Valenzuela Knocks Out Colbert in 6

In the night’s co-feature lightweights Chris Colbert and Jose Valenzuela met in an anticipated rematch that was dominated from wire to wire by Valenzuela. Colbert was blitzed in the first and hit the canvas early, needing to shift to survival mode to make it to the first bell.

Colbert had moments, and stood in valiantly for the duration of the bout but continued to eat power shots consistently with little resistance. 

The action culminated with a devastating hook at 1:36 of round six that left Colbert laying motionless for more than a minute. The Brooklyn product was eventually able to rise to his feet and leave the ring under his own power, but would take home a KO6 loss to rival Valenzuela in the WBA eliminator.

al3nzGuerrero Decisions Berto

Showtime boxing veterans Robert Guerrero and Andre Berto met in a rematch ten years in the making to kick off the Showtime Boxing swans song at the Minneapolis Armory. 

The meeting, as one would expect of two 40 year old combatants off of long layoffs, lacked the fireworks of the original classic, but Guerrero was able to bring the crowd to a rise in the fifth with a flurry behind a shoveling uppercut.

Berto continued to stalk Guerrero from a crouched guard but was not able to fire off the trademarked fast twitch muscle power punches that propelled him to elite ranks in his fighting prime. The two continued to trade spirited exchanges into the late rounds with Guerrero primarily getting the better of Berto. The fight was rounded out with an embrace dripping with mutual respect between the two former world champions and Showtime PPV headliners.

Scorecards read 98-92, 99-91 all in favor of “The Ghost”, Robert Guerrero.

Alberot Puello def  Ector Madera via UD

Super Lightweights Alberto Puello and Ector Madera engaged in a tactical affair, with the former cruising to an easy victory. Puello worked the rust off of a long layoff cleanly, and was sharp behind a jab, creating distance and comfortably picking away at the Stockton, CA native Madera.

Scorecards showed a comfortable margin for Puello at 80-72 twice and 79-73

Kyrone Davis (18-3-1) def  Cruse Stewart (8-3) UD 77-75

Kyrone Davis and Cruse Stewart engaged in a methodical battle for the center of the ring, trading flurries in the pocket, with Cruse opening strong in the first two rounds, but showing some fatigue in the middle rounds. Davis affirmed his presence with steady jabbing to put Stewart on the backstep as the fight entered the later rounds. 

Davis was off his stool well before the beginning of the final round, signifying a preserved stamina heading into the fight’s conclusion. Stewart valiantly pressed forward with combinations, and even brought the Minneapolis crowd to their feet with a late rally, likely winning the round, but was ultimately smothered before a knockdown could be scored to bridge the scorecard gap. 

Davis prevailed with a 5-3 win on all three cards.

Lawrence King (13-1) def Alex Theran (23-13) KO4 (18 seconds)

Lawrence King battered Alex Theran to the body with a crisp and sustained two fisted attack to move to 13-1. Theran absorbed the onslaught through three rounds but was clearly weakened by the offensive assault. King overwhelmed Theran 18 seconds into the fourth, scoring a knockout after dropping Theran prompting a halt to the action.

Michael Angeletti(10-0)  Def Angel Contreras (13-9-2) UD 78-74 (3x)

Michael Angeletti and Angel Contreras traded shots in a back and forth affair over eight rounds. Contreras was game and had his moments, but Angeletti controlled the action, banking 6 rounds en route to an easy decision to remain undefeated.

Joey Spencer (17-1)  UD Marcio Bzowski (11-25-4) 60-54 on all cards.

Joey Spencer  controlled the pace of the bout for 6 rounds with a steady attack. Bzowski showed signs of fatigue but remained sturdy and could not be put away. Spencer advances to 17-1.

Charles Harris Jr(now 8-1) rtd Marlin Sims(8-3)

The referee waved off the action after Simms’ second knee in the 6th round. Sims took a glove to the eye resulting in obstructed vision. Harris hit a visually impaired Sims with a barrage that prompted a second knee, bringing a halt to the action in the 6th round

By Norm Frauenheim

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Sunny Edwards owned the news conferences.

Jesse Rodriguez owned the ring.

Rodriguez turned that ring into his own bully pulpit, punishing Edwards and then dropping him with a left hand that landed like his nickname, Bam, in the final moments of the ninth round Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena.

In the final second of the ninth, Rodriguez got the last word after a long week full of unfounded accusations. He called Rodriguez a drug cheat. He called him weird.

In the end, he could only call him champ. Edwards, whose corner threw in the towel at 2:59 of the ninth, lost for the first time and lost his International Boxing Federation flyweight title.

Rodriguez (19-0, 15 KOs) added the belt to his collection, including the World Boxing Organization’s version of the 112-pound crown.

At the moment that Edwards’ corner tossed in the towel, Rodriguez fell to his knees and onto his chest. He looked relieved. 

Maybe, that’s because he won’t have to listen anymore to Edwards (20-1, 4 KOs), a little guy with heavyweight Tyson Fury’s big mouth.

The two, Sunny and Bam, embraced in the middle of the ring after it was all over. Sunny promised he’d be back. Bam promised that he was moving back up the scale, in pursuit of the super-fly title he vacated.

It was no coincidence that super-fly (115 pounds) champ Juan Francisco Estrada was in the crowd. It was also no coincidence that Hall of Fame junior flyweight Michel Carbajal was there, too.

Rodriguez showed why he is perhaps the best American in boxing’s lightest weights since Carbajal’s era through the 1990s.

Rodriguez kept his poise early and then slowly began to control the pace and the ring.

A key round was the fifth. That’s when Rodriguez grabbed the momentum At the end of the round, he rocked Edwards onto his heels with a big overhand punch. It was asign of things to come.

In the sixth, Bam opened up a cut under Sunny’s left eye. He drove him into the ropes. Then, he raised both hands over his head, as if to mock Sunny.

The mocking continued. Seconds later, the fighters drifted back toward the center the ring. That’s when Bam stuck his tongue out at Edwards. Edwards, suddenly no longer so Sunny, seemed to respond in anger. He went straight at Rodriguez, a bullish assault from a fighter known for working off his back foot.

It was as if he had forgotten who he was and how he fought.Rodriguez made him forget, mostly because the San Antonio fighter always remembered how to apply the fundamentals that are transforming him into a pound-for-pound contender. 

Murodjon Akhmadaliev restores confidence with solid TKO

Murodjon Akhmadaliev knocked out the doubt.

Knocked out Kevin Gonzalez too.

Akhmadaliev came off an emotionally crushing loss, scoring an eighth-round stoppage  in a junior-featherweight fight that restored his confidence and, he hopes, puts him back in line for a shot at pound-for-pound contender Naoya Inoue.

Akhmadaliev (12-1, 9 KOs)lost a debatable split decision to Marlon Tapales in April. Tapales used that victory to secure a date against Inoue on Dec. 26 in Japan. For weeks, Akhmadaliev wondered: It could have been me.

Saturday night, he quit agonizing and resumed fighting, knocking down the rugged Gonzalez (20-1-1, 13 KOs) four times — twice in the sixth round and twice in the eight —  for a solid TKO victory at 2:49 of the eighth in the final fight before the Sunny Edwards-Bam Rodriguez main event at Desert Diamond Arena.

“It’s been a long road back,” the Uzbekistani said. “I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.”

The chip is gone. A bright future is back.

Galal Yafai wins unanimous decision

-He has an Olympic gold medal, an unbeaten record and a lot of work still to do.

Galal Yafai (6-0, 4 KOs), the 2020 Olympic flyweight champion from the UK. Yafai scored a business-like decision over Rocco Santomauro (22-3, 6 KOs) Saturday night on the DAZN portion of the Sunny Edwards-Bam Rodriguez card at Desert Diamond Arena.

Yafai was never in danger of losing. The 99-91, 98-93, 97-93 scorecards, all in his favor, reflect that. He left Santomauro, a Califorina flyweight,  badly bloodied over one eye. But he didn’t do much to convince anyone in the crowd that he’ll be a major flyweight title anytime soon. 

They applauded the victory, then booed him for a dull performance.

Boom, DAZN lives-stream opens with a huge KO

One punch from Ja’Rico O’Quinn kicked DAZN’s live-stream into high-gear.

It happened suddenly.

It landed like an unseen bolt.

Peter McGrail was down, unconscious seemingly before he knew what hit him.

O’Quinn, of Detroit, was losing on the scorecards through the first four rounds Saturday on the first DAZN-streamed fight on a card featuring Sunny Edwards-Bam Rodriguez. McGrail controlled the pace and the punches. 

Then — boom, O’Quinn (8-1, 5 KOs) threw a counter-right that landed like a missile onto the side of McGrail’s face, sending the Brit  (17-1-1, 9 KOs) crashing to the canvas and under the lowest rope late in the fifth round. 

HIs cornermen, ringside physician, and paramedics rushed to help. For a few  scary moments, he simply laid on his  back. Then he was helped, first onto a stool and then to his feet..

“I knew they wouldn’t give me a decision,” O’Quinn said. “He was boxing well. But I seen him try to throw a right to the body. That’s when I countered and — boom — that’s all she wrote

Boom, indeed.

Prospect Arturo Cardenas wins 4th-round TKO

Arturo Cardenas, a Robert Garcia-trained super-bantamweight from Mexico, continued to combine power, precision and poise in his journey from prospect to contender Saturday in a thorough beat down of Carlos Mujica, a Las Vegas fighter who never had much of a chance.

