jones’ freakishly long reach allowed him to strike from the distance, landing a variety of leg kicks from all angles to keep his stalking opponent at bay.

In the third, Jones was able to take Jackson down and secure a full mount, followed by devastating elbows to the head. Jackson was cut above the eye and looked visibly worn out. Jones, aided by his plethora of tools, had his way by the fourth round. Again, securing a takedown, Jones went for the rear naked choke, and successfully sunk it in, forcing the former champion to tap at the 1:14 mark of the round.

It was another flawless performance by the young champion, who has now dominated Rampage, Shogun Rua, and Ryan Bader in his last three outings. With the win, the twenty-four year old former junior college wrestling champion moves on to face yet another tough opponent in Rashad Evans possibly slated for early 2012.

Jackson (32-9) was humble in defeat, crediting and recognizing his conqueror as a great fighter.

Two welterweights collided in hopes to rebound from their disappointing losses in previous bouts, but it was Josh Koschek (16-5) who got back on the winning track, stopping welterweight legend Matt Hughes in the first round. Both wrestlers kept the fight standing from the start of the bell and Hughes seemed to have the advantage in the early going. However, Koschek, the former NCAA Division-I champion began to find his mark, repeatedly landing hard right hands to buckle the hall of famer. Hughes valiantly fought back and went for a knee, but fell down, which cost him dearly as Koschek jumped on him immediately to land unanswered punches to the ear and temple area prompting the ref to call a halt to the fight.

With another knockout loss, it’s unclear where the former two time welterweight champion’s career stands. In the post fight interview, Hughes, now 45-9, refused to announce his retirement.

The effects of the Colorado altitude clearly showed in the heavyweight slugfest between Mark Hunt (7-7) and Ben Rothwell (39-8), as two big men somehow finished the grueling battle in three exhausting rounds. Rothwell’s takedown attempts were denied by Hunt, the former K-1 Grand Prix winner, who was able to utilize his superior boxing throughout the fight. In round two, Hunt, who’s notoriously known for his lack of grappling skills, managed to force takedowns against his tiring challenger and also landed blows that cause a cut above the eye. The Super Samoan pursued for the knockout in round three and nearly pulled it off with several hard shots, but Rothwell, seemingly out on his feet, somehow managed to survive and finished the fight. Hunt won unanimously on all three judges’ scorecards.

Faded veteran and former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi (33-8) suffered yet another loss, this time by the hands of Stockton’s Nate Diaz, who was able to outstrike his shorter opponent and then later finishing the living legend with a modified arm bar in the first round. Gomi , who hasn’t had much to offer since his arrival in the UFC, looked sloppy as he did against Clay Guida back in UFC 125 and succumbed to another submission loss. With the win, Diaz breaks his two fight losing streak and improves his ledger to 14-7.

September 23, 2011 (Hollywood FL)–Tonight’s main event with former NABA lightweight champion Edner Cherry 28-6-2 and former IBF lightweight Champion Eric Aiken 16-8(12KO) ended in bizarre fashion at the end of round one. Seconds before the bell the two got into a mean exchange that lasted just beyond the bell. As Cherry kept punching Aiken relaxed at the bell and Cherry threw an extra punch, a beautiful left hook ala Mayweather sucker punch that floored the former champion and he was out on the canvas for a few minutes. Frank Gentile had no choice but call a stop to the fight as Aiken was clearly affected by the huge power shot after the bell. Clearly unintentional but a good call in the end. The fight was officially delcared a No Contest. On February 17 2007, Cherry lost a competitive decision to former Junior Welterweight world champion Paul Malignaggi in an HBO Boxing After Dark main event. In 2008 he dropped a decision to undefeated WBC and WBO Junior Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley and has come back with 4 KO wins since the most recent coming in January of this year.

