Jesus Pabon scored a stoppage over Ernesto Zepeda after Zepeda failed to answer the bell for round eight in a scheduled twelve round Welterweight bout at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa, Florida.

It was a rough fight as Zepeda landed hard shots below the belt and in round three he was docked a point. The southpaw Pabon kept getting through with straight left hands and those shots resultsed in some nasty swelling around the left eye of Zepeda.

The swelling got so bad that Zepeda could no longer continue and the fight was halted before the eight bell rang.

Pabon, 147 lbs of Carolina, Puerto Rico is now 15-1 with nine knockouts. Zepeda, 146 lbs of Tijuana, Mexico is now 39-14-4.

Former Cuban Olympian, Luis Franco scored a fifth round stoppage over veteran Yoglii Herrera in a Super Featherweight bout scheduled for six rounds.

Herrera actually dropped Franco in round three from a left hook. That was just a flash knockdown as it awoke Franco as he started to put the pressure in following being dropped. In round four a sharp right to the head dropped Herrera. Things only got worse for Herrera in the next frame as he was docked two points for holding in round five. He then ate a counter left that sent him down for a second time in the bout. He got to his feet and took the eight count the referee stopped the bout.

Franco, 127 lbs of Miami is 6-0 with five knockouts. Herrera, 128 lbs of Miami is 22-12.

In a scheduled four round Flyweight bout, Daniel Lozano scored a sensational knockout over Gabriel Cruz just one second before the end of round three.

Lozano caught Cruz with a left that spun him around before he hit the canvas.

Lozano of Bowling Green, FL is now 5-0 with four knockouts. Cruz of Oceanside, CA is now 3-3-1.

Eloy Perez remained undefeated as he scored a fifth round stoppage over rugged Derrick Campos in a scheduled eight round Super Featherweight bout at the Sports Arena in Pico Rivera, California.

Campos had a few moments but Perez dominated the action and in round five battered Campos all over the ring until referee Jose Cobian stopped the bout at 2:02 of round five.

Perez, 129 1/4 lbs of Salinas, CA is now 18-0-2 with five knockouts. Campos, 133 1/4 lbs of Topeka, KS was stopped for the first time and is now 20-9.

Carlos Molina also kept his undefeated mark in tact as he stopped Glen Gonzalez at the end of round five after Gonzalez could not continue due to a bad cut around his right eye.

Molina dominated the action but the cut was caused by a headbutt.

Molina, 136 3/4 lbs is now 13-0 with seven knockouts. Gonzalez, 136 1/4 lbs of Salinas, CA is 8-2-1.

Anthony Martinez stayed undefeated and went the distance for the first time as he scored a hard fought split decision over veteran trial horse Cristian Favela in a four round Welterweight bout.

The fight was spirited with Martinez, 144 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 39-37; 39-37 while Favela won a card at 39-37.

Martinez is 5-0. Favela, 144 3/4 lbs of Los Mochis, Mexico is now 19-29-1.

According to Promoter John Lynch of Pound 4 Pound Promotions, Passaic’s Glen Tapia will return to the ring September 11 against rugged Edvan Barros at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV.

Tapia, 7-0 (5 KO’s), is amongst the most entertaining fighters in the Garden State, bringing the heat each and every time he enters the squared circle. Tapia, who was one of Joshua Clottey’s main sparring partners leading up to his fight against Miguel Cotto, stopped Nick Runningbear in two rounds on June 12.

Barros should serve as a familiar name to local fight fans, having lost a competitive eight round decision to Newark’s Alex Perez July 16 at the Prudential Center. At 10-10-1 (7 KO’s), the Florida based Brazilian is far tougher than his record indicates.

“This will be a good step up for me and it’s going to be a great show”, said Tapia, who will fight Barros at a 150 lb catchweight. “I know that he comes to fight, so when I beat this guy, it will be a statement that I am here to stay and will be a world champion.”

Tapia meets Barros over six rounds. The fight will take place on the untelevised portion of the Anthony Peterson-Brandon Rios, Yuriorkis Gamboa-Orlando Salido HBO aired doubleheader.

Rodrigues Ready to Return!

Vineland based Brazilian Isaac Rodrigues is slated to return to the squared circle Saturday, October 2 at the Turning Stole Resort & Casino in Verona, NY against Colombian banger Samuel Miller (20-4, 17 KO’s).

Miller, a poor mans version of countryman Edison Miranda, was defeated each time he stepped up in competition. Currently based out of La Habra, CA, Miller has never been stopped, most recently losing a decision to former world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio in June.

Rodrigues, 17-0 (13 KO’s), has been out of the ring with a hand injury since defeating rugged Brian Vera by majority decision in February. The hard hitting 25 year old returned to the gym in July and could end up in a notable bout with a few more victories.

According to his manager Marie Suarez, Rodriguez and Miller will meet for the WBC/USNBC Middleweight title.

“We are excited to get him back in the ring”, said Suarez, the wife of late trainer Oscar Suarez. “We are most glad that he had the time to heal and Oscar always told me that a fighter’s health must come first, so I always keep that in the forefront of my mind.”

The card is being promoted by Dave Escalet’s Fistacuff Productions.

Singh Preparing for Title Bout with Ibragimov!

2000 Indian Olympian Guru Singh is back in the Garden State to prepare for his August 24 WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title bout at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL against Timor Ibragimov.

Singh, who was born in India and is based in AC, has been inactive since March 2009, winning his last two bouts by decision in the United Kingdom. As an Indian heavyweight, Singh is definitely one of a kind, but his ability on a world class level will be tested for the first time on the 24th.

Ibragimov, 28-2-1 (15 KO’s), won the NABA heavyweight crown in June with a decision over former world champion Oliver McCall, and also defeated former heavyweight contender Timo Hoffman. Ibragimov was considered a notable heavyweight prospect before suffering back to back defeats to Calvin Brock and Tony Thompson.

To prepare for Ibragimov, Singh is picking up his training at Forked River’s Gladiator Gym, where he will work with standout amateurs Bobby “The Bull” McCarty as well as Danny Halligan and Rob Walder.

According to gym owner Shawn Darling, training sessions are open to the public. More information is available by calling 732-581-3766.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Manuel Vargas scored a stoppage victory over Michael Arrango after Arrango failed to continue just ten seconds into round six of a scheduled twn round Flyeweight bout.

There were no knockdown but Vargas controlled the fight.

Vargas, 111 lbs is now 28-5-1 with thirteen knockouts. Arrango, 111 lbs of Colombia is now 30-9-3.

Roberto Marroquin remained undefeated as he stopped Jesus Quintero in round three of a scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.

Marroquin pounded Quintero with a series of right hands until referee Juan Jose Ramirez stopped the bout at 1:46 of round three.

Marroquin, 126 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 15-0 with twelve knockouts. Quintero, 125 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 8-5-2

Juan Estrada scored a second round stoppage over Carlos Rodriguez in a scheduled ten round Super Flyweight bout.

Estrada landed a big right hand that forced the referee to stop the bout at 2:52 of round two.

Estrada, 166 lbs is now 14-0 with twelve knockouts. Rodriguez, 116 lbs is now 17-7-4.

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Boxing returned Saturday night to the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York for the first time since 2008. The fight card, presented by Havoc Boxing, was headlined by a bout between Brooklyn’s own Mauricio Martinez vs. Reynaldo Lopez.

Mauricio Martinez (35-10-1, 23 KO) vs. Reynaldo Lopez (30-9-2, 22 KO)

It took less than a minute into the initial round for Reynaldo Lopez to send Brooklyn’s Mauricio Martinez to the canvas with a crushing right hook placed perfectly on the Panamanian import’s chin.

The former WBO bantamweight titleholder, Martinez, beat referee Steve Willis’ ten count and although clearly injured, proceeded with the fight.

Just seconds after action resumed, Martinez, standing on clumsy legs, was sent crashing to canvas again courtesy of another right hook from the southpaw, Lopez.

Once again, Martinez, beat the ten count — but as soon as the ten second intermission terminated, Lopez picked right back up where he left off.

Lopez sent the wobbly-legged Martinez across the ring with a flurry of rights and lefts that reached his opponent with hardly any opposition.

Lopez delivered a hard body shot to Martinez that backed him close to the ropes before finishing off the fight in style with one more blistering right hook that sent Martinez violently to the canvas for the final time.

The last punch of the night resulted in Martinez’s head banging hard against the edge of the canvas, underneath the ropes where the apron meets the mat.

And just like that, one minute and twenty-one seconds into the main event, which was scheduled for ten rounds, referee Steve Willis called a halt to the bout and Reynaldo Lopez was crowned the new New York State Jr. Featherweight Champion.

Gary Stark Jr. (23-3, 8 KO) vs. Leopoldo Arrocha (8-12-2, 6 KO)

The very popular Gary Stark Jr. (23-3, 8KO’s, 126lbs) stepped into the ring against the tougher than expected Leopoldo Arrocha (8-12-2, 6KO’s, 127lbs). Chants of “Gary, Gary” accompanied the opening bell, and both fighters wasted no time in getting to know each other. Arrocha worked the clinch and hoped to rough Stark around the ring, while Stark landed the stronger hooks.