From head-to-body, Cardenas (2-0-1, 8 KOs) landed punches from all angles, leaving Mujica (8-4, 2 KOs) defenseless and finally beaten, a TKO loser at 1:24 of the fourth round in the fourth fight on the Sunny Edward-Bam Rodriguez card. at Desert

 Diamond Arena  

Bostan wins, fans boo in hostile brawl

They exchanged profanities. Then, their respective camps brawled.

Turns out, the hostility at a news conference was real.

Junaid Bostan and Gordie Russ II don’t like each other.

Proof was delivered in a messy, junior-middleweight fight Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena on the Sunny Edwards-Bam Rodriguez undercard. They fought, they brawled, Russ (6-1, 6 KOs) hurt Bostan (8-0, 6 KOs) in the third, Bostan recovered and furt Russ in the seventh and again in the eighth.

Bostan, of the UK, won. The eight-round decision was probably closer than the three scorecards, 79-73. But Bostan’s unanimous decision didn;t settle anything. He stretched out a gloved hand, an offer of congratulations with a fist bump. But Ross, of Detroit, turned his back and walked out of the ring.

He might have been angry at the scoring. Some in the small crowd. They booed, and Bostan encouraged them too while standing at ringside for an interview.

“Go ahead, boo, go ahead,” he said, looking at the unhappy customers.

By then Russ was long gone. 

Albert Gonzalez chops down Molina

That’s exactly what California featherweight Albert Gonzalez (7-0, 3 KOs) did, chopping down Mexican Albert Molina (9-3-1, 5 KOs), who collapsed onto the canvas in evident pain after sustaining a lethally precise body shot late in the second round of the second fight Saturday on a card featuring Jesse Rodriguez-Sunny Edwards at Desert Diamond Arena.

Molina, who rolled around the canvas for several seconds after the punishing shot from the Robert Garcia-trained Gonzalez, got up. But he was finished, a TKO loser at 2:24 of the second.

First Bell: Joe McGrail scores second-round TKO

A card stacked with UK fighters began with a British accent.

Joe McGrail, a featherweight from Liverpool, wasted little time, quickly flashing all of the reasons he’s a prospect with a second round TKO of Carlos Ortiz Jr. Saturday in the opener to a card featuring flyweights Jesse Bam Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards at Desert Diamond Arena.

McGrail (8-0, 4 KOs) dropped the overmatched Ortiz (8-5-2, 4 KOs), of Phoenix, twice in the first round and twice in the second, finishing him with a left hook at 2:40 of the second. 

6 Rounds Middleweight contest
Tursynbay Kulakhmet 161.7lbs
Fouad El Massoudi 162.1lbs 

6 Rounds Super Middleweight contest
Andrei Dascalu 166lbs
Angel Emilov 166.4lbs

4 Rounds Super Welterweight contest
Harvey Lambert 149.2lbs
Fabio Cascone 154.15lbs

6 Rounds Super Bantamweight contest
Tom Welland 126lbs
Yuri Zanoli 122.14lbs

6 Rounds Super Lightweight contest
Ben Marksby 143.8lbs
Kurt Jackson 141.15lbs

6 Rounds Super Welterweight contest
Travis Waters 149.8lbs
Mykhailo Sovtus 152.9lbs

6 Rounds Super Welterweight contest
Dan Toward 155.4lbs
Nikolas Dzurnak 153.9lbs

IBO World Super Welterweight title final eliminator
12 Rounds
Josh Kelly 153.8lbs
Placido Ramirez 153.2lbs

Jake Paul scored a one-punch, first-round stoppage over Andre August in a scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout at The Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.

Paul felt August with a jab and then uncorked a perfect right uppercut to the jaw that put August down and out on his back, and the fight was over at 2:32.

Paul, 199.4 lbs kf Cleveland is now 8-1 with five knockouts. August, 198.8 lbs of Houston is 10-2-1.

Jake Paul

On his first round KO of Andre August

“Man, I’m just really happy. You know, that’s that delayed gratification, working hard this whole entire year, and it just all paying off. You know, just the power of manifestation, that’s insane. Saying it all week, saying it in my meditation, visualizing it, and making it come into fruition, and it’s a real man. I’m trying to just take in and love it the whole entire moment, and look back on it, and have fun during this whole entire experience and that’s the biggest key for me right now and it’s going to be an amazing Christmas.”

“I think this [win] is the best one. Just the first round, calling it the whole entire week, not getting hit one time in the fight, and just setting him up for that. He kept on ducking low, ducking low, and I was like, okay, I’m going to throw the uppercut, but I got to make sure he keeps on ducking low, assessed him, set him up for it, and finished it through that day hard.”

On why he took the risk of facing Andre August

“[It was] a big risk big risk and people can be discredited or say what they want but they didn’t get in there with him he’s been doing it his whole life and you look at the guy he’s strong and he’s a risk, especially him not being a big name. Putting all the line against someone like him, everyone thought it was kind of crazy, everyone first thought, what, really? You’re going to do that? Why? Where? What’s going on? What’s the plan here? And it’s just one answer, to become world champion.”

On walking out to Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

“We just always had these vibes going in camp, and sometimes we’re playing different music, and one day we were sitting in the backyard, and this pal’s like, it’s Christmas, oh my God, they’ll start playing the Christmas hits. And that first song came on and I was like, this is what I’m walking up to.”

On converting haters to fans with his first-round knockout against a 10-1 pro

“If I was walking on water in front of everybody’s eyes, they would say I couldn’t swim. When you take this path, and you’re in the top of a sport, and you got there in three and a half years with the jealousy and hate and insecure people, all the time, of course, they’re gonna critique and find any little thing that they can to try to bring me down. But what they don’t know is that it’s just making me bigger, just making me stronger, just making me more motivated to go ahead and become world champion. This is one step closer. This guy was 10-1 [and] boxing his whole life. [He was a] three-time Golden Glove champion and he [was finished in] two and a half minutes. And I was just getting woke up for it, so…. shhh. Be quiet, y’all. Be quiet. At some point, you gotta turn that hate and be like, okay, fine, I’m gonna just jump on the bandwagon. All aboard, yo. Like, y’all went from haters and all this shit, like, we welcome everybody. If you hated me before, it’s cool, you know, I forgive you. Come to the fun side. I know you wanna dance to the Christmas jingle I want. I know you’re at home, like, itching like, I can’t, I can’t help it, I wanna dance! So just kick it up! Jump off the bandwagon! Get used to it. Get used to this. I’m gonna be here forever in this sport. Like I said, I predicted all this from the start. I made it happen [with] manifestation of reality. So keep the criticisms coming, but it’s not gonna do anything.”

On his punching power

“My coaches always told me before my first rope, but mainly Shane Mosley, he was like, you got popped, you hit hard, you hit hard. And I didn’t know. [I thought] he was like, you know, just gassing me up or something. Then after I dropped, gave him the first round, I was like, oh shit, okay, maybe I do have his power… And just from that Ohio milk, there’s something different. That stuff is insane. My bone density is on point.”

On Franchón Crews-Dezurn’s WBC super middleweight title win vs. Shadasia Green

“Great job, Franchón. I wish that Shadasia would have gotten it, but… It was a good fight. It was a great fight. Congratulations.

On the biggest thing he’s learned from boxing

“I wish I could summarize that man. It’s been thousands of hours in the gym, but I think more so just believing in myself and my ability, having fun out there, and surrounding myself with the right student. When Thurman, Jalion, and Larry Wade came in, the whole attitude changed and pushed me so much harder than I’d ever been pushed before. And that was really the difference maker. And really my boxing career didn’t start until after I lost because they came in, corrected my basic fundamentals that I had skipped by due to other coaches skipping by it and they pushed me, did thousands of drills on my footwork every single day, getting my mind right, surrounding myself with amazing people, and that really is what elevated everything. So, I just owe it to everyone else, you know, and the people around me, pushing me and wanting the best way.”

On returning to the old Jake Paul

“Yeah, like, just having fun when I’m in that mode, enjoying the sport, you know, dancing around in the ring, making jokes all the time, you know, talking trash to my opponents while I’m hitting them in the face. Before, I was just trying to do things too much and just like making everything perfect, technique, technique, technique, do this, do this, do this, do this. And just everything, the vibe of the can’t change, the coaches, Larry tells me every day, just be you, just bring that old, crazy motherfucker back. And he showed me the video of me with my tongue out, after I KO’d Tyron [Woodley], playing with my cut on my head, and he’s like, this isn’t here anymore, like you need to bring this back. And I just really remember that every day now, like he’s right, I just gotta be fucking crazy and bring back all the problems and the madness and fight like a dog and have fun, and that’s the difference here. You see me in the walkout, dancing in the locker room, messing around with my brother, getting on his shoulders during the broadcast, all of these things is what makes me special, and I just lost that in previous fights.”

On how lesser known boxers can make a name for themselves

“We live in a different boxing world now, in a different digital age in general, and it’s the fighters’ responsibility now to promote themselves. And once they realize that, and realize instead of sitting around on the weekend and playing video games in between the training sessions, they gotta be on TikTok and making YouTube videos and getting out there and going on interviews and podcasts and getting any opportunity they can to grow their name. That’s why I would just encourage everybody else. The promoter is dying. It’s now the responsibility of the fighter. That’s the new boxing world. Just hustle, man. Just hustle.”