In a very competitive welterweight match up Miami’s Damian “Devo” Frias 19-4 10KO) fought hard to a TKO victory win over Henry Crawford 22-2(9KO) fighting out of Patterson New Jersey. Frias, a southpaw, was the more accurate puncher in a chess match that brought boos from the crowd early on, however in my opinion did not deserve it as the two fighters fought hard and showed nice skill and great defense prowess. Frias was steady at chopping his opponent down through the 10 rounds slowing Crawford down making his punches land hard while closing the NJ based brawlers left eye with a steady right jab and hook. This was not the most pleasing fight for the casual fan, but very competitive and a bit of a true boxing fan’s delight of a fight. Going into the ninth round Frias was bloodied and Crawford was bruised and his left eye nearly swollen shut while having taking more of the punishment throughout the fight. Frias saw his chance and turned on the heat and overwhelmed Crawford with big shots as he could not see them coming with his eye swollen shut. Frias’s unleashed the fury in round nine prompting referee Frank Santore Jr to stopped the fight at :57 seconds of round nine, officially scored as a TKO.

Miami’s women’s flyweight Marisol Miranda improved her record to 5-4 (1KO)in a tough split decision win over Chantel “Gorgeous Babe” Cordova 8-3(3KO). The southpaw Miranda pushed the action throughout the fight leaving Cordova to counter punch and often switching her stance to try and slow down the pushing Miranda. Cordova caught the Hollywood Fl based Miranda in the fourth round with a straight right hand that knocked her down but more off balance than a power punch that put her down. The cards were very close and read 57-56 Cordova 57-56 Miranda 57- 56 Miranda.

Light Welterweight Juan Copado 2-0(1KO) fighting out of Richmond Texas, was in for a rough fight when he met Tommy “Gun” Bryant 2-3-1 from Naples Fl. Braynt was very aggressive from his southpaw stance consistently attacking but was clearly out skilled by the Texan Copado who was accurate and remained calm under the attack of Bryant. The judges score 40-36 and 39-37 all in favor of Copado.

In a very action packed Super Featherweight brawl, Arron Chavez 2-2-1 from Vero Beach battled a tough Larry Yanez 2-4-1, who has been very busy to the start of his career this being his fifth fight of ‘11. This was an excellent battle between two very determined pugilists laying it on the line for the love and honor of the sport. Watching these two fighters was a pure joy from a fans standpoint to press row where no one was disappointed in the effort by these two warriors. The cards read 39-37 for Yanez 38-38 twice for a majority draw.

In the fight of the night Junior Middleweight clash Clarence Booth 2-0(1KO) and Cletus Sledin 2-0(1KO) got DOWN! These two combatants went to war and put on a hell if a show for the crowd here in Hollywood Florida. The fight started out very steady with both fighters picking their shots and it all got heated up in round two when Sledin knocked out Booths mouthpiece and the two got into a rough grappling match that resulted in Sledin body slamming Booth in which he was deducted a point. A fierce battle then ensued following the deduction where the intensity greatly increased with a ton of pressure from both fighters and Booth showing his natural boxing skill counter punching and moving nicely defending Booths raw attack. However the skill was not enough as Sledins’ pressure and will outdid Booths skill and won a close unanimous decision despite the point deduction. All three cards read 38-37.

Light Middleweight Jamal “Hitman” Charlo 8-0(4KO) unloaded a spectacular one punch knockout over Eric Draper 4-6 at 1:32 of round 1. Charlos’ speed and superior skill was evident from the opening bell and he was ever impressive with a beautiful right uppercut that landed perfectly and laid Draper out flat on the canvas without movement for a couple minutes. Great knockout!

Vicente Escobedo slammed the door on the career of Rocky Juarez as a top level fighter by scoring a ten round unanimous decision in a Jr. Lightweight bout of former U.S. Olympians at The Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

Escobedo scored a knockdown in round three from a jab. Juarez best moment came in round six when he rocked Escobedo with a hard left hook that had Escobedo stumbling back to his corner.

Escobedo used his height and reach to be more active and land some solid combinations to outwork Escobedo by scores of 98-91; 97-92 and 96-93.

Escobedo, 130 lbs of Woodland, CA is now 24-3. Juarez, 130 1/4 lbs of Houston, TX is now 28-9-1.