The second round got really rough with both fighters exchanging hard hooks. They closed out the round in a vicious and spirited fashion, whaling on each other upstairs while jawing at the same time. The crowd was on their feet and stayed there for the rest of the fight. Early in the third, a left hook by Arrocha followed by a hard clinch opened up an awkward gash over Stark’s right eye. Swelling began to form around Stark’s right eye and that was because Stark was unable to get away from any left hooks. Arrocha opened up the fourth round by changing it up and landing a hard right hook that staggered stark. Arrocha was more wild, but was landing the harder shots. Midway through the round, after a rough clinch, the referee pulled the fighters apart and took a point away from Arrocha for leading with his head. Some at ringside felt that the referee was being too harsh. The fifth saw more even action until Stark closed the round out with a powerful right hand.

In the sixth and final round, Stark was in control with the smarter boxing. As the fight ended, the crowd remained on their feet as they anxiously awaited the decision. The scorecards read 57-57, 58-56, and 58-57 for Gary Stark Jr. – Arben Paloka

Lennox Allen (13-0, 7 KO) vs. Darnell Boone (17-16-12, 7 KO)

New stud, Lennox Allen (13-0, 7KO’s, 167lbs), took on the notorious spoiler, Darnell Boone (17-16-2, 7 KO’s, 164 1/2lbs). Allen started the fight working behind his southpaw jab. Boone managed to slip in a right hand that was heard from afar, but Allen did not seem phased. The fight continued with both fighters taking well calculated risks, and slipping punches gracefully. Allen’s rangy hooks worked well, while Boone’s short counters worked well too. The key was who would land more.

Allen controlled the pace with his higher punch output, so Boone responded by becoming more aggressive himself. This worked well for a bit, but it gave Allen an opportunity to land some hard punches of his own. His body punching is what helped him pull away.

In the sixth round, Allen landed two hard right hooks that somehow made Boone complain to the ref and then to Allen. Boone continued and landed some hard jabs that seemed to bother Allen. The fight continued at the same back and forth pace entering the eighth and final round. Both fighters, very well trained, were hoping to end the fight big. Allen was still the one moving forward, and still landing the cleaner punches. The fight ended with both fighters feeling that they performed well enough to earn a victory. Eventually, it was the judges that sided with both fighters, giving them scores of 78-74, 76-76, and 76-76 for a majority draw. — Arben Paloka

Joe Smith Jr. (6-1, 6 KO) vs. Eric Caminero (7-3, 7 KO)
The popular Joe Smith Jr. (6-1, 6K0’s, 172 1/2lbs) took on the wild swinging Eric Caminero (7-3, 7KO’s, 172lbs) in a fight scheduled for six rounds. Both fighters started out the fight swinging for the fences. Smith, the much bigger fighter, stuck out his jab to keep Caminero out of range, and it quickly worked in his favor, as he was able to outland his opponent with hard punches. A right hand followed by a sneaky left uppercut had Caminero reeling into the ropes and holding on for dear life. He was able to make it out of the round.

As the fight progressed, the pace slowed, but smith still remained in command of the action. By the third round, Caminero began to viciously work the body, and it started working wonders as Smith looked visibly gassed. Smith still worked hard upstairs, but his jab was nonexistent.

By the fourth, it seemed obvious that something was wrong with Smith. Eventually, he signaled to his corner and pointed to his jaw. The ref broke the fighters soon afterwards and after a quick exchange, and blood flowing down Smith’s chin, the referee waved the fight off at the 2:58 point of the fourth round giving Caminero a victory. Afterwards, it turned out that Smith had broken his jaw which made him unable to close his mouth and eventually made him bite through his tongue. The look of pain and distress during the third and fourth rounds turned out to be Smith’s injury. Later on, we learned that Smith had also forgotten to remove his tongue ring prior to the fight and that it might have been an issue as well. — Arben Paloka

Joselito Collado (11-0, 3 KO) vs. Andres Ledezma (15-18-1, 10 KO)

Queen’s New York’s Joselito Collado (11-0, 3 KO) took on Miami’s Andres Ledezma in a six round bout at the junior lightweight division.

Good action marked the first round as both fighters were able to find success with various punches. Collado, with quick combinations, backed Ledezma to the ropes multiple times in the opening round. Even as Ledezma covered up, Collado was able to punch around the earmuffs to score points and win the first round.

Round two opened with Collado lunging forward to land a beautiful left that sent Ledezma into the corner, where Collado proceeded to work his opponent’s body. Ledezma spent most of round two on his bicycle forcing Collado to cut the ring off, which he did successfully and ultimately caught Ledezma with one more big left hand before the bell rang to end round two.

Round three was a successful round for Ledezma, who appeared to have a different game plan, as he stood his ground and used his height advantage to keep Collado on the outside as best he could.

The fourth round was back and forth as both fighters landed harsh punches. Ledezma started the round off by landing a big left uppercut, but Collado came right back with a right hand had Ledezma with his back on the ropes once again. Midway through the fourth round, Collado began experimenting fighting southpaw, but ultimately switched back to orthodox, where he was having most of his success.

Rounds five and six saw entertaining exchanges from the fighters, both finding success, but Collado getting the better of Ledezma.

When the bell rang to conclude the final round, two judges scored the bout a shutout, 60-54, while the third judge saw it, 59-55 — all in favor of Collado.

Mike Ruiz (9-4, 5 KO) vs. Noel Garcia (2-5-1, 1 KO)
In an entertaining bout at the junior middleweight division, Puerto Rican, Mike Ruiz (9-4, 5 KO) took on Springfield, Massachusetts’ Noel Garcia (2-5-1, 1 KO).

The first round opened up with Ruiz making a statement in the form a flush right hand that landed clean on Garcia’s face. Ruiz, who established ring generalship early in the four round bout, immediately found more success throwing his right over Garcia’s weak jab, as he continued to hit Garcia. Towards the closing seconds of round one, Ruiz rocked Garcia, but was unable to finish off his opponent before the bell sounded.

In round two, Ruiz, who now makes his home in Merrick, New York, continued his success by landing more right hands over Garcia’s jab. Garcia hardly threw any power punches at all in round two, as he spent most of it backpedaling away from Ruiz, constantly extending his left, but rarely throwing a purposeful jab.

Garcia awoke in round three as the fight saw more inside fighting, as well as more success for Garcia. Ruiz also had a solid round, as he started to land his left more frequently.

Round four was Garcia’s best round — one he arguably won. After eating a solid left hand by Ruiz, Garcia stood toe-to-toe with his opponent, getting the better of Ruiz in a series of exchanges that resulted in Garcia’s back against the ropes. In the closing seconds of the fight, Garcia landed a nice left hook on the chin of Ruiz, his best punch of the night.

When it was all said and done, however, all three judges were in agreement scoring the bout 40-36 in favor of Ruiz.

Andrew Mejias (8-0, 4 KO) vs. Juan Zapata (1-4, 1 KO)
In the night’s first bout, Utica, New York’s Andrew Mejias (8-0, 4 KO) took on the Bronx’s Juan Zapata (1-4, 1 KO) in a scheduled four round fight at the Super Middleweight division.

Along with the opening bell came a flurry a punches provided by both fighters as it was clear neither boxer planned on fighting the full twelve minutes.

Within the first 1:30 into round one, both fights had touched the canvas, but both times the referee ruled that the fighter’s had slipped. The action packed fight saw Zapata throw wild and wide punches in round one, but hardly connecting. The better boxer, Mejias, didn’t back down, however, as he stood in the pocket and was willing to bang with Zapata.

Round two featured more of the same from Zapata, who felt it necessary to throw wild and wide punches again, leaving himself vulnerable to Mejias’ counterpunches. Midway through the second round, as Zapata was loading up, Mejias caught his opponent with a left hook that sent the Boogie Down’s own to the canvas. Shortly after, deja vu occurred as Zapata was caught with another left as he loaded up for a big punch. This time Mejias’ left was enough to end the bout as Zapata was unable to continue the fight.

With the victory Mejias improved his perfect record to 8-0 with 4 KO, while Zapata fell to 1-4 with 1 KO.

Featherweight contender Antonio Escalante thrilled his home fans as he scored a third round stoppage over Edel Ruiz at the Don Haskins Center in Escalante’s hometwon of El Paso, Texas.

Escalante boxed well and in round three landed a four punch combination that drove Ruiz into the corner and Escalante followed up with a perfect left to the body that dropped Ruiz to his knees. Ruiz beat the count but the referee stopped the bout at 1:52 of round three.

Escalante, 127 1/4 lbs of El Paso is now 23-2 with fifteen knockouts. Ruiz, 126 3/4 lbs of Los Mochis, Mexico is now 31-23-5

Alex Becerra scored a six round unanimous decision over Francisco Dominguez in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 60-53 on all cards for Becerra, 121 1/2 lbs of El Paso, TX ans is now 20-8. Dominguez, 122 3/4 lbs of Ciudad Juarez, MX is now 8-7.

Cesar Valenzuela remained undefeated with a four round majority decision over Roni Alvarado in a four round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Scores were 38-38 39-37 and 40-36 for Valenzuela, 138 1/3 lbs of El Paso and is now 4-0. Alvarado, 135 lbs of Ciudad, Juarez, MX is now 3-3.

Devon Alexander’s speed, ring generalship, athleticism and pure boxing ability are without question.

Coming into Saturday night, Alexander impressively defeated three current or former world champions and at age 23, many felt he was one of the best young boxers on the planet. But following twelve tougher than expected rounds against Andriy Kotelnik, gaps in his defense were clearly exposed. The fighter dubbed as “Alexander the Great” looked far from it.