On KSI 

“He’s chasing views as a 30-year-old man, and I’m chasing legacy and belts. All kudos to him. I hope he makes his wildest dreams come true.”

On facing Logan in WWE

“Man, I’m trying to be on his team. I don’t want to go up against him. He’s the dog in WWE. I’m trying to be his team partner.”

Crews-Dezurn Decisions Green to win WBC and WBA Interim Super Middleweight Crown

Franchon Crews-Dezurn won the WBC and WBA Interim Super Middleweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Shadasa Green.

Crews-Dezurn landed 78 of 382. Green was 77 of 240.

Dezuen, who was the former undisputed champion and huge underdog won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice and is now 9-2, Greuen, 167.2 lbs of Paterson, NJ is 13-1.

On MVP

“First of all, shout out to MVP. MVP is a great platform for women’s boxing. Shadasia [Green] was a great competitor and I always look to fight against competition. I don’t want it easy, I wasn’t built for easy. And a couple months ago, I didn’t even know what was next, but I think my journey wasn’t over. I wanna thank Peter Kahn, my manager, who’s always fighting for me just as hard as I fight in the ring. I want to thank my coaches [and] my husband, my team.

On winning back her WBC title

“This has been a journey. You see everybody’s running at the top. You guys saw me at my lowest in the UK, but I still have my head held high, and I still have high hopes. I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep going. And my journey isn’t over because my journey isn’t for me. It’s for the little girls, the big girls, the old girls, the young girls, to have somebody look up to you and to God. So this is a special night for me. I dedicate this to my mom, and my tribe, a couple other people who lost dear ones, so thank you. Thank you.”

“I’m here to entertain you guys. I’m here to fight for legacy. And you always need that one character that’s going to give you all some entertainment. So, that’s me. Right.”

“I stamped myself in history and you can never take [away] being a champ, but tonight is very special. I’m trying to let it set in. I feel amazing, I feel blessed and I’m grateful. I just love the smile on my team’s face.”

On being slated as the underdog vs. Green

“I’m an underdog. I’m a top dog with an underdog mentality. So it’s not anything new to me. And they don’t have to believe in me. I believe in myself and I must have a team that believes in me. And you need inspiration, there you go.”

On her next fight

“The goal has remained the same. I want to go back to the UK. They gave me so much love and it’s a great joy. [My goal is to] go to the UK and run it back with Savannah Marshall. All the way down the line, at least before my last fight, I want to run it with my good sister, Claressa [Shields]. But we’ll see what happens. Maybe I blow up a win, maybe I go down a win. The opportunities are limitless.”

“We’re gonna take DMV over to the UK, so we’re gonna have fun. Woo!”

“[My next fight will be] probably second quarter of 2024. Like, I’m happy to be active. To get two fights in six months is amazing. I think I’m going to get better and better, but probably first or second quarter of 2024.”

On Shadasia vs. Savannah’s punching power

“I would say Shadesia has sharp power, like she’s got sharp inside punches, but Savannah has like leverage, because she’s a very tall, heavy-handed woman. She’s been like that since the amateurs. But yeah, yeah, yeah. I have no disrespect. Savannah is the bigger puncher.”

On settling bad blood with Shadasia Green

“I approached her and you know. I apologized, you know, for what I did, she apologized for what she did. At the end of the day, we two young women pushed into something and her goal was to get her name out there for people to know who she is. She’s accomplished that, she has a great future, she’s a good fighter. I have no ill will towards her. I respect her [and everyone] I share the ring with. [Shadasia,] thank you for sharing the ring with me.

On 3-minute women’s rounds

“We gonna throw hands regardless, as long as we’re compensated. For me, I’ve been in this game a long time, and I get paid, if I have to fight three minutes, I’m gonna be paid for three minutes. If I have to fight 12 rounds, I’m gonna be paid for 12 rounds. Nobody wants to do a job, and do extra in their job, and not get paid for it. I’m in prize fighting at this point. Respectfully.”

On what her mom could say if she could have been there tonight

“Go on, get it baby. I love you.”

Tellez Stops Navarro in 10th

Yoenis Tellez scored a vicious 10th and final round stoppage of Livan Navarro in a welterweight bout.

In round three, Tellez dropped Navarro with a hard right hand.

In round 10, Tellez landed a booming left hook that froze Navarro and he plummeted to the deck and the fight was stopped.

Tellez, 153.1 lbs of Santiago, CUB is 7-0 with six knockouts. Navarro, 153.8 lbs of Havana, CUB is 15-2.

Lorenzo Medina Stops Temple in 6th

Lorenzo Medina scored a shocking sixth and final round stoppage over Joshua Temple in a heavyweight bout.

In round two, Temple landed a right to the head that put Medina on the canvas.

In round six, Medina landed a left hook that rocked Temple. Temple was hurt, and Medina jumped on Temple and landed a huge flurry of punches and the fight was stopped at 29 seconds.

Medina, 244.4 lbs of Hialeah, FL is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Temple, 221.8 lbs of St. Louis is 12-3.

Elijah Flores remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Javier Mayoral in a welterweight bout.

Flores, 149 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 7-0. Mayoral, 148 lbs of New Orleans is 6-4-1.

Alexander Gueche stopped Clayton Ward in round three of their four-round bantamweight bout.

In round four, Gueche landed a big right drove Ward to the ropes. Ward was hurt and could have received an eight-count, but the referee did not ruled that and two big shots later the fight was stopped at 2:05.

Gueche, 116 1/2 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 3-0 with three knockouts. Ward, 116 1/2 lbs of Cypress, TX is 1-1.

Zachary Randolph won a six-round majority decision over Michael Manna in a cruiserweight bout.

In round five, Manna was swelling under both eyes.

Randolph, 186 3/4 lbs of Fairmont, WV won by scores of 60-54, 58-56 and 57-57 and is now 10-3-1. Manna, 191 lbs of Pittsburgh is 7-6.

TOPPENISH, WASHINGTON (December 15, 2023)  —  Roy Jones Jr., legendary world champion boxer and now trainer and promoter, will have a selection of his prized fighters headline an action-packed fight card at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington on January 25, 2024.

In the main event, undefeated Yakima born Andrew Murphy will fight in a ten-round super middleweight bout. German star and World Boxing Federation (WBF) women’s welterweight champion Ikram Kerwat will fight in the co-main event. The third of Jones’ fighters on the card is former Commonwealth Games and Asian Games Silver Medalist, lightweight Mandeep Jangra.

Promoted by Roy Jones Jr. Boxing, tickets, priced at $60, $50 and $40, are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Legends Casino Gift Shop or on-line at Ticketmaster HERE

Doors open at 6 pm and first bell will be at 7 pm PT.

For media credential requests, click https://www.emccredentials.com/royjonesjr

“I am very happy to be promoting again back at Legends Casino with my good friend Greg Fritz and the rest of the fine people that work there. Legends provides me and my fighters with wonder hospitality,” said Jones. “I will be bringing with me some treats. One of them is Mandeep Jangra, who is an Indian fighter and very entertaining. The second is Andrew Murphy, who is a lot of fun to watch because he is always looking for that knockout. Another is my protégé, Ikram Kerwat, who has the fine combination of being very attractive and can also fight. I am really looking forward to January 25.”

Andrew Murphy (7-0, 5 KOs) was born in nearby Yakima, Washington and now resides in Pensacola, Florida. January 25 will be the twenty-three-year-old’s third fight at Legends Casino, each as a main event fighter. Andrew will be fighting in ten-round bout.

Ikram Kerwat (13-3, 5 KOs) was born in Tunisia and resides in Frankfurt, Germany. The thirty-nine-year-old made her pro debut in 2015 after having two children. In only her sixth pro fight Ikram won the WBC International lightweight title. On November 13, 2022, she won the WBC Silver super featherweight title and in her last bout, on June 24, Ikram won the WBF World welterweight title. Jones has been her trainer since 2017.

Mandeep Jangra (6-0, 4 KOs), born and raised in Kharian, India, had a wonderful amateur career highlighted by winning Silver Medals at the Asian Amateur Boxing Championships and Commonwealth Games. This will be Mandeep’s fourth bout under Jones’ tutelage.

The fight card will also include some LOCAL BOXING TALENT. In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Renton, Washington’s Nicholas Mills (3-0, 2 KOs) and Canada’s Brandon Colantino (3-0) fight in a four-round bout; Union Gap’s Carlos Villanueva (5-3, 1 KO) will attempt to knock off Bend, Oregon’s undefeated Alberto Rivas (4-0, 1 KO) in a six-round cruiserweight scrap; and in a six-round super featherweight clash of undefeateds, Mount Vernon’s Luis Gallegos (5-0, 2 KOs) battles fellow Washingtonian Josue Cadena (3-0, 1 KO). 

Live streaming information will be announced soon.

ROY JONES JR. was world champion at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight (undisputed) and in 2003 became the first former middleweight world champion to become world heavyweight champion in over 106 years when he beat John Ruiz to win the title. Throughout that stretch he was recognized as the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Hamza ’Thriller’ Uddin is the latest bright British boxing prospect to sign with Matchroom – and the rising Flyweight sensation already has his sights set on becoming a future World Champion.

The former Team GB fighter is an eight-time National champion, with seven International golds and three GB titles to his C.V following a decorated amateur career.

The 20-year-old, who is trained by Raj Uddin and managed by Sam Jones, is also the youngest-ever two-time senior elite champion and an undefeated senior. Having conquered the amateur scene, Uddin’s signature to turn professional has been highly sought after. 