Adam Carrera scored an exciting six round unanimous decision over veteran Adolfo Landeros in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Carrera dropped Landeros in round two from a blistering right hook. Landeros came back later in the round to land a big left hook of his own that buckled the knees Carrera. The two waged a back and forth war for much of the remaining fight that saw Carrera take the advantage and land hard shots and won by scores of 58-53; 58-53 and 57-54.

Carrera, 129 1/2 lbs of Ciudad, MX is now 20-4. Landeros, 129 1/4 lbs of Ciudad, MX is now 20-22-2.

David Reyes scored a four round decision over Raymond Chacon in a Bantamweight bout.

Reyes 117 1/2 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA is 2-0. Chacon, 116 3/4 lbs of Carson, CA is now 3-1

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that two fights have been agreed upon for the November 12th Pay Per View undercard that will be highlighted the third fight between Manny Pacquiao – and Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas.

One of the bouts will have junior welterweight contender Mike Alvarado (31-0, 22 KOs) of Denver facing Colombia’s Breidis Prescott (24-3, 19 KOs).

“That’s a pretty good fight isn’t it? I think so. It’s a good test for Alvarado and a good fight,” Arum said.

In a fight that will open the PPV broadcast, Arum said that Puerto Rican junior lightweight Luis Cruz (19-0, 15 KOs), who recently signed with Top Rank as his co-promoter, will face Juan Carlos Burgos (27-1, 19 KOs), a former featherweight title challenger who is moving up in weight.

Dan rafael of espn.com confirmed a video interview with Bob Arum on www.15rounds.com that undefeated Mike Jones will take on rough and rugged Sebastian Lujan plus Guillermo Rogondeaux will take on Rico Ramos as part of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito undercard set for December 3rd in New York.

Russell Peltz, who co-promotes Jones (25-0, 19 KOs) with Arum, said everyone on their team realizes it is a dangerous fight. Known for having a strong chin, Lujan (38-5-2, 24 KOs) is riding a 12-fight winning streak, including a dominant ninth-round knockout of promising Mark Melligen on ESPN2 on July 1.

“I think it’s a lot tougher fight than Mike had with (Jesus) Soto Karass,” Peltz said of the most difficult fights so far in Jones’ career, back-to-back competitive decision wins against Soto Karass in November 20010 and in the February rematch. “(Jones) says if fighting this kind of fight is what he has to do to get a title shot, it is what he has to do. He has to be in better shape than he was for the second Soto Karass fight.”

Said Jones: “Lujan puts on pressure, but not constant pressure like Karass. He moves his head a lot more than Karass but throws wide punches, which I will take advantage of. This will put me in line for a money fight.”

Arum said the third televised undercard fight has not been set yet but that Top Rank president Todd duBoef “was working on it and I can’t say what it is yet because it’s not done.”

Also back in action on the undercard will be junior middleweight Pawel Wolak, although his bout is not scheduled to be part of the HBO PPV broadcast. Wolak’s opponent is not set, but manager Cameron Dunkin said they are OK with the fight not being on the telecast.

I’m trying to do certain things with him but it’s been tough. We wanted (titlist Cornelius) Bundrage, but there wasn’t the money to deliver it and Bundrage is with (promoter) Don King, which is never easy,” Dunkin said. “So I’m trying to get him back out there and keep him active. We wanted him on TV but there wasn’t a spot for him. This fight is the start and we’ll keep him going from here.”

“Excited,” Wolak said. “Unfortunately, (Bundrage) was scared. Canelo (Alvarez) and (Julio Cesar) Chavez (Jr.) aren’t available and worried and there was no (premium) network interest in a rematch with Delvin, so we are going to Plan B. That is why I signed with a competent manager as he knows how to get me where I want to go.”

Said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum: “Wolak wants a title fight. Rather than argue with him we said, ‘We’ll put you in with a second-level guy, but it won’t be on television’ and that way he stays active and I don’t embarrass myself with the televised undercard.”