Alexander consistently worked behind a jab and straight left hand in attempt to keep his slower, more economical opponent off. The WBC/IBF Junior Welterweight champion dictated most of the pace throughout the twelve round contest however, Kotelnik had no problem tagging the unbeaten hometown favorite when he closed the gap.

On a number of occasions, Kotelnik effectively flurried which clearly made Alexander, who bled near his left eye in the second half of the fight from an earlier clash of heads, uncomfortable.

Alexander vacated his game plan down the stretch, fighting toe to toe to the delight of a packed house at the Scottrade Center and the dismay of Trainer Kevin Cunningham. Had Kotelnik been busier, he may have been able to overcome the 11 to 1 odds stacked against him, but Alexander’s ability to keep his hands moving gave him the nod.

Scores were 116-112 on all three cards; all four if you count mine.

Alexander, who hails from St. Louis, is now 21-0 with 13 KO’s. Although he fell to 31-4-1 (13 KO’s), Kotelnik returns to Kiev, Ukraine as a serious threat in the 140 lb division.

In the televised co-feature, Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud retained his IBF Light Heavyweight title with a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision over heralded tough guy and former world champion Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson.

Johnson and Cloud stood toe to toe in the opening two stanzas, with the latter getting briefly buzzed following a right hand in the second. The two fighters exchanged rounds from that point forward, as each man had spurts of success. The 41 year old Johnson worked well in close quarters, relying on jabs, right hands and body punches, giving Cloud all he could handle.

The Tallahassee, FL based Cloud rocked and nearly dropped Johnson in rounds 5, 9 and 11 following a plethora of heavy head shots that would have decked any other fighter in the division. The younger and fresher Cloud clearly landed the cleaner, harder punches en route to sending Johnson, who gassed out in the final two rounds, home with yet another close defeat.

Scores were 116-112 on all three cards. 15rounds.com scored the bout 115-113 for Cloud.

Cloud, of Tallahassee, FL, is now 21-0 with 18 wins by kayo. Johnson, of Miami, FL via Jamaica, falls to 50-14-1 (34) following yet another tough defeat.

FLASH QUOTES

WBC/IBF 140 POUND LIMIT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

DEVON ALEXANDER VS. ANDRIY KOTELNIK

DEVON ALEXANDER

(Prior to the decision announcement) “We good. I think I did enough to win. (After the decision announcement) It was an okay performance for me. I am my own toughest critic. Kotelnik is a tough fighter, an ex-world champion. Like I told everyone, I have an A, B and C plan. I have all three, so I can adjust to whatever anyone brings. Kotelnik trained hard. Give him credit. I listened to my trainer (Kevin Cunningham). He told me to box. (Leg issue) My left leg was going out on me in the final round. I had a cramp. I trained for 12 rounds and got the victory. That is what I came here to do.

(On the cut to his right eye) It was my first cut, but I fought through it like a world champion does. We knew Kotelnik would come in, in shape and he did.”

ANDRIY KOTELNIK

“I want the belt. I deserve it. If the fight were anywhere but here, I would be champion. I am speechless. I have no words to describe what happened. That guy has something that belongs to me.”

TRAINER STACEY MCKINLEY (to Kotelnik are the fight)

“Everyone knows the fight was closer than that. In fact, you won the fight.”

IBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

TAVORIS CLOUD VS. GLEN JOHNSON

TAVORIS CLOUD

“I was head butted a lot. It was a heck of a fight. I have a lot of respect for Glen. I had the most effective punches. I hurt him worse. Glen Johnson said I was off balance. It is the same thing. You got hurt because I hit you. I was looking for a shot to get him out. He’s a slick fighter, so I didn’t get the KO. I definitely want to fight Chad Dawson. I was a little rusty tonight, so I will be better next time. I am a bad man. I going to be a unified world champion and undisputed champion.”

GLEN JOHNSON

“I made some adjustments throughout the fight. He was throwing a lot of punches, but I was blocking most of them. But the judges were counting them all. He caught me with a punch over there that I was not ready for. I was off balance and that was the only time I got caught.”

WBC USNBC CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

RYAN COYNE VS. WARREN BROWNING

RYAN COYNE

“Browning was a tough guy. He thought he would have the power advantage, coming all the way down from heavyweight. The truth is, I will walk you down, lock you in the closet and defeat you. We did what we came to do. Win a championship and make my promoter, Don King, proud. This is a great fight town. Leon, Michael, Cory, Devon and all the rest. I am just proud to be following in their footsteps.”

IBF JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPCORY SPINKS VS. CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

CORY SPINKS

“The referee stopped the fight, but I don’t know why. I totally disagree. He didn’t even hit me and I lost my title.”

TRAINER BUDDY MCGIRT

“Cory is a world champion and I think a world champion deserves the benefit of the doubt in that situation.”

REFEREE MARK NELSON

“Spinks had a staggered and dazed look. He shook his head (after the knockdown) as if to say, no. At the count of eight, he stepped backwards and I didn’t want his opponent to hit him again in that condition.”

CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

“I knew I was going to get him. It was just a matter of time. I want Manny Pacquaio next. I am thankful. We have the best team in the land with Keith Lee, Emanuel Steward and Don King. I went after it. He was right there at the opening bell, so I went for it. I went right after him. It was just a matter of time.”

EMANUEL STEWARD

“It was a good fight. It could have been better. He was too anxious. He wasted a lot of energy. It has never been in this big of a fight. He is in a hot division and I am sure he will get a lot of offers.”

Dorado, P.R.- WBO Super Featherweight Champion Román “Rocky” Martínez weighed 135lbs. yesterday at the 30 day weigh in for his upcoming title defense in Glasgow, Scotland against local Ricky Burns. The Puerto Rican brawler was an impressive fourteen and a half pounds under the 149.5lbs limit weight for this stage.

Half an hour before midday, Martínez (24-0-1, 15KO’s) was doing abdominal work before getting into the ring with Dennis “Sensei” Rivera to do some padwork in the smoldering heat of the small gym. His public relationist, Ricardo Rodríguez, told 15rounds.com that the team would be traveling to Scotland the 29th of August at the latest, thus giving Rocky time to get used to the weather.

Martínez is not new to traveling to his opponents’ backyards. In March 2009, he knocked out British Nicky Cook in the fourth round in the M.E.N. Arena in Manechester, England. Rodríguez told us they will again be looking for a knockout victory, taking the judges out of the equation and looking to impress in order to set themselves up for the bigger fights. Among the fighters they wish to meet is WBA Interim Titlist, Jorge “Coloradito” Solis of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Rocky’s team, composed of Rodríguez, Rivera and trainer Raúl “Papo” Torres are all aware of the type of opponent they face Burns (28-2-0, 7KO’s). Torres knows Burns is a very skilled fighter who boxes well and knows how to move; he has never been stopped and his only two losses have come against Carl Johanneson and Alex Arthur. Still, Torres prediction is a stoppage before the sixth round.

In order to achieve that, Martínez has been working his lateral movements, slipping punches and hitting without getting hit. In Rocky’s case, this is easier said than done. A brawler by nature, the Puerto Rican has shown improvement in his boxing in his last fights but still reverts to his brawler self when anyone in the ring gets hurt; be it him or his opponent. In his last fight, against Gonzalo Munguia, Rocky boxed well the first two and a half rounds, slipping punches and landing his jab, until halfway through the third round he started trading bombs with Munguia and eventually finished him in the fourth. Impressive enough considering Gonzalo had never been stopped, but the Nicaraguan “Destructor” is a boxer who is there to be hit. Not the case with Burns.

Come the fourth of September we will see if Rocky can force his work plan on his opponent. Burns most likely doesn’t have the power to stop Martínez’s charge but he does have the movements to get away from it and counter effectively. The question is whether or not the Champion can pressure and cut off the ring well enough to land his ill intended body shots and come through with another overseas victory.

In a battle of unbeaten Bantamweights, It was Chris Martin who pulled off an upset victory after he clearly out boxed the more heralded Chris Avalos over ten rounds to gain a split decision at The Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota.

Avalos fought decent early as he was trying to mix up punches as he switched from orthodox to southpaw. That strategy maybe was an early sign of desperation as Martin began to time and counter Avalos as he seemed to lean in with his shots and Martin caught onto that and began his offense.

Martin settled into a rhythm and gained the confidence to even hold his hands down and and engage in some mid-fight “smack talking” in the face of Avalos.

Avalos did not have an answer to the slick, counter punching Martin and Martin started landing hard shots that began to effect Avalos.

Martin punctuated the fight with a hard right hand just before the bell.

Martin, 120 lbs of South San Diego, CA gave up twenty-five percent of his purse for coming over the 118 lb weight limit but won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93. A third judge somehow watched a different fight then most and scored the bout 98-94 for Avalos. Martin is now 19-0-2.

Avalos, 118 lbs of Lancaster, CA is now 16-1.

Power punching Lateef Kayode was extended past four round for the first time but it didn’t matter as he systematically broke down Alfredo Escalera Jr. and finally stopped him after eight round of their scheduled ten round Cruiserweight bout.

Kayode dictated the action throughout the affair as he boxed well landing power shots that focused on the body. In round eight, Kayode turned up the heat as he landed a hard body/head combination with the left hand that sent Escalera back to the ropes that referee Joe Cortez ruled a knockdown. Kayode tried to end things but time ran out on the frame. Escalera had a look of resignation as he walked back to the corner and Cortez stopped it between rounds.

Kayode, 198 lbs of Lagos, Nigeria is now 13-0 with twelve knockouts. Escalera, 199 1/2 lbs of San Juan, PR is now 18-3-1.