And having put pen to paper to make his debut in 2024 – live worldwide on DAZN – a confident and charismatic Uddin has immediately set himself the target of being a “legend” of the sport.

“I’m excited to use all of the experience I have gained to win more titles as a professional,” said Uddin. “Matchroom are the biggest boxing promoters in the world. For my dreams and aspirations, only Matchroom could cut it for me. Nobody else. Matchroom are the best in the world.

“I’m from a little place called Walsall but I have won eight National titles, three GB titles and seven International golds. I’ve been a part of the Team GB set-up and I’ve got a lot of accolades to take with me into the pro game. 

“My background is from Bangladesh. I believe I will be the first professional fighter from a Bangladesh origin, or certainly the first one of note. So I want to become the first British-Bangladeshi World Champion, something that has never been done before or not even been heard of. That’s a special piece of history that I want to create it in the near future. 

“My ultimate dream is to become a World Champion – but I want to become a unified, an undisputed and a multi-weight world champion. I want to be a legend in this sport, not just another boxer.”

Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn revealed he is thrilled to add Uddin to his world class stable of fighters – and hopes to introduce him on the big stage early in 2024.

Hearn said: “Hamza Uddin is some talent. Look at his amateur pedigree, it speaks for itself. He has a massive following in the Midlands and is all-action style will see him fast become a fans’ favourite when we unleash him in the professional arena. I’m delighted to have signed yet another thrilling prospect to our impressive ranks at Matchroom and we expect big things from Hamza in the future.”

Eddie Hearn and Peter Berg proudly announced that the Churchill Boxing Club will be relaunched as that Matchroom Churchill Boxing Gym as the world’s leading boxing promoter finds a first-class home in Los Angeles.
 
Matchroom’s stable of fighters will have a base in the west coast hotbed of boxing with the Matchroom Churchill Boxing Gym, and the promotional powerhouse will be able to call on the facility for media workouts and promotional activities around its events, fighters and commercial partners.
 
The Churchill Boxing Club opened in 2013 under the watchful eye of the critically acclaimed director, producer, writer, and actor Berg. The gym is currently home to seven pro fighters and has previously been used by the likes of Dmitry Bivol, Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin, David Benavidez and many more champions. Berg’s passion for boxing has been well documented and reaches beyond the gym, with him guiding the careers of many fighters, and this partnership with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom is a massing and meaningful moment for Peter and Churchill, as they step deeper into the world of boxing as respected and coveted members of the community.
 
“It’s a very venture for us with the launch of the Matchroom Churchill Boxing Club,” said Hearn. “I had the pleasure of coming here and watching Dmitry Bivol train and I believe it is one of the top gyms in the country with great management.
 
“Our business has become global in recent years and particularly with our move into America. I’ve had the pleasure of promoting some of the biggest names in American boxing and the biggest shows, but we wanted to do something different.
 
“It’s important for us to provide a facility for our stable of talent that we felt was trusted, elite, with top trainers and facilities, and with our long-standing relationship with Peter Berg, who has just as much passion for boxing as anyone we’ve ever met. We both have a vision for the sport, we both love the sport and Peter loves to see the top fighters in the gym and for it to flourish, and it’s an opportunity for our fighters to have a home in California.”
 
“One of the things that boxing needs is leadership, and responsible, quality, visionary leadership,” said Berg. “In my mind, Eddie Hearn is that leader, and I’m very happy and proud that our gym can be in business with the man who is going to lead the sport into the future. 
 
“We’re really proud to be in business with Matchroom and I hope that this is the beginning of a calling to pro fighters all over America that are looking for great training, a direct connection to the best promoters in the world in Matchroom, we’re open for business so come on down.”
 
Integral to the new venture, Charlie Sims will be the Head of Development at the Matchroom Churchill Boxing Gyn. Sims’ father and world-renowned trainer Tony leads the Matchroom Gym in the UK in Essex, and Charlie believes the Los Angeles gym will be as effective in housing and hosting champions.
 
“We have such a successful gym in the UK with Tony, so it was about bringing that over here,” said Sims. “The first time I walked into the Churchill Gym, I knew it was the right place. I was chomping at the bit to get this partnership going and I cannot think of two better stories to blend than Eddie Hearn and Peter Berg. It’s going to be a really exciting journey.”

By Norm Frauenheim –

GLENDALE, AZ – Sunny Edwards called Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez a cheater Thursday, alleging that he has been using banned performance enhancers.

Edwards leveled the controversial charges in a face-to-face exchange with Rodriguez in the final news conference before their flyweight fight Saturday for two pieces of the 112-pound title at Desert Diamond Arena.

“You have SNAC on your trunks,’’ Edwards said. “Everybody knows what that means. SNAC, that means cheat.’’

Edwards offered no other evidence to support his charges other than the SNAC acronym for a sports-nutrition company run by Victor Conte.

Rodriguez is a SNAC client, one of many in boxing.

“I don’t cheat,’’ Rodriguez said to reporters after the contentious newser. “I don‘t have to cheat.’’

Scott Fletcher, Chairman of the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission, and Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, the fight’s promoter, told 15 Rounds that both fighters have undergone testing.

Hearn said testing has been conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

“VADA has been testing for months,’’ Hearn said of a fight that was announced in mid-August.

Conte told 15 Rounds that the testing was contractually-mandated at his urging in talks with Rodriguez trainer Robert Garcia.

“I strongly recommended to Robert that they test, and he agreed,’’ said Conte, who served time in prison for pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute steroids in 2005 when he ran BALCO.

Conte also said he strongly recommended that VADA conduct the testing.

“It’s the most stringent and most expensive test,’’ Conte said.

Conte also told 15 Rounds that fighters aligned with SNAC “are, for the most part, the cleanest in boxing.’’

Edwards’ explosive allegations came near the end of a wild news conference that began with a scuffle between camps for a couple of undercard fighters, junior-middleweights Gordie Ross II of Detroit and Junaid Bostan of the UK.

They exchanged profane insults on-stage. Moments later, their handlers exchanged blows in an off-stage fracas that sent chairs flying and bodies falling.

Next up: Sunny and Bam. Their part in newser began predictably, meaning both fighters promised to win.

“I’ll be taking his belt and his 0,’’ Rodriguez (18-0, 14 KOs), a San Antonio fighter and the World Boxing Organization’s champion, said to the London flyweight (20-0, 4 KOs), the International Boxing Federation’s champ.

Then, it took a nasty turn when Edwards interrupted Rodriguez.

At first, it sounded as if Edwards was annoyed at remarks Rodriquez had made a few days ago.

Apparently, Edwards thought Rodriguez had questioned the Londoner’s confidence in himself.

“I know exactly who I am,’’ said Edwards, suddenly not so Sunny. ”But you, you don’t know who you are. Don’t deny all this stuff I’m saying to you. You’re weird, wear weird clothes, too.’’

The PED allegations soon followed in what might have been an attempt to rattle Rodriguez, who is known for his quiet composure.

Then, there was the closing curtain, except this ritual in boxing theater went on longer than most. Afternoon almost turned into after-dark – lunch into dinner — before Edwards and Rodriguez broke off their ritual face-off for the DAZN-streamed card.

Edwards talked and gestured, talked and gestured some more. Rodriguez mostly glared. For about 15 minutes, they stood, face-to-face, nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye. Hearn stood there, managing to squeeze an open hand between their faces – once, twice and again when there was an opening.

For one long moment, it looked as if it would ever end. But it did. Finally. Next, there’s a weigh-in Saturday. Then, opening bell Saturday. But, it’s safe to say, the hostilities are already underway.

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Jose Sanchez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Walter Santibanes in a action filled super bantamweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

Sanchez, 124.4 lbs of Cathedral City, CA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 12-0. Santibanes, 124.5 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 12-3.

“I want to thank Golden Boy and Miguel Cotto Promotions for giving me the opportunity to fight for the first time in front of my hometown as the main event,” said Tito Sanchez. “This was a real war. The crowd’s cheers kept me going through the tough times, and with them having my back, I was able to push through and get the victory. My right middle knuckle was severely injured in the third round, but I made it 10-rounds with the Coachella Valley’s support.

Eric Priest remained undefeated with a first round stoppage over Paul Mendez in a eight-round middleweight out.

In round one, Priest dumped Mendez with a hard right hand. Mendez was hurt throughout the round and landed a huge flurry of punches that forced a referee stoppage at 2:09.

Priest, 161.4 lbs of Kansas City, KS is now 12-0 with eight knockouts. Mendez, 160 lbs of Delano, CA is 21-5-2.

“After my last fight, I made a lot of adjustments and I believe that’s what helped me get the knockout tonight,” said Eric Priest. “Training with Ismael Salas in Las Vegas has been great for my career – I have been able to rub elbows with top level fighters as well as current and former world champions who help me improve my craft. My message to the middleweight division is that if you didn’t know me before, you’ll know me now.”

Jorge Chavez remained undefeated by stopping Jerson Ortiz after round two of their eight-round super bantamweight bout.

In round one, Chavez dropped Ortiz with a flurry in the corner. Chavez continued to punish Ortiz, and the fight was stopped in the corner after round two,

Chavez, 123.6 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Ortiz, 123.8 lbs of Managua, NIC is 17-10.

Ricardo Ruvalcaba remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Irvin Macias in a welterweight fight.

In round five, Macias began to bleed from the nose.

Ruvalcaba, 141.6 lbs of Ventura, CA won by scores of 80-72 twice and 78-74 and is now 11-0-1. Macias, 142 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 15-4.

Justin Figueroa remained undefeated with a third-round stoppage over Jerome Clayton in a four-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Fugueroa dropped Clayton with an overhand right to the top of the head. Late in the round Figueroa scored a knockdown on a right to the body.

In round three, Figueroa dropped Clayton with a straight right to the face. Figueroa ended things when he dropped Clayton with another body shot at 1:58.

Figueroa, 153.4 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 7-0 with six knockouts. Clayton, 154 lbs of New Orleans is 9-3-1.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to the APEX with a middleweight clash that will see No. 7 ranked Roman Dolidze battle No. 12 Nassourdine Imavov. Also on the card, No. 13 ranked lightweight contender Renato Moicano meets No. 15 Drew Dober.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DOLIDZE vs. IMAVOV will take place Saturday, February 3 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will stream exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Additionally, the finals for ROAD TO UFC Season 2 will air live at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on UFC Fight Pass from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 3, following the broadcast of UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DOLIDZE vs. IMAVOV.

UFC Apex VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.

ROAD TO UFC is a ground-breaking “win and advance” tournament that takes top MMA prospects from Asia and gives them a pathway to a UFC contract. Season 2 started with 32 mixed martial arts athletes, with eight competing in each of four men’s weight classes: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight. The athletes in ROAD TO UFC came from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The opening round took place on May 27 and 28 at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai, and the semifinals took place following UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HOLLOWAY VS THE KOREAN ZOMBIE in Singapore on August 27. Following the conclusion of the finals for ROAD TO UFC Season 2, the four winners will be awarded UFC contracts.

Dolidze (12-2, fighting out of Batumi, Georgia) looks to deliver another signature KO in his first UFC main event. Known for his highlight-reel finishes, Dolidze rose through the middleweight ranks with bonus-earning stoppages of Jack Hermansson, Phil Hawes and Kyle Daukaus. He now aims to begin his 2024 campaign with a statement victory and break into the Top 5.

Imavov (12-4, fighting out of Paris, France) returns to the Octagon planning to reignite his run towards the title. A well-rounded competitor who has finished nine of his 12 victories, he holds notable wins over Joaquin Buckley, Edmen Shahbazyan and Ian Heinisch. Imavov now has his sights set on becoming the first person to finish Dolidze in impressive fashion.

Grappling ace Moicano (17-5-1, fighting out of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil) aims to build another win steak by defending his spot in the rankings. A high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, all 10 of his finishes have come via submission, including wins over Brad Riddell, Alexander Hernandez and Cub Swanson. Moicano now seeks to make quick work of Dober and turn his attention to the top of the division.

Knockout artist Dober (27-12 1NC, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) looks to add to his record for most knockouts in UFC lightweight history. Among the most exciting athletes in the division, Dober’s last seven wins have come by KO, including finishes of Ricky Glenn, Bobby Green and Terrance McKinney. He now plans to notch his biggest victory yet and insert himself into the title conversation. 

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 8 ranked flyweight contender Viviane Araujo (12-5, fighting out of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil) aims to hand No. 11 Natalia Silva (16-5, fighting out of Pingo D’Agua, Minas Gerais, Brazil) her first UFC loss
• William Gomis (13-2, fighting out of Paris, France) returns to action against Melsik Baghdasaryan (8-2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) in a featherweight bout
• Gilbert Urbina (7-3, fighting out of Mercedes, Texas) meets Charles Radtke (8-3, fighting out of Naples, Fla.) in a welterweight contest
• Flyweight action sees Luana Carolina (9-4, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) take on Julija Stoliarenko (11-8-2, fighting out of Visaginas, Luthuania)
• Aliaskhab Khizriev (14-0, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan) defends his undefeated record against Makhmud Muradov (26-8, fighting out of Bukhara, Uzbekistan) in an exciting middleweight tilt
• Fan favorite Molly McCann (13-6, fighting out of Liverpool, England) aims for another signature KO against fellow striker Diana Belbita (15-8, fighting out of Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada) at strawweight
• Welterweights Themba Gorimbo (11-4, fighting out of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa) and Kiefer Crosbie (10-4, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) collide in an all-action bout
• JeongYeong Lee (10-1, fighting out of Daegu, South Korea) looks to remain undefeated in the UFC when he faces Blake Bilder (8-1-1, fighting out of Costa Mesa, Calif.) at featherweight
• Nate Maness (15-3, fighting out of Henderson, Ky.) plans to knock Azat Maksum (17-0, fighting out of Rayimbek, Almatinskaia Oblast, Kazakhstan) from the ranks of the unbeaten in a flyweight matchup
• Landon Quinones (7-2-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) seeks to spoil the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series signee MarQuel Mederos (8-1, fighting out of Littleton, Colo.)
• Heavyweight Dana White’s Contender Seriesalums clash as Thomas Petersen (8-1, fighting out of Webster, Minn.) meets Jamal Pogues (10-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)

ROAD TO UFC Season 2 Finale Bouts:

·         Flyweight Final: 22-year old dedicated finisher Jiniushiyue “Little King Kong” (13-2, fighting out of Sichuan, China) faces decorated national wrestler 21-year old Rei Tsuruya (8-0, fighting out of Chiba, Japan).

·         Bantamweight Final: Experienced, aggressive striker Xiao Long (26-7, fighting out of Hunan, China) faces well-rounded grinder Chang Ho Lee (9-1, fighting out of Goyang, South Korea).

·         Featherweight Final: Iconic aggressive strikerKaiwen (12-5, fighting out of Hunan, China) faces seasoned, intelligent tactician Yizha (24-4, fighting out of Sichuan, China).

·         Lightweight Final: Former UFC athlete and strong finisher Rongzhu (24-5, fighting out of Sichuan, China) faces power wrestler Shin Haraguchi (7-0 1NC, fighting out of Kagoshima, Japan).

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for media credentials to the event.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

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About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Sunny Edwards calls Bam Rodriguez a cheater Thu at newser for Sat flyweight fight. Bam is SNAC client. “SNAC, that means cheat,” Edwards says. AZ Commission and promoter Eddie Hearn tells 15 Rounds both fighters have been tested. “VADA has been testing for months,” Hearn says

MINNEAPOLIS – December 14, 2023 – The previously scheduled matchup between WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez and unbeaten Angelino Cordova has been postponed. Martinez experienced visa issues trying to enter the country, forcing the bout to be rescheduled for next year.

The fight had been set to appear on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast this Saturday night headlined by undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battling knockout artist Sena Agbeko from The Armory in Minneapolis and presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The telecast will continue as a tripleheader.

Exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela will meet in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event, while all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #MorrellAgbeko follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

ORLANDO, FL – December 14, 2023 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced the highly-anticipated 8-round cruiserweight battle between Jake “The Problem Child” Paul (7-1, 4 KOs) vs. Andre August (10-1, 5 KOs) on Friday, December 15, preceded by MVP’s 10-round special championship feature of Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (13-0, 11 KOs) vs. Franchón Crews-Dezurn (8-2, 2 KOs) for the WBC super middleweight title and the WBA Interim Championship title, is the highest recorded gate for a boxing event in Orlando’s history. Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto’s bout vs. Delvin Rodriguez at the Amway Center, which has a capacity of 20,000, in October 2013 previously held the record in Orlando. Tickets for Paul vs. August, presented by CELSIUS Essential Energy Drink, also broke the record for highest average ticket price, matching the average ticket price of Paul’s latest fight vs. Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. 

Since headlining his first fight, Paul has broken records at every arena he’s fought at across his 9-fight professional career, and his upcoming bout vs. August in Orlando marks a new city record. Paul’s record-setting appearance in Dallas, TX for Paul vs. Diaz was the highest boxing gate and second biggest combat sports gate ever at the American Airlines Center. Previously, Paul vs. Silva broke a record for the second highest combat sports gate at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, and Paul vs. Woodley II set the record for the highest combat sports gate at Amalie Arena in Tampa. Paul vs. Woodley I was the highest boxing gate ever at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. 

Paul vs. August will headline Most Valuable Prospects IV, which will feature additional action-packed bouts between light middleweights Yoenis Tellez (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Livan Navarro (15-1, 9 KOs) for the WBA Continental Latin Americas title and heavyweights Lorenzo Medina (8-0, 7 KOs) vs. Joshua Temple (12-2, 10 KOs). 

Most Valuable Prospects IV continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects in 2023 have taken place on Friday nights at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. The series has been renewed for six installments in 2024 and DAZN will air the series globally across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drink acts as the presenting sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects Series, with DraftKings serving as the Official Sports Betting Partner for Most Valuable Prospects IV.

Paul vs. August fight week events are free to the public and continue today, Thursday, December 14 at the Caribe Royale Resort. The public weigh-ins begin at 6:00PM ET, with doors opening at 5:00PM ET. The weigh-ins will be shown live on Jake Paul’s YouTube channel, MVP’s YouTube channel, and DAZN’s YouTube channel.