Breidis Prescott used a ninth round knockdown en route to a ten round unanimous decision over hard punching journeyman Harrison Cuello in a ten round Jr. Welterweight bout at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

Prescott landed a the harder blows and was more consistent as his shots continually moved Cuello back. Cuello had a few yet brief moments as he landed a couple of Heavy lefts that got Prescott’s attention. Prescott dropped Cuello in round nine with a hard over hand right but was unable to stop him and cruised to the unanimous decision by scores of 99-90, 99-90 and 98-91.

Prescott, 141 lbs of Miami is now 23-2. Cuello, 142 lbs of Albany, NY is now 17-13-3.

Patrick Lopez scored an impressive third round stoppage over previously undefeated Prenice Brewer in a scheduled ten round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Lopez came out working the body of the taller Brewer. Lopez domination really started to be evident as he was all over as he landed a vicious body punches and hard combinations.

Lopez finished off Brewer as he landed twenty or so unanswered blows until the referee stopped the bout at 2:38 of round three.

In an entertaining bout of two Lightweight prospects, Antonio Avila and Russell Fiore fought to a majority draw.

Avila scored a knockdown in round one from a perfect counter right. Avila staggered Fiore in round three from another big right. With the fight seemingly in control, Fore landed a big right that backed Avila into the ropes and it was correctly ruled a knockdown.

Scores were 38-36 for Avila while two other judges scored 37-37

Avila , 135 lbs of Guerrero, Mexico is now 3-1-1. Fiore, 134 lbs of Chicago is 4-0-1

Lopez, 140 lbs of New Hampshire is now 20-2 with twelve knockouts. Lopez, 139 1/2 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 15-1-1.

Nelson Fernandez, manager of former IBF Junior Flyweight champion Carlos Tamara, informed 15rounds that Universal Promotions is suing current champion Luis Lazarte and his his Promoter Osvaldo Rivero over their disregard of Tamara’s rematch clause. Tamara was slated to face Lazarte on September 4 in Argentina, but will now take on Nerys Espinoza on that very same date. Lazarte, who won the title by split decision in May, was contractually obligated for a rematch, which is standard when the champion loses his title.

“We had a date for the fight and (Lazarte’s promoter) tried telling us that the people putting up the money weren’t available”, said Fernandez. “It was a bunch of bull s*** and now they won’t answer any phone calls or emails now.”

Fernandez also said that everything was agreed to and there was no issue over the fight date or venue.

“The bottom line is that there is a written agreement between Lazarte, Rivero, Tamara and Universal Promotions for a rematch and they aren’t abiding by it.” “Our team is doing everything in our power to block the fight from September 4th from happening.”

Tamara, a North Bergen, NJ based Colombian, won the title in January 09′ with a dramatic come from behind stoppage over Brian Viloria and had been preparing for the rematch. In the mean time, Fernandez is fielding offers for Tamara to battle other top fighters at 108 and 112 lbs.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Undefeated Jr. Middleweight looks to have an early release from prison after being incarcerated for a gun charge which was a violation of his parole.

Kirkland’s original release date of Oct. 2 has been moved up to Sept. 17, according to Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin.

“Sept. 17 is my birthday, so that’s the greatest birthday present I could have right now,” Dunkin said. “I’m so happy.”

“He’ll go to the halfway house, but he’ll have the right to travel and the right to train and fight,” Dunkin said.

Dunkin said Kirkland, 26, intends to fight as soon as possible after his release, and Dunkin has already spoken to his promoter, Golden Boy, about a plan.

“I’ve been talking with [matchmaker] Eric Gomez and [CEO] Richard Schaefer about when he’s going to fight,” Dunkin said. “We think we can get him a fight in October and get him going.”

“The plan would be to have him fight a couple of times before the end of the year, starting maybe in October,” Schaefer said. “We’ll see what works best for him, but then have him fight again in December, maybe on one of our [untelevised] HBO undercards and maybe HBO could show highlights of his fight. After that, hopefully, James and his management feel he is ready to pick up where he left off, which was terrorizing the junior middleweight division.”

“It was wrong, what he did, and he had to pay for it,” Schaefer said. “Hopefully, now he will be able to resume his career and learn from what has happened.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, hot shot Welterweight prospect Saul Alvarez will take on former undisputed Welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir on September 18th as part of the Shane Mosley – Sergio Mora Pay per View at Staples Center in Los Angeles

“When Alvarez recently fought in Mexico, there was an average between six and eight people per home watching this fight,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, referring to statistics he said he received from Mexican network Televisa. “The fight got a 17.8 rating, which is equivalent to 600,000 homes watched by 60 million people.

“Canelo has reached superstar status in Mexico. The ratings he gets on the national Mexican broadcaster, Televisa, are unheard off and in line with what the national soccer team gets.”

“I’m glad to be on such an important card with such good fighters,” Alvarez said. “It’s business as usual when I step into the ring. I fight with desire. I hope everyone comes out that night to watch because this is a really exciting night of boxing.”

Said Jose Reynoso, Alvarez’s manager and trainer: “This is a very important date. As Mexicans, we are celebrating the bicentennial of Mexican Independence. [Alvarez] is No. 1 in Mexico and now we want to conquer the world. A big part of that is being successful in L.A.”

“Carlos Baldomir is a fighter with an iron will and iron chin. He will come to Los Angeles and try to derail the fast rise of Canelo Alvarez,” Schaefer said. “He is on a mission to come and capture the American market and display his talent and excitement at Staples Center on Sept. 18. He realizes that Los Angeles is the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico and wants to come and show what he is all about.”

Said Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya: “I walked the streets myself the other day in Mexico where I watched Alvarez fight [on July 10]. I was asking people from all walks of life, ‘Have you heard of Canelo Alvarez?’ And everyone answers with a glowing face [and said], ‘He’s our next promise. He’s our next guy.’”

Light Heavyweight Jon Jones continued his dominance as he stopped Vladimir Matyushenko in round one of a scheduled three round bout at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

Jones pounded a way at Matyushenko while holding his left arm and Matyushenko was unable to defend himself which led referee Herb Dean to stop the fight ninety-two seconds into the fight.

Yushin Okami scored a three round split decision victory over Mark Munoz in a Middleweight bout.

Scores were 29-28, 29-28 for Okami and 29-28 for Munoz

Okami, 185 lbs of Kangawa, Japan is now 26-5. Munoz, 185 lbs of Vallejo, CA is now 8-2.

Charles Olivera remained undefeated as he needed forty-one seconds to make Darren Elkins tap out from an arm bar in a lightweight bout scheduled for three rounds.

Jake Ellenberger scored a third round stoppage over John Howard when Howard could not continue due to excessive swelling around his left eye.

In a match that was back and forth, it was Ellenberger’s striking that made Howard’s eye swell grotesquely fro both over and under his eye. When the Octagonside physician asked Howard, Howard said he could not see which prompted the fight to be stopped at 2:21 of round three.

Ellenberger, 170 1/2 lbs of Omaha, NB is now 23-5. Howard, 170 1/2 lbs of Boston, MA is now 14-6.

Takanori Gomi scored a one punch knockout over Tyson Griffin in round one of a three round Lightweight bout.

Gomi landed a huge right hook that cracked Griffin to the canvas and the fight was stopped before anymore damage could be done.

The end came at 1:04 of round for Gomi, 156 lbs of Tokyo, Japan is now 32-6-1. Griffin, 154 lbs of Las Vegas was stopped for the first time and is now 14-4.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, ESPN will show the September 11 rematch between World Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and Samuel Peter

The fight will take place Live at 5pm eastern time and be shown on the network’s on-line streaming arm of espn3.com.

The championship fight will also air at 8 p.m. ET on same-day tape delay on ESPN Deportes with a Sept. 12 replay at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

“We are always looking for opportunities to deliver quality boxing matches on multiple platforms,” said Doug Loughrey, ESPN’s boxing director of programming. “We are pleased to present another world title heavyweight bout to United States-based boxing fans.”

“I had to wait a long time for the rematch,” Peter said. “Now I will finish what I missed five years ago. This time I am going straight in and take him out. It’s not going to last real long.”

“Peter was one of the toughest fights of my career,” Klitschko said. “He is an extremely hard puncher and has improved a lot in his last [few] fights. I know what to expect on Sept. 11 and I will be well prepared.”

In a bout that should have taken place a few years ago, Jorge Arce scored a one body punch knockout over Martin Castillo in a battle of former world champions in Tepic, Mexico.

The bout was a scheduled yen round Bantamweight bout.

The first round was non-descript until Arce placed a left hand to the body of Castillo and Castillo stayed on all fours until the referee counted ten at 2:56 of round one.

Arce, 120 lbs of Los Mochis, Mexico is now 55-6-1 with forty-two knockouts. Castillo, 120 lbs is now 35-4.

Juan Alberto Rosas won the IBF Jr. Bantamweight title with a sixth round stoppage over defending champion Simphiwe Nongqayi.

The fight was an entertaining battle until Rosas Dropped Nongqayi from a barrage of punches in the sixth. The corner Nongqayi stopped the bout at thirty seconds of round six.

Rosas is now 32-6 with twenty-seven knockouts. Nongqayi of East London, South Africa is now 16-1.

In a battle of pro debuters, Luis Lugo scored three knockdown en route to third round stoppage over Roberto Morales.

Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

LAS VEGAS – A trip to the hospital is no victory.