“It’s unbelievable that Jake made his debut in 2020, also in Florida, and sold less than 1500 tickets with a miniscule gate,” said Mike Leanardi, Director of Boxing of MVP. “Now in 2023, we’re back in Florida, this time Orlando, and despite it being a week before Christmas and him facing a formidable but unknown opponent, Jake broke Miguel Cotto’s record for the highest gate and average ticket price of any boxing event in Orlando’s history. Just being mentioned in the same breath as Cotto speaks volumes to Jake’s starpower. If anyone still doubts Jake Paul, I’m proud to say they’ve been proven wrong yet again. Thank you Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions for being a great partner for this record-breaking night.”

“On behalf of Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions we’re extremely proud to be a part of the highest grossing boxing event in Orlando history,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “This just further validates the fact that Orlando has become the capital of Championship Boxing in Florida and the entire Southeast!”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

How to watch DAZN  

• Visit DAZN.com and follow the steps to sign up now
• Once signed up, download the DAZN app to watch on any device
• Go to the app store on your chosen device, search ‘DAZN’ and download the DAZN app  
• DAZN is available on your phone, tablet, smart TV, streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and gaming consoles. 
• Connect multiple devices to your account to watch at home or on the go  

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

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DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED middleweight collision between Hamzah Sheeraz and Liam Williams has got a new date and will take place on Saturday 10 February at London’s Copper Box Arena, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams are on sale at 12pm tomorrow (Friday 15 December) available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

The fight between the undefeated Sheeraz and former world title challenger Williams was originally set to go ahead in early December before Sheeraz suffered a perforated eardrum in training that forced the fight into 2024.

Now the fiercest test of the Ilford man’s professional career to date is back on and Sheeraz is already hard at work preparing over in Los Angeles, where he has been for the last week, with trainer Ricky Funez at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym.

During the recovery period of Sheeraz, Williams, 31, reminded us all that he has lost none of his old menaces by making more or less a minute’s work of Florin Cardos at York Hall at the end of November.

With a new date now booked in, festive celebrations for both men are now firmly put on hold.

“I am back in the flow of things now, grafting away,” reported 24-year-old Sheeraz. “Like I said last time, I think this is the perfect fight for me and it is not one that I can really take lightly. Hopefully, God willing, it will be a good camp and come February 10 I will get the job done in a good fashion and I will be a name that the middleweights start calling out and wanting to fight.

“Festivities are cancelled for me this year. Normally we do a little dinner and whatnot together with all the family because it is an excuse to do so. This will be the first time in my whole boxing career that I will have to grind through it. Sacrifice is nothing new to me and it is what you have to do to get to the top and go that extra mile to make it happen.”

To have a fight date confirmed, one that can reboot his middleweight prospects, Welshman Williams is happy to ditch the Christmas trimmings, even though with two children, he knows temptation will not be completely removed from his household.

“I am over the moon now the fight has been rescheduled,” said the KO-artist from Clydach Vale. “It is obviously not the best time with Christmas just around the corner now. With having kids it is going to be a little bit more difficult and there is gonna be a lot of food hanging about the house!

“There is obviously a lot on the line for me. It is a big opportunity with the belt we are fighting for and, realistically, I need to win if I want to get back onto that world title stage.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “I really believe we are in for something very special at the Copper Box on February 10. It will be a classic collision of youth versus experience, a young fighter on the up against one looking to prove he still belongs.

“It provides a cracking fight to kick us off in 2024 a week before we head over to Riyadh for the big undisputed heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

“I believe Hamzah is destined to reach the very top, but he will be tested like never before against Liam. This is a fight not to be missed.”

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams on 10 February 2024 at the Copper Box Arena, Stratford go on sale at 12pm tomorrow (Friday 15 December) available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

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Copper Box Arena, managed by GLL, a charitable social enterprise and worker-owned cooperative, operating under the community-brand, Better.

Miami, FL (December 13, 2023 ) Peter Kahn, President of Fight Game Advisors, has announced today the signing of undefeated featherweight prospect John Laryea, (12-0-1, 10 KOs), from the boxing rich country of Ghana.

Ranked #15 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the 23-year-old Laryea has already claimed victory in four bouts scheduled for twelve rounds. Most recently he defended the WBO African Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Odoi Laryea (no relation) on October 7, 2023 at the famed Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana.

Additional recent victories for the hard-hitting Laryea include Solomon Martey (TKO-6), George Krampah (KO-2) and Sebastianus Natanael (TKO-4).

Stated Peter Kahn, “As I have said many times before, Ghana has such a rich boxing history not only in Africa, but in the entire world. I am very excited to be working with John Laryea and his team to guide John to the next level towards becoming a world champion.” 

In regards to the announcement, John Laryea said, “This news hit me so good and I can’t stop thinking about the day my coach and manager told me about the good news . I am very grateful to my manager Samuel Anim Addo and my coach Carl Lokko for changing my life as a professional boxer. It’s time for me to work harder so that I can become a world champion for Ghana.”

“I am looking forward to working with my team and Peter Kahn as I prepare to fight on the biggest stages in boxing. Still God is my Strength!”

Stated Samuel Anim Addo, “It is great to have Peter Kahn on board as we plan to move to the next level with the right partner of the John Laryea project. I am glad and honored to have Peter on board. I just want John to remember that ‘Everyday is Business’”

Continued Coach Carl Lokko about the partnership, “With the building up of John Laryea to the world stage, having Peter Kahn coming on to join the great team we already have will make us much stronger. With Peter onboard, John will have the opportunities to maximize his talents on the world stage.”

Kahn has a wealth of experience working with fighters from Ghana including the organizing of Emmanuel Tagoe’s fight with boxing superstar Ryan Garcia on April 9, 2022.

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Peter Kahn was the recipient of the prestigious 2022 Manager of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America and was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023.

A South Floridian since 1992, Kahn has been working in professional boxing for thirty years. Learning from the ground up, Kahn began as an amateur boxer in South Florida. His operational work with boxing icon Don King started in May of 1995 for the then biggest promotional company in the world. During this time, Kahn worked intimately on many memorable promotions featuring boxing superstars Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Terry Norris, and Ricardo Lopez.

In 2003, Kahn joined startup boxing promotional company Warriors Boxing Promotions as Director of Boxing Operations. His work there included the signing of numerous world champions and producing  countless world championship fights including memorable battles for Hector Camacho and Michael Moorer. His success also included working with three-time, two-division world champion Randall Bailey, who Kahn went on to manage. 

As an acclaimed boxing manager, one of Kahn’s earliest clients was former IBF super featherweight world champion and now a renowned trainer of champions, Robert Garcia. Kahn has gone on to manage many world champions and top prospects over the last fifteen years. In 2021 and 2022, Kahn was the only manager in the history of boxing to guide undisputed male and female fighters simultaneously; lightweight George Kambosos Jr. and super middleweight Franchón Crews-Dezurn. Kahn is currently the manager of fast rising star, junior middleweight Xander Zayas and many other world ranked contenders and highly regarded prospects through his company Fight Game Advisors. 

Since 2017, Kahn has been a boxing contributor to Forbes and CBS Sportsline. Kahn is also the Associate Producer of Netflix Original Series Fightworld. 

MINNEAPOLIS – December 13, 2023 – Former world champion Alberto Puello will return to take on fellow unbeaten Ector Madera in an eight-round super lightweight showdown as they headline the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show this Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will also feature middleweights Kyrone Davis and Cruse Stewart in an eight-round attraction, plus light heavyweight contender Lawrence King duels Alex Theran in a six-round fight. The streaming presentation will be hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.

These fights precede a four-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast headlined by undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battling knockout artist Sena Agbeko and beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) will return to action for the first time since August 2022 when he captured the WBA Super Lightweight World Championship with a victory over Batyr Akhmedov. A native of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, Puello now resides and trains in Las Vegas. Pueloo first shot up the rankings in July 2019, when he bested the previously unbeaten Jonathan Alonso via unanimous decision to capture an interim title. He will return to The Armory in Minneapolis for the second time, after previously scoring a unanimous decision over hometown favorite Veshawn Owens in December 2021. He will face Bakersfield, California’s Madera (11-0, 6 KOs), who now resides in Stockton and who will step up in competition to challenge the former champion Puello. The 27-year-old has fought professionally since 2016, and has put together a pair of three-fight knockout streaks so far. He last fought in 2022, scoring victories over Timothy Parks in August and Alejandro Frias Rodriguez in December.

The 29-year-old Davis (17-3-1, 6 KOs) will look to pick up a second victory in 2023 after previously dominating Cristian Fabian Rios in January to earn a unanimous decision. That victory came after a run that saw Davis battle two-time champion Anthony Dirrell to a draw in February 2021, before stepping in as a late replacement two fights later to drop a hard-fought contest against super middleweight superstar David Benavidez. An amateur standout representing Wilmington, Delaware, Davis trains in Philadelphia under the tutelage of top trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards. He duels the Maple Grove, Minnesota resident Stewart (8-2, 6 KOs) who will look to bounce back from a pair of defeats to unbeaten rising contender Elijah Garcia and then-unbeaten Hakim Lopez in 2022. The 34-year-old turned pro in 2018 before reeling off eight-straight victories.

A native of San Bernardino, California, King (13-1, 11 KOs) is a frequent sparring partner of undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and enters this fight on a nine-bout winning streak. Since a narrow decision defeat in his fifth pro fight, the 27-year-old has stopped eight of his last nine opponents. King has already earned two victories in 2023, including most recently stopping veteran contender Marco Reyes after six rounds in June. He will be opposed by Colombia’s Theran (23-12, 15 KOs), who now trains in Lynn, Massachusetts. The 33-year-old turned pro in 2011 and has fought a slew of contenders including Anthony Yarde, Yunieski Gonzalez and Radivoje Kalajdzic.