But that’s about all Jean Paul Mendy won in a scary moment Saturday night against Sakio Bika before the Juan Diaz-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch at Mandalay Bay.

Mendy was hospitalized for tests and observation after Bika was disqualified for hitting him while he was down on one knee 79 seconds after the opening bell of a super-middleweight bout.

“He put his life on the line,’’ Michael Bazan of the Mendy promotional team said.

Mendy was face down for several seconds after Bika threw an uppercut that landed like a baseball bat. Mendy never saw it coming. He was on one knee, dazed, after he had been rocked by an overhand right from Bika.

Mendy, a stationary target, was looking down at the canvas when Bika wound up and delivered the uppercut. Mendy, declared the victor by disqualification, had to be helped onto a stool.

“I’m really disappointed,’’ Bika said through a member of the publicity staff for Golden Boy Promotions. “I was very excited. I didn’t see him go to a knee.’’

It looked as if Bika would win easily in a 12-round eliminator for a shot at the International Boxing Federation title held by Lucian Bute of Montreal.

“We’re happy at the official call,’’ Gabriel Gaide, also of Mendy’s promotional team, said. “But I don’t want him winning that way. Jean Paul came to fight the right way.’’

Mendy didn’t come for the money. His purse was $12,000, according to Bazan, who said most of that went for expenses. Bazan said Mendy was fighting only for an opportunity that didn’t include a doctor’s bill.
No Maidana for Ortiz

Surfing has taught junior-welterweight Victor Ortiz something about boxing. Fights are like waves. There’s always another one.

Ortiz, a surfer when not in the gym, expressed disappointment Saturday at not getting a rematch against Marcos Maidana on Sept. 18 on the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora card at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

But Ortiz — who has boxing gloves and his nickname, Vicious, inscribed on to his surfboard — was already looking forward, toward the horizon, for another opportunity. Maidana is gone, but it looks as if Vivian Harris will be there. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said Harris, a former World Boxing Council champion

“Sept. 18 was supposed be about a fight with Maidana,’’ Ortiz said at Mandalay Bay before Diaz-Marquez. “He turned it down.’’

Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya said Ortiz was anxious for some redemption in a rematch with Maidana, who scored a stunning 6th-round stoppage of Ortiz in 2009.

“I know the truth and Victor knows it too,’’ said De La Hoya, who also introduced Mosley, Mora, and emerging Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. “He wants to redeem himself.’’

But Ortiz talked as if he only wants to continue his career, which has proceeded with three successive victories after Maidana. Questions about his will have lingered since the loss. Some in the media said Ortiz quit in the fight and that perhaps it’s time to leave the ring for the beach.

“Why retire?’’ said Ortiz, who promises that one loss didn’t wipe out the potential he displayed a few years ago. “I’m only 23.’’
NOTES, QUOTES

· Alvarez, a Guadalajara welterweight called the Mexican James Dean by Schaefer, is expected to face former WBC champ Carlos Baldomir on the Mosley-Mora undercard, which is being marketed as a celebration of the 200-year anniversary of the Mexican Revolution.

· WBC light-heavyweight champion Chad Dawson also met with the media Saturday to talk about his Aug. 14 against Jean Pascal on Pascal’s home ice in Montreal. “It’s my coming out party,’’ Dawson said of his appearance on HBO and an expected capacity crowd at Montreal’s Bell Centre.

· And Arizona’s tough immigration law continues to be a hot talking point among Mexican and Mexican-American boxers. De La Hoya told 15rounds.com Wednesday that he saw “racism” in the state’s controversial law, SB 1070. Mora wasn’t asked about the law at Saturday’s news conference. But he ripped it anyway. “Lots of ignorant laws are being passed in Arizona,’’ Mora said. “There’s a lot of bigotry and latent racism being expressed down there.’’

LAS VEGAS – It was entertaining as a one-sided fight could be, but finally, “The Rematch” was a one-sided fight. Blame it on Marquez’s class – the ageless type.

Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, in a rematch of 2009’s Fight of the Year, Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) and Houston’s Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KOs) squared up to determine the lineal lightweight champion of the world. Twelve rounds later, it was the same guy as it was when the night began, with Marquez winning by unanimous decision scores of 116-112, 118-110 and 117-111.

The 15rounds.com scorecard concurred, scoring it 118-110 for Marquez.

Diaz’s strategy, to box and keep his weight from falling over his front foot, was a sound one for survival. But starting in round 1, and with only a brief exception in rounds 2 and 3, it was not a strategy that would ever bring him victory.

For his part, Marquez was the same master craftsman he has always been, riddling Diaz with left uppercut-right cross-left uppercut combinations whenever the younger man’s enthusiasm brought him within range. The rest of the time, Diaz was safe, but he wasn’t in the fight.

Afterwards, Diaz hinted at the possibility of his retirement, saying he still wasn’t sure about his future and thanking his hometown of Houston for its undying support.

Marquez, meanwhile, addressed the possibility of a rubber match with pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao, after his victory.

“I think the third fight with Pacquiao is the one the aficionados want,” Marquez said. “And it’s the best thing for the fans.”

Class tells: Pirog ruins Jacobs
Golden Boy Promotions’ eye for talent has been questioned often since its inception. What Russian Dmitry Pirog did to Golden Boy prospect Daniel “Golden Child” Jacobs in the co-main event of “The Rematch” will make such questions all the more prevalent.

Pirog (17-0, 14 KOs) outclassed Jacobs (20-1, 17 KOs) in each round, using fundamental boxing to solve the speedy Brooklynite, before catching him flush with a perfect right cross, knocking Jacobs out cold at 0:57 of the fifth round to become the WBO middleweight champion of the world.

After a fairly even opening stanza, round 2 began with Pirog marching forward behind a right cross and extremely efficient footwork, entirely neutralizing Jacobs’ reflexes. Then Jacobs wisely began the third on his bicycle, circling away from Pirog, fighting part of the round as a southpaw and regaining his composure. Round four, too, passed in a somewhat even fashion.

Pirog came out in the fifth, however, backed Jacobs to the ropes and waited for him to start a tentative punch. At that moment, Pirog stepped fully into a right cross that landed on Jacobs’ chin and dropped him to the blue mat in a pile. Referee Robert Byrd wisely forwent his 10-count, waving an immediate conclusion to the fight.

Guerrero brushes away “Cepillo”

Boxing may never know Joel Casamayor’s true age, but Saturday it learned how old he now is: Too old.

In a junior welterweight scrap some in Mandalay Bay’s Events Center hoped would be competitive, California’s Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (27-1-1, 18 KOs) easily decisioned Cuban Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor (37-5-1, 22 KOs) by lopsided unanimous scores of 98-89, 98-89 and 97-90.

Down in each of the match’s first two rounds and penalized a point for holding, the previously resilient Casamayor looked old and spent, Saturday, as Guerrero hurt him with every landed left hand. In round 2, a Guerrero left cross even stunned Casamayor to the point of dropping both gloves and looking around in disbelief before rallying to wrap his arms round Guerrero’s trunks.

Never a strict adherent to the Queensbury rules, Casamayor looked particularly sad in his opening six minutes against Guerrero, when he was reduced to fouling to survive rather than win.

After such a shaky start, though, Casamayor, whose chin has never been doubted, found enough of his stride to give Guerrero quality rounds. Still, a Guerrero left hand or two seemed to buckle Casamayor’s old knees in almost every round.

But as the fight progressed, and Casamayor threw more punches, Guerrero began to holster his left hand, gradually sapping the match of its emotion. By the ninth round, a few vocal fans began to boo the action in the ring while the large majority of the Events Center crowd expressed its displeasure with abject silence.

The final stanza, though, saw Guerrero over-commit to a left hand and impale himself on Casamayor’s outstretched right glove. But the suspense passed quickly when Guerrero rose and boxed to a comfortable victory.

Linares plays bus driver, takes Juarez to school

Venezuelan Jorge Linares literally towered over Houston’s Rocky Juarez at Friday’s weigh-in. Saturday night, Linares towered over him figuratively too.

In the first fight of “The Rematch’s” pay-per-view telecast, Linares (29-1, 18 KOs) easily decisioned Juarez (28-7-1, 20 KOs) over 10 one-sided rounds to win the WBA’s vacant lightweight title by unanimous scores of 99-90, 97-92 and 99-90.

The fight began as Juarez fights always do, with Juarez doggedly chasing his opponent, eating punches and unable to let his own hands go. Linares, who would look nimble in the ring with anyone, looked positively balletic across from the heavy-footed Juarez. Snapping jabs and dancing away, Linares gave Juarez a boxing lesson in the fight’s first four rounds.

Towards the end of round 5, Linares landed one of many left uppercuts, and this one caused Juarez to stumble backwards and drop to the blue mat, a place one rarely finds him. Unable to hurt Linares and now worried that Linares might hurt him, Juarez, who’s hesitant even when he’s winning, began trading two Linares uppercuts for his every landed jab – a formula destined to fail.

What few vocal fans there were gave a number of halfhearted “Rocky, Rocky” chants as the fight progressed, and Juarez’s eyes continued to close, but the arena was otherwise silent enough for the bell to cause echoes at the end of each round.

The final round saw most of the fight’s sustained action, but those three minutes did not feature nearly enough pressure from Juarez to undo the 27 minutes that preceded them. The problem for Juarez, finally, is not just that he is now 0-6 in world title fights. It’s that he’s losing by larger margins in his every subsequent challenge.

Undercard

It was a case of dog attacks man in “The Rematch’s” final off-television match, as undefeated junior welterweight Los Angeleno Frankie “The Pit Bull” Gomez (5-0, 5 KOs) went through Minnesota’s Ronald Peterson (2-3, 2 KOs) without a modicum of resistance. A Gomez left hook to Peterson’s liver ended the match at 2:14 of round 1, when Peterson chose not to continue.

The fourth match on the untelevised undercard might well have been its best, as unheralded Mexican lightweight Juan Manuel Montiel (6-3-1, 1 KO) swapped blows and taunts with Nevadan Mike Peralta (4-6, 1 KO) in a well-matched six-round bout, which Montiel won by unanimous scores of 58-55, 60-53 and 58-55.

Despite spitting blood for half the fight and appearing fatigued throughout, Peralta nevertheless entertained the local crowd with his heart and will. Finally, though, Montiel had too much class, and the judges did not see the fight competitive as fans did.

The night’s third bout came to a rapid and ugly end when Australian Sakio Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) fouled undefeated and unarmed Frenchman Jean Paul Mendy (29-0-1, 16 KOs) at 1:19 of the first round of their IBF super middleweight eliminator, losing by disqualification and bringing some well-deserved hostility from the desert crowd.

In a maneuver disappointingly reminiscent of a different super middleweight – Arthur Abraham and his right hand to a kneeling Andre Dirrell in March – Bika knocked Mendy to the canvas and then stepped forward and fired a point-blank right uppercut at the defenseless Frenchman. Mendy, who had almost no power to speak of while upright, tilted forward and landed on his own forehead. Referee Joe Cortez called an immediate end to the match.

Mendy was later able to walk from ringside unassisted.

At Friday’s weigh-in, ESPN commentator (and cruiserweight contender) BJ Flores said the man to watch on Saturday’s undercard was a Brit by the name of George Groves. Flores was right. Accompanied to ringside by heavyweight titlist David Haye and favoring a left hook-right cross combination, Groves (10-0, 8 KOs) chopped away at Mexican Afredo Contreras (11-8-1, 5 KOs) until a somewhat early intervention by referee Russell Mora halted the match at 0:48 of the sixth round.

While Contreras did not appear to be in any trouble, and never went down, Groves, for his part, appeared to be committing fully to each of the right crosses with which he tagged Contreras with increasing frequency.

Before that, “The Rematch” got off to a quick and violent start Saturday afternoon as Maryland heavyweight Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (18-0-1, 12 KOs) went directly through overmatched Philadelphian Derek Bryant (20-6-1, 17 KOs), stopping him at 1:45 of the first round.

After firing a succession of left hooks to Bryant’s body, Mitchell went upstairs with lefts and rights to the head and continued his assault till referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough.

The opening bell rang on a sparse Events Center crowd at 2:40 PM local time.

Photo by Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos

Jr. Welterweight prospect Danny Garcia remained undefeated by stopping Jorge Romero in round nine of a scheduled round fight in Cancun, Mexico.

Garcia boxed very well as he picked his spots over the course of the bout. Garcia started focusing on the body through the middle rounds. In round nine, Garcia landed a perfect left hook to the jaw that viciously dropped Romero to the canvas. Romero was able to continue to only eat a barrage of punches that had the referee quickly stop the fight.

Garcia, 143 lbs of Philadelphia is now 18-0 with twelve knockouts. Romero, 142 lbs of Culican, Mexico is now 17-3.

Ashley Theophane scored a controversial majority decision over former world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez in a ten round Welterweight bout at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

Rodriguez seemed to control the first half of the fight, mostly with his jab while mixing in some right hands. Theophane came on a bit late and had good spots over the last four rounds but it seemed like Rodriguez had easily banked enough rounds to get the nod.

When the scores were read, Rodriguez was stunned to hear 95-95, 96-94 and 96-94 for Theophane as the crowd and ESPN 2 broadcast team as it looked like Rodriguez should have had his hands raised for the win.

Theophane, 147 1/2 lbs of London, England is now 27-4-1. Rodriguez, 148 1/2 lbs of Danbury, CT is now 25-5-2

Francisco Sierra battered and bloodied previously undefeated Don George in a scheduled ten round Super Middleweight bout.

George had a good first minute of the fight and it was completely downhill from there when what appeared to be an inadvertent elbow hit George and blood began to leak from his nostrils. In round two, George was rocked from a big right hand that had George stumbling across the ring. The fight was never competitive after that.

In round six, Sierra continued to rock George all over the ring and blood was now all over the face of the native of Chicago. In round seven, Sierra landed a huge right that sent George to the canvas. At the end of round seven, Sierra landed a crushing left-right combination that sent George to the deck for a second time. Referee Gary Ritter correctly ruled that the second punch came after the bell. George was in bad shape as he had to be helped to his corner.

After a deliberation, Ritter ruled to take two points away from Sierra and then went to the score cards.

Sierra, 170 1/4 lbs of Tepic, Mexico won by scores of 69-62, 69-62 and 68-63 to raise his record to 22-3. George, 167 lbs of Chicago is now 20-1-1

York, PA’s Carney Bowman informed 15rounds.com that he will battle Union City, NJ’s Roberto Acevedo tomorrow night at Sovereign Bank Stadium in the ten round main event of the “Battle of York 5”.

Acevedo, 9-10-3 (1 KO), is a tough veteran who has not been matched easy. The rugged Puerto Rican import battled both Bey Brothers (Mickey and Cortez), Jose Gonzalez, Chris Howard, Vincent Arroyo, Ramesis Gil, Adrien Broner, Kenny Galarza, Abi Santizo, Joshua Cordero, Ray Robinson and Khabib Allakhverdiev, all of whom were unbeaten at the time. Acevedo has victories over both Santizo and Cordero by decision, while also holding a decisioning the tough Lenin Arroyo. His most recent bout came against the aforementioned Howard, who beat him by decision.

Bowman was a highly touted amateur prior to turning pro. He won medals at a number of amateur tournaments and at 14-0 (6), is one of TKO Boxing Promotions’ prized prospects. This will be the local favorite’s first fight in 364 days.

The bout is slated to take place at 130 lbs, five pounds less than Acevedo has ever fought.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

USBA Jr. Lightweight champion, Argenis Mendez scored an eight round unanimous decision over Shamir Reyes in an eight round non title Jr. Welterweight bout that headlined a six bout card at BB Kings in New York City.

Mendez dropped Reyes with a counter right to the head in the first round and never looked back as he used he decided height advantage and scored against the hard charging Reyes.

Scores were 80-71, 80-71 and 79-72 for Mendez, 131 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY and is now 17-1. Reyes, 136 1/4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 18-7-2.

Gabriel Bracero scored four knockdowns en route to a fourth round stoppage over late-sub Raymind Betancourt in a scheduled six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Bracero scored the first knockdown in round one from a right to the body. In round two, Bracero rocked Betancourt with a hard right and dropped him with a big left.

Bracero was all over Betancourt in round four as he landed a big seven punch flurry that was ended by a left hook that sent Bentancort to the canvas. Bracero ended things by landing a four punch flurry that had Betancourt holding on and then dropped him with a left and the fight was halted at 2:53 of round four.

Bracero, 140 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 11-0 as he scored his first stoppage. Betancourt, 137 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is now 8-5.

Phillip Jackson Benson put on a power display in round three as he dropped previously undefeated Alexander Santana with a big combination and finished him off shortly after by scoring a third round stoppage in a scheduled six round Super Middleweight bout.

Benson, 165 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 6-1 with five knockouts. Santana, 165 lbs of the Dominican Republic is now 6-1.

Joe Smith Jr. kept his knockout streak alive as he scored a second round stoppage over Charles Wade in a scheduled four round Light Heavyweight bout.

Smith of Long Island is now 6-0 with six knockouts as he scored the stoppage at 1:10 of round two.

Willie Monroe Jr. scored a fourth round stoppage over Loren Myers after a bad gash on the forehead of Myers forcedc the fight to be stopped after the fourth.

Monroe, 158 1/2 lbs of Ithaca, NY is now 9-0 with three knockouts. Myers, 157 1/2 lbs of Fresno, CA is now 7-9-1.

The opening bout saw Stivens Bujaj make a successful pro debut with a stoppage at the end of round two of Calvin Rooks in a scheduled four round Cruiserweight bout.

Bujaj, 200 lbs of Brons, NY is 1-0 with one knockout. Rooks, 193 lbs of Las Vegas is now 1-2-1.

Earlier today in Cardiff, Wales whilst attending the WBC “Night of Champions” Shannon Briggs 51-5-1 (45) confirmed to 15rounds.com that he had signed to fight Vitali Klitschko for Klitschko’s WBC title on 16 October in Hamburg, Germany.

Briggs 38, returned to the ring in late 2009 and has won three straight this year all by first round KO since his two and a half year lay off. He will be hoping to become a two time champion and seems highly motivated to achieve that goal.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Featherweight champion Yuriorks Gamboa will now face IBF beltholder Orlando Salido after WBC champ Elio Rojas had to withdraw due to shoulder and hand injuries.

The fight will take place on September 11 at The Palms in Las Vegas.