Highlighting the non-televised undercard is talented junior middleweight contender Joey Spencer in a six-round bout against Argentina’s Marcelo Bzowski.

The non-televised undercard will also see exciting rising prospect Michael Angeletti (9-0, 7 KOs) step in for an eight-round super bantamweight bout against Mexico’s Angel Contreras (13-7-2, 7 KOs), unbeaten super middleweight Shawn McCalman (14-0, 7 KOs) facing Cristian Olivas (22-9, 19 KOs) in an eight-round duel and unbeaten super lightweight prospect Jose Chollet (2-0, 2 KOs) battling Lyle McFarlane (2-2, 1 KO) in a four-round matchup.

Rounding out the card is a pair of Mayweather Promotions rising prospects as unbeaten super middleweight John Easter steps in for a four-round fight against South Carolina’s Javier Frazier, while lightweight Charles Harris Jr. squares off against Minneapolis’ Marlin Sims in a six-round battle.

#         #         #

ABOUT MORRELL VS. AGBEKO

Morrell vs. Agbeko will see undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battle knockout artist Sena Agbeko headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and feature exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event. Plus, WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova and all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #MorrellAgbeko follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

Los Angeles, CA (December 12, 2023) Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions has announced an outstanding battle added to the Saturday, January 27 event at the Commerce Casino featuring an eight-round light heavyweight clash between undefeated fighters; Umar Dzambekov, (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Los Angeles and Curtis Millender, (3-0, 2 KOs), of Placentia CA.

The January 27 event, broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS, is headlined by the ten-round WBC Continental Americas Featherweight Championship between Undefeated Rising Star Omar Trinidad, (14-0-1, 11KO’s), of Boyle Heights, CA and Cross-Town Rival Jose ‘El Mudo’ Perez, (11-2-2, 5 KOs), of Oak Hills, CA.

Advance tickets priced at $250, $150, $100 and $80 can be purchased online at www.360Promotions.us. The Commerce Casino, ‘The World’s Largest Card Room and Site of the LA Poker Classic’, is located at 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040. For more information and directions visit their website.

Stated Tom Loeffler, “Coming off an impressive win against tough veteran Frederic Julan at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 9, Umar Dzambekov is coming right back on January 27. He is in with another tough opponent, undefeated Curtis Millender. Millender is an experienced combat sports fighter and is coming to win this fight; this is a great addition to our first event kicking off the 2024 schedule at the Commerce Casino.”

Trained by Marvin Somodio at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA, the 26-year-old powerhouse Dzambekov starts his 2024 campaign following an exceptionally busy 2023 with six exciting victories. In addition to the eight-round unanimous decision over Julan, Dzambekov also defeated David Zegarra (KO-1), Kwame Ritter (UD-8), Crispulo Javier Andino (KO-3), Nathan Sharp (KO-3) and Anthony Fleming (KO-4).

The upset minded Millender returns to battle following an eight-round decision over hometown favorite Ryan Ford on May 26, 2023 in Alberta, Canada. His other two victories, both knockouts, came in Costa Mesa, CA over Kealil Kanekoa (April 27, 2023) and in his pro debut against John Mercurio (February 17, 2022). He also holds a professional MMA record of 21-9

Additional fights for the January 27th event will be announced shortly.

                                                ————————————————–

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NEW YORK, NY (December 12, 2023) DiBella Entertainment is thrilled to congratulate both Miyo Yoshida and Amanda Galle on becoming world champions over the weekend.

On Saturday, Miyo Yoshida seized the IBF Bantamweight World Title with a unanimous decision victory against Australian Ebanie Bridges at the Chase Center, in San Francisco, CA, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View, as part of the Haney-Prograis undercard. Taking the bout on short notice as a late replacement opponent, oddsmakers had Yoshida, of Kagoshima, Japan, as a 7-1 underdog. With her eight-year-old daughter watching from ringside, Yoshida outworked Bridges over 10 entertaining rounds, often finding a home for her overhand right. After a hard-fought battle by both fighters, the scorecards read 99-91 twice, and 97-93, all for Yoshida. With the win, Yoshida, 17-4, is now a three-time, two-division world champion. She previously held the WBO Super Flyweight World Title twice.

“Ebanie Bridges was a great champion and it was a very tough fight,” said Yoshida. “I really want to say it is thanks to Lou and DiBella Entertainment that I was able to become a world champion again after only one year in the United States. I am very grateful to all of them. Coming in as a late replacement, we only had about two weeks to train for this title match. However, I joined with Team Sosa and I believe that my victory was made possible thanks to the support of the entire team.”

“I am so proud of Miyo,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “What an epic performance to win a third world title. A thrill for a hard-working, dedicated, single mom to realize this dream in front of her little girl! Miyo is a warrior and she beat a warrior. I am so happy for one of the nicest people in boxing.”

Photo Credit: Jeff Lockhart Photo

On Sunday, Amanda Galle, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, defeated Niorkis Carreno, of Trujillo, Venezuela, to capture the IBO Bantamweight World Title. The two fought at Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, with Galle winning by unanimous decision via tallies of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94. The event was promoted by Lee Baxter Promotions, who co-promotes Galle with DiBella Entertainment. Galle, now 9-0-1 (1 KO), used her footwork, angles and speed to outbox the experienced Carreno, 24-4 (19 KOs), who was a three-time world title challenger entering the bout.

“I’m on a mission to be what I am destined to be. On Sunday, I became the new IBO World Bantamweight Champion,” said Galle. “The ultimate goal for me is being the undisputed bantamweight world champion. I am made for this. I am now reaping the rewards for all of my dedication and hard work in boxing for the past 16 years. Everything beforehand prepared me for this moment and whatever is to come ahead.”

“I knew when I signed Amanda to a co-promotional deal with Lee Baxter that she had the potential to become a world champion and I am thrilled to see her achieve her dream,” said DiBella. “She worked incredibly hard to reach this moment in her career and there are even bigger hurdles to overcome that I know she’ll be prepared for. Amanda Galle is one of the best fighters at bantamweight and she is ready to take on the division’s elite.”

On the undercard in Toronto, world ranked super lightweight contender Jessica Camara, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, earned a dominant victory against Mexican Estafania Orozco Oliva. Stopping Oliva at the 1:18 mark of the fourth round, Camara improved to 12-4, with 3 KOs. Camara is rated #1 by the WBC and #7 by the WBO. In 2021, she challenged Kali Reis for the unified WBA/WBO/IBO Super Lightweight World Championship, losing a very close split decision.

DiBella Entertainment

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Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt

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(Dec. 12, 2023) — Italian featherweight Francesco Grandelli returns against unbeaten Belgian Stefan Voda in the 12-round main event this Saturday, Dec. 16 at Palasport Le Cupole in Turin, Italy. 

In the eight-round junior welterweight co-feature, Spanish contender Sandor Martin takes on Belgium’s Mohamed El Marcouchi.

Grandelli-Voda, Martin-Marcouchi and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.

Grandelli (17-2-2, 3 KOs) began his pro career with a decision win over Marco Iuculano in May 2015. He experienced an early draw in his fourth fight and suffered his first loss in his sixth fight before scoring 11 straight wins ahead of a split draw against Mauro Forte. Following a decision win over Kane Baker, Grandelli suffered a first-round stoppage loss in a rematch with Forte in May. He bounced back with a six-round decision win over Emiliano Salvini in July. Voda (14-0, 5 KOs) is a five-year pro who has spent his entire pro career fighting in his homeland. The unbeaten 30-year-old returns after a unanimous decision win against Maicol Velazco in April.

Martin (41-3, 14 KOs) authored the 2021 Upset of the Year when he stunned Mikey Garcia by majority decision and sent the four-weight world champion into retirement. Martin, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, followed up the Garcia triumph with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Felix last April. He suffered a split decision loss against Teofimo Lopez last December, but bounced back with a sixth-round knockout win against Arblin Kaba in July. El Marcouchi (29-3, 12 KOs) heads to this contest following a second-round knockout against Giorgi Gviniashvili in May.

In other ESPN+ streaming bouts:

• Maxim Prodan (21-2-1, 16 KOs) will fight in an eight-round welterweight clash against Argentina’s Miguel Cesario Antin (20-12-1, 8 KO). Prodan, a Ukrainian-born warrior residing in Italy, is coming off a second-round knockout win over Mirko Marchetti in March.
   
• Italian southpaw Biagio Grimaldi (5-1, 3 KOs) looks to avenge his defeat against Darwin El Badaouy (2-2-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round lightweight rematch. Badaouy defeated Grimaldi via decision in March. 

# # #

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Honda Center with a blockbuster featherweight championship bout that will see Alexander Volkanovski defend against undefeated No. 5 ranked contender Ilia Topuria. Also, No. 2 ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili collides with No. 3 Henry Cejudo in a pivotal bantamweight clash.

UFC^® 298: VOLKANOVSKI vs. TOPURIA takes place Saturday, Feb. 17 in Anaheim, Calif. with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The early prelims will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC^® 298: VOLKANOVSKI vs. TOPURIA tickets will go on sale Friday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Dec. 14 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Media members wishing to apply for fight week credentials may sign up here.