“The doctor recommended that he be out for two months, so the fight is off,” said Rojas’ manager Tony Tineo. “Elio is very disappointed because he wanted to fight Gamboa and prove to the world that he is the best featherweight. He is very, very disappointed. He told me yesterday, ‘Oh, Tony, I have all my plans on how I’m going to beat Gamboa and then it all goes down.’ I told him, ‘We can fight him in the future.’ ”

“The hand was injured in that fight and that is why he didn’t knock Espadas out,” Tineo said. “Now it’s still giving him problems. Elio wants to fight, but as the manager, I spoke with the doctor and we made the decision. We decided no fight because the arm and hand were bothering him too much. We have to follow the doctor’s instructions. This is his future. I can’t send him into a fight with damage. I can’t let him fight with an injury.”

“We had Salido and wanted to make that fight. HBO wanted Rojas,” Said Bob Arum, who promotes both Gamboa and Salido. “So they went to [Rojas’ promoter] Don King and they got Rojas done. And then Rojas got hurt and he can’t fight and now we’ve gone back to Salido and HBO has OK’d Salido. Salido is a big puncher and it probably will be a more exciting fight than Rojas anyway because Rojas is more of a boxer. The fight with Gamboa should be a really good fight between two big punchers.”

Arum said HBO asked Top Rank to reconsider trying to make a deal for Gamboa to face Celestino Caballero, the former unified junior featherweight titlist who moved up in weight and made his HBO debut with a tremendous performance against Daud Yordan in April.

“We said, ‘Listen, it’s only about a month until the fight and the big guy [Caballero] towers over everybody,’ ” Arum said. “You have to get the right sparring partners. It’s not fair to do that to Gamboa on short notice. But what I told HBO is that we have no problem fighting the guy next as long as the money is right. I even told them we’ll do a nice Caballero fight on one of our pay-per-view undercards as long as it doesn’t cost me a lot of money and we can set up the fight next.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Wladimir Klitschko will indeed defend is IBF/WBO/Ring magazine Heavyweight title on September 11th in Frankfurt, Germany in a rematch of a 2005 bout.

“The Sam Peter thing has been agreed to,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Peter’s promoter, said. “They’re coming into the [Las Vegas] office to sign [on Thursday]. It was a relatively easy negotiation.”

Bernd Boente, Klitschko’s manager, told ESPN.com in an email, “We found an agreement which is not signed yet, but hopefully [Thursday] so that we can send out a press release.”

“Peter came close last time. This time he has the experience that if he gets Klitschko in trouble again, he can finish him,” Arum said. “If Peter happened to upset Klitschko that would really start a lot of talk in the heavyweight division.”

Said Boente, “This is a very interesting fight especially with the history of the first one in 2005. By the way, we have already sold 15,000 tickets in the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt without an opponent.”

“We’re going [Thursday] morning to sign. We’re good to go,” said Ivaylo Gotzev, Peter’s manager. “My prediction has always been the same if we got a rematch. This time we’re going to finish the job and not leave it to the judges’ scorecard. We are going into the lion’s den to take him out.”

Rendell Munroe was last night given the date for his world title showdown against Japanese star Toshiaki Nishioka. Munroe (21-1) will challenge for Nishioka’s (36-4-3) WBC super-bantamweight title at Tokyo’s 10,000 capacity Sumo Hall on Sunday October 24.

Munroe, 30, will take eight weeks off from his binman’s job to prepare for the biggest fight of his career. The Leicester southpaw, promoter Frank Maloney, manager Mike Shinfield and trainer Jason Shinfield, will spend 12 days in Tokyo before the fight.

Maloney explained: “Tokyo is about eight hours ahead so we need to be there well in advance to make sure everything is spot on. “People are writing Rendall off, but there are far more hostile places than Japan for a fighter to travel to. “Nishioka’s camp have been complete professionals to deal with and I am sure Rendall will get a fair deal if the fight goes 12 rounds.”
The fight will take place early afternoon British time and UK television rights will be announced at a later date.

On August 21, the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey will play host to “The Big Challenge” fight card, presented by Main Events, Ziggy Promotions and X-Cel Worldwide. The main event will feature North Jersey’s adopted son, Tomasz “Goral” Adamek, against “Big” Michael Grant. Adamek (41-1, 27 KO), who is coming off an impressive majority decision victory against heavyweight contender Chris Arreola, will look to continue building his heavyweight resume and retain his IBF International Heavyweight Title when he takes on his 6’7” opponent. Grant (46-3, 34 KO), who has already defeated a Polish icon in Andrew Golota, will look to disappoint a sure to be packed Prudential Center with a victory over Adamek.

The card will also feature a junior middleweight bout between Colombia’s Joel Julio (35-4, 31 KO) and Philadelphia’s Jamaal Davis (12-6, 6 KO). Julio will look to bounce back from a violent KO loss that came at the fists of Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo back in April.

Also fighting on the undercard will be former United States Olympian Sadam Ali (8-0, 4 KO). Most recently, Brooklyn’s Ali defeated Julias Edmonds by third round TKO on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, as part of the Zab Judah-Jose Santa Cruz undercard. “The Big Challenge” will also feature Paterson, New Jersey’s Jeremy Bryan. The two-time national Golden Gloves Champion, Bryan (13-1, 6 KO), will look to rebound from his only professional, which came back in April.

Adam “Baby Face’ Kownacki and Shemuel Pagan will join Ali as other Brooklyn fighters on the card.

Kownacki (4-0, 4 KO), who was born in Lomza, Poland, will return to the Prudential Center, where he viciously defeated Damon Clement by second round KO less than two weeks ago.

As for Pagan, August 21 will mark the date of his professional debut. The twenty-two year-old is a 5-time New York Golden Gloves Champion and has compiled an impressive amateur record of 85 wins and only 19 defeats.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.PruCenter.com. Tickets are priced at $53, $78, $103, and $253 (ringside).

The bout will also be distributed as a Pay-Per-View card by Integrated Sports Media. It will be available on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network. The price for the event is listed at $29.99.

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NOTES FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE: Kathy Duva:
“Tomasz is moving along in his career very nicely…This is Tomasz’s first PPV fight in the United States, we are pretty excited about that. His opponent is Michael Grant, 6’7” “Big” Michael Grant. The title of it is “The Big Challenge.” That is what this is going to be for Tomasz…the biggest challenge of his career, as he will fight the biggest opponent of his career.” Roger Bloodworth: “This is a very important fight for Tomasz…Grant is trained by a very good trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. I haven’t seen Grant’s fights since he last lost (which was in 2003 to Dominick Guinn). He presents a difficult problem in that he’s 6’7”…he’s got a long reach. So what I think you are going to see is a hell of a fight.”

“I don’t want to give you the impression that this is rehearsal because I’m taking Michael Grant very seriously. He needs this fight desperately, so I don’t want to give the impression that he is taken for granted or he is a dress rehearsal. It is going to show us what Tomasz can do against an extremely tall guy.”

“In the heavyweight division, you don’t have tremendous knockout power, but you have to have the ability to hurt people with combinations. Evander Holyfield wasn’t a great one-punch [boxer], but he put enough punches together, he made you quit. That’s the way I see Tomasz. I think eventually he’ll put enough punches together he will make you quit.” “One advantage of his weight having settled in at 220-222 lbs. is that he is still able to carry his body around. He has very good legs. When you start getting up around 240-250 lbs., sometimes it’s tough.”
*For his last fight, Tomasz Adamek was trained by both Roger Bloodworth and Ronnie Shields. When Bloodworth left camp to train with David Tua, Adamek worked exclusively with Ronnie Shields. This time around, Shields was not figured into the Adamek equation at all.

In an interview with Beats, Boxing, and Mayhem, Ronnie Shields admitted he doesn’t really know why Adamek decided not to work with him again. “You’ll have to ask his manager Ziggy Rozalski,” Shields explained. “I got a call from someone else [not] Tomasz or Ziggy telling me that he wasn’t coming to Houston. I have no idea what happened.” I asked Bloodworth about it all and he replied by saying, “It doesn’t have to do with anything except that Tomasz wanted to train up here and Ronnie trains in Houston. Simple as that.”

Tomasz Adamek:
“I’m very excited to come back to the Prudential Center…I think we will make a good fight with Michael Grant, for my fans. I would like to invite everyone to see my fight in Newark. Thank you very much, see you August 21.” No other boxers spoke at the press conference. Michael Grant attempted to phone in from Las Vegas, but due to technical problems, it was inaudible.

15Rounds.com caught up with “The Celtic Warrior” Bobby Gunn who was in attendance at the Tomasz Adamek-Michael Grant press conference earlier today. Here’s what Gunn (21-4, 18 KO) had to say about the prospect of fighting undefeated Israeli, Ran Nakash (25-0, 18 KO).

“In order for Nakash go on and be 26-0 and fight the best in the world, he has to be battle tested. In my opinion, he’s never been battle tested…So step up to the plate and fight the fight. There’s no hesitations from my team to make the fight. Anywhere, any place, let’s make the fight. Please, please, lets make the fight.”

“It isn’t complicated. Here’s the bottom line. It’s very simple. Either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If you want to fight, let’s not talk about it, lets do it!”

“I’ve been after him [Nakash] for about eight months. As far as now, it’s just talk. If his team wants to put pen to paper, he doesn’t have to push me too hard, I’ve been calling him out for more than six months.” “He’s a nice fellow. I wish him the best, but he’d be fighting a whole different league of a fighter. I’ve fought the best in the world [nods at Adamek]. It would be a good fight, I hope it would be for a title…they are talking about that.” “I’ve been training my ass off, I’m ready for the fight. I’ve been training since I fought Tomasz Adamek. I’ve had six fights that all fell through, so I’m more than ready. Let’s get it on!” “I’m waiting for them this week…let’s not play around anymore, let’s get it done!”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, attempts to make a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather did occur through intermediary Ross Greenburg of HBO despite denials from the Mayweather camp.