Volkanovski (26-3, fighting out of Windang, NSW, Australia) plans to kick off his 2024 campaign by securing his sixth UFC featherweight title defense. Unbeaten at 145 pounds, he holds impressive victories over Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway and Brian Ortega. Volkanovski now intends to hand Topuria his first career loss in emphatic fashion.

Topuria (14-0, fighting out of Alicante, Spain) hopes to keep his undefeated record intact by dethroning Volkanovski with a career-defining performance. A well-rounded competitor with heavy hands, he holds memorable wins against Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall. Topuria now aims to finish Volkanovski and begin his reign atop the featherweight ladder.

Surging Dvalishvili (16-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia) has his sight set on taking out another former UFC champion. A relentless grappler and striker, he has earned notable victories over Petr Yan, Jose Aldo and Marlon Moraes. Dvalishvili now looks to stake his claim for a title shot by securing his 10^th consecutive win.

Former two-division champion Cejudo (16-3, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) plans to hand Dvalishvili his first loss in six years. A 2008 Olympic gold medal wrestler, he has delivered exciting victories against Dominick Cruz, T.J. Dillashaw and Demetrius Johnson. Cejudo now aims to make his case for a championship opportunity by halting Dvalishvili’s momentum with a dominant performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 3 ranked strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez (11-0, fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) hopes to remain undefeated when she takes on No. 4 Amanda Lemos (13-3-1, fighting out of Pará, Brazil)
• No. 9 ranked heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa (15-6, fighting out of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia) locks horns with No. 10 Marcin Tybura (24-8, fighting out of Uniejow, Poland)
• No. 15 ranked middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez (11-2 1NC, fighting out of Dunnigan, Calif.) squares off with rising Ikram Aliskerov (15-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia)
• No. 14 ranked flyweight contender Andrea Lee (13-8, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) battles Miranda Maverick (14-5, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Buffalo, Mo.)
• Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1, fighting out of Ribeirâo Pires, Brazil) faces Justin Tafa (7-3 1NC, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) in a hard-hitting heavyweight tilt
• Zhang Mingyang (16-6, fighting out of Qingdao, China) takes on Brendson Ribeiro (15-5 1NC, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) in a clash of debuting light heavyweights
• Yusaku Kinoshita (6-3, fighting out of Osaka, Japan) meets fellow Dana White’s Contender Series signee Danny Barlow (7-0, fighting out of Memphis, Tenn.) at welterweight

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 243 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC. 

About Honda Center

Located in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center has remained a premier entertainment and sports venue since its opening in 1993. Home to the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, the arena hosts a variety of events, including sold-out concerts, family entertainment, and thrilling sports competitions. Over the past three decades, the Honda Center has remained an iconic and beloved destination for live entertainment in Southern California, with over 4,500 events and 44 million guests, paving the way for an even more exciting future. It will serve as the anchor of the innovative ocV!BE community, a 100-acre one-of-a-kind, immersive district designed to bring people together through shared experiences.

About ESPN+ 

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About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.?ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst. 

DORCHESTER, MA – CES Boxing has been quietly adding to its impressive stable of fighters as 2023 comes to an end.  Most recently, the Providence based outfit signed 28-year-old lightweight prospect Tevin “Hitman” Regis (1-0, 1 KO) to an exclusive promotional agreement.

“I am thrilled to sign Tevin,” said CES founder, Jimmy Burchfield, Sr.  “I was blown away by his pro debut in August and am convinced that he has the poise, skill and charisma to become a star in the loaded lightweight division.”

Regis made his pro debut on August 5th a memorable one, knocking out Joshua Zimmerman in devastating fashion in the first round at the Polar Park in Worcester, MA. Sitting ringside that night was Burchfield, Sr., who was so impressed with Tevin’s performance that he immediately scheduled a meeting with brothers Marc and Nico Gargaro, who train and manage Regis, respectively, out of the Nonantum Boxing Club in Newton, MA. 

The moment was a very special one for Regis, whose mother tragically passed away only a few weeks before his pro debut. 

“I lost my mom on July 5th, and my fight was literally a month later on August 5th,” laments Regis.  “In the hospital few weeks before she passed away, my mom told me that she dreamt about the fight and saw me win my pro debut.  When I won the fight and had my hand raised, I felt like I was in that dream.  It was a special feeling.  For the outcome to be a 1st round knockout and to then get the attention of Jimmy and CES, it felt like a dream come true.” 

While Regis grew up watching the likes of Roy Jones, Jr., Floyd Mayweather, and Mike Tyson, he never considered a career in the squared circle.  The Dorchester native instead played football his entire life, from Pop Warner through college football at Fitchburg State University to playing semi-pro for a few years after that. It wasn’t until his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Tevin was 24 that he became inspired to fight.
 
“My mom was fighting breast cancer since 2019,” explains Regis.  “That was a big part of what drove me to boxing.  She was going through her own fight.  She always stood strong and showed me how strong she was, and I felt like I wanted to pick a fight of my own.” 

Looking for a place to train, Regis found the Nonantum Boxing Club, where he quickly picked up the nuances of the Sweet Science from Marc Gargaro, who was a US Olympic team coach from 2017 to 2021.  Only 4 years and 20 amateur bouts later, the pair decided to try the pro ranks.

“I kind of landed in the perfect place,” reflects Regis of signing with CES Boxing.  “I paid a lot of attention to the boxing scene in Massachusetts over the last few years, and CES is pretty much the biggest promotional company out there.  I had a short amateur career, but I have a great trainer with a lot of experience.  He’s so technical that I was able to develop my skills in a shorter timeframe.”

“Tevin is going to move fast,” said Gargaro, who now also serves as the head coach of Team Combat League’s Boston Butchers. “I’ve seen him perform well against top talent and he has the power to end a fight at any moment.  We’re excited about signing with CES.  I think it’s a perfect move for him and his career.” 

Regis’ first assignment with CES is a homecoming bout to kick off the new year, when he faces East Hartford, CT’s Salvatore Pugliares (0-1-1) at Freeport Hall in Dorchester, MA on January 13th. 

“I don’t know too much about him personally,” admits Regis of Pugliares.  “I’ve seen one of his fights and got a sense of his fighting style.  I’m just preparing to be the best me in front of my friends and family, and I’m not too worried about what he can do.”

With a new promoter in tow and a homecoming fight on the schedule, 2024 looks to be a promising year for the lightweight prospect.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

Evgeny Tishchenko made history by becoming the first World Boxing Association (WBA) bridgerweight champion by defeating Leon Harth this weekend at the Agenda Arena in Dubai.

The Russian fighter finished the fight in the sixth round against a veteran like Harth and took the belt in the 200 / 224-pound weight class.

It was the first championship fight in this division and Tishchenko dominated the bout, winning every round and got a knockdown in the second round to cruise to victory.

Harth put a lot of heart in the ring but was outclassed by the Russian and lost his chance to become champion.

Tishchenko left his record at 13 wins, 1 loss. For his part, Harth now has a record of 22 wins, 6 losses and 1 draw.

The first day of the 102nd World Boxing Association (WBA) Convention will be held at the Caribe Royale Hotel, in Orlando, Florida, where different events will take place until December 14th. 

The agenda will open at 9:00 a.m. (local time) with the General Assembly of the organization, which will be led by the president of the organization, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, along with all the members of the Executive board in a general discussion.

At 2:00 p.m., the Championships Committee and the Ratings Committee will gather, to discussed issues related to the weight divisions will be discussed, with the participation of promoters who will have the right to speak in these discussions.

Finally, in the evening, the opening ceremony will be held with the participation of all the special guests and world boxing figures who will attend this convention.

The event will continue in consecutive days until next Thursday, when different topics of world interest will be discussed.

NEW YORK (December 15, 2023) Tomorrow night at New York’s Sony Hall, DiBella Entertainment fighter Tsendbaatar Erdenebat steps into the ring to face Yohan “La Fiera” Vasquez, headlining “Holiday Fight Night 2”. Erdenebat (7-0, 3 KOs), from Tsetserleg, Mongolia, will put his undefeated record on the line when he takes on the tough and tested Vasquez (25-4, 20 KOs).

The fight will stream live and free at videos.boxinginsider.com. The card is promoted by Larry Goldberg’s Boxing Insider Promotions.

It has been a busy and active year for the southpaw Erdenebat, who is fighting for the fourth time in 2023. He is coming off of a 10-round points victory against Wensong Liu (11-2-1, 8 KOs) in September. The 27-year-old Mongolian prospect has been matched tough throughout his short career, fighting in his first 10-rounder in only his second pro bout.

Vasquez, who hails from The Bronx, NY, by way of the Dominican Republic, is coming off of a hard-fought 10-round decision loss to Filipino Charly Suarez (16-0, 9 KOs) in Tulsa, OK.

“I want to end the year strong,” said Erdenebat. “I am facing an opponent that hasn’t lost by knockout. Hopefully, I am going to come out victorious and give him his first knockout loss. I’m not going to force it. If it comes naturally, great. If not, I will use my skills, experience and power to dominate all of the rounds. I’m prepared for a full eight-round fight.

“I want to make a good impression in this fight so that I will have bigger and tougher opposition in the future,” he continued. “To get there, I know I need to make a statement with this fight.”

“This is an important fight for Tsendbaatar competing in his first main event against an experienced foe,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “With his vaunted power, fearless attitude, and fan-friendly style, Tsendbaatar creates excitement whenever he fights and he has the potential to become a world class contender.”

Erdenebat grew up on the countryside steppes of