“Fights like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao are significant because of these fighters’ ability to connect with sports fans around the world. It’s unfortunate that it won’t happen in 2010,” Greenburg said in a statement. “I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2nd, carefully trying to put the fight together. Hopefully, someday this fight will happen. Sports fans deserve it.”

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s other adviser and the public voice because Haymon refuses to speak to the press, said a few days after Arum outlined how the talks went that there had never been any negotiations.

He released a statement a few days after Arum’s teleconference that said, “Here are the facts. Al Haymon, (Golden Boy Promotions CEO) Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place, nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”

Arum was pleased that Greenburg supported his version of events and cut him slack for taking a week to say so publicly.

“He works for a major public company and he has to clear this sort of thing with his bosses,” Arum told ESPN.com. “I understand that he had to get his statement cleared.

“The one you should all be taking to task is Schaefer for lying to the press,” Arum said. “You don’t do that. You can say ‘no comment’ or say nothing. Richard Schaefer owes an apology to the press, not to me, because I’ve written him off a long time ago. But now anything he says will be suspect. I don’t feel vindicated by Ross’ statement because that’s what happened. I knew what happened because I know I lived through the negotiations. I knew what I said about them was absolutely truthful so I didn’t give a damn who believed me. No skin off my back.

“Indeed, when I made the statement about the negotiations on the conference call, I wasn’t looking for controversy. I was kind to Mayweather. But Mayweather is the boss on his side and when he says, ‘jump,’ you’re supposed to ask, ‘how high.’ That’s why none of them have any credibility. Schaefer and Haymon and Ellerbe, they cling to the Mayweather boat because that’s the source of their riches. So the fact is that Ellerbe, who is not a bad guy, will do anything that Floyd asks, but Floyd is not quite a rational person. For Schaefer to be part of this drinking the Kool Aid is really pathetic. It’s really sad. Doesn’t he have any pride?”

“I think it’s unfortunate that Ross made that statement,” Schaefer told ESPN.com. “I fully stand behind the statement I made. I have not negotiated with Ross and I am not aware of any negotiations that have taken place.

“If Ross or Arum wants to go through a lie detector test, we can arrange that. I can only tell you I have regular contact with Al and Leonard and there were no negotiations going on. I don’t know exactly what Ross is referring to or what he is talking about. But I have been very consistent. There were none going on. Arum should just get a life and stop attacking me on a nonstop basis. This is really childish.”

Arum is now focused on finalizing the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, which if completed, will take place at a maximum weight of 150 pounds for the WBC’s vacant junior middleweight title. If Pacquiao wins, he would extend his record of winning world titles to an eighth weight class. Pacquiao has won titles from flyweight to welterweight.

“There’s a lot of pressure on me to get it done in Las Vegas from everyone in town,” Arum said. “The fight is important to the city. But I want it known that if it is not in Las Vegas, it’s not because of Bob Arum. I live there and I feel the town needs this. It’s not because of me if the fight is caused to go elsewhere.”

LEMOORE, CALIFORNIA — Beibut Shumenov may have only eleven pro fights to his name, but Friday night at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino he strengthened his claim as a title holder at 175-pounds with a dominant twelve-round decision over previously unbeaten mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Uzelkov.

Shumenov (10-1, 6 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Chimkent, Kazakhstan was making the first defense of the WBA Light Heavyweight title he won in controversial fashion earlier this year. Uzelkov (22-1, 14 KOs) of Vinitza, Ukraine was expected to provide a stern test for the unproven champion. Outside of one punch in the first round, the fight was completely controlled by Shumenov, who also defended his IBA Light Heavyweight title.

Shumenov, 175, outworked Uzelkov, 172, for the first minute-and-a-half of the fight before the Ukrainian unleashed a left hook to score a knockdown. Uzelkov’s greatest moment in the fight may have been to his detriment, because he seemed content looking to land that same punch throughout the remainder of the contest and his success would not be repeated.

Shumenov’s aggression took over the fight in the second round against a completely defensive Uzelkov. Shumenov pressed the fight as Uzelkov covered up and offered little in return. Uzelkov seemed to be looking for the opening to counter with an overhand right, but most times his attempt would miss the mark. Then, just before the end of the third, Uzelkov stood in front of Shumenov after throwing a shot and was met with a straight right hand the sent him to the canvas.

Through the first three rounds, their fight had the potential to turn into a back-and-forth classic. By the end of the fight, the competitive beginning was a distant memory. Shumenov continually placed precision shots, especially to the body, as a reluctant Uzelkov remained in a defensive posture.

The pace slowed in later rounds, as Shumenov was even more selective with his shots and took breaks by clinching or moving. Still, Uzelkov was far too inactive to take any advantage of the lull in Shumenov’s output. In the eighth, Uzelkov turned to taunting Shumeov, as he feinted that the champion’s punches did not hurt. Shumenov quickly landed a solid right uppercut that hurt Uzelkov against the ropes.

Shumenov turned up the heat to start the eleventh before cruising to the decision victory. Scores were deservedly one-sided, reading 117-109 and 118-108 twice for Shumenov. “The first round knockdown was a lucky punch and I improved every round after,” said Shumenov. “My opponent was very good, he was 22-0 and he knocked out my last opponent which shows you how much I have improved in one fight.” When asked who he would like to fight, Shumenov responded, “I want a unification fight.”

According to the WBA, Shumenov must defend his title against his next official challenger within the next nine months, but may make an interim defense. Shumenov’s next mandatory is Gabriel Campillo, the man who he won the title from earlier this year.

Rising super bantamweight contender Rico Ramos (17-0, 9 KOs) of Pico Rivera, California outclassed Cuahtemoc Vargas (15-4-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico to score an eight-round unanimous decision. Ramos, the WBO #3/IBF #15 ranked 122-pounder, was too complete a fighter for Vargas to handle.

Ramos, 121, set the tone from the start, flashing his speed and athleticism against the straight-ahead style of Vargas, 121.5. Ramos gave Vargas a moment of hope early in the fourth, as he backed himself into a corner. However, Vargas was tentative to open up offensively and was quickly boxed back into the center of the ring. By the sixth, Ramos began to move Vargas back with some stinging shots. In the end, all three judges scored the fight in favor of Ramos, 79-73 and 80-72 twice. With the victory, Ramos successfully defended his WBO NABO Youth title.

2008 U.S. Olympian Shawn Estrada (7-0, 7 KOs) of East Los Angeles ended a twelve-month layoff, but got only 53 seconds of work against Eddie Hunter (3-4-1, 1 KO) of Kent, Washington. Estrada, 167.2, dropped Hunter, 167.5, with a cuffing punch just a few ticks into the bout. Hunter got up, but was downed twice more inside the first minute, prompting the referee to wave off the fight.

In the opening bout of the evening, Stan Martyniouk (10-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California used his size and range to outbox Jonathan Bobadilla (4-3) of Los Angeles, California over four rounds en route to a unanimous decision. The much taller Martyniouk, 135, kept a busy pace and kept Bobadilla, 134.8, away with his jab. By the fourth round, Bobadilla’s face looked the worse for wear. Scores read 40-36 and 39-37 twice all for Martyniouk, who is penciled in fight on the August 13th undercard of the Chris Arreola-Manuel Quezada fight at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

In a rematch, Michael Ruiz Jr. (4-0, 1 KO) of Fresno, California scored a dominant six-round unanimous decision over the game as always Juan Tepoz (4-4-1) of Santa Rosa, California. Ruiz Jr., 118, was punishing Tepoz, 120.6, with combinations by the third round. Still, Tepoz refused to back down or turn defensive. Finally, Ruiz broke through Tepoz’ armor with a left hook in the fourth and dropped his durable foe to a knee with the follow-up barrage.

Many fighters would have bowed out of the fight in after rounds like the third and fourth, but Tepoz continued on and tried his best to turn the fight around. Ruiz, a former amateur star, refused let Tepoz back into the fight and closed out the final two rounds by outboxing his adversary. Final tallies read 59-54 and 60-53 twice for Ruiz. Last month, Tepoz dropped Ruiz for the first time in his career, but dropped a unanimous four-round decision. Ruiz is tentatively scheduled to return to the ring on the August 13th card in Ontario.

Ravshan Hudaynazarov (13-0, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Andijan, Uzbekistan remained undefeated with a fifth-round stoppage over Pavel Miranda (16-6-1, 8 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Hudaynazarov, 148.4, applied a punishing inside attack from the onset of the fight. Miranda, 148.2, was able to withstand unrelenting pressure before remaining on his stool before the sixth. Official time was 3:00 of the fifth round.

Gayrat Ahmedov (15-0-1, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Andijan made short work of usually durable Dallas Vargas (22-5, 16 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio in the final fight of the evening. Ahmedov, 174.2, ended the fight with a left to the body of Vargas, 174.4, late in the first round. Official time of the stoppage was 2:43 of the first round. After the fight, Ahmedov, the WBA #9 ranked light heavyweight, grabbed the house microphone and called out Glen Johnson. It is unlikely Johnson will get word of Ahmedov’s request, considering the crowd was fairly scarce by the time the final bout’s winner was declared. Ahmedov and Hudaynazarov are slated to fight November 13th in Kazakhstan.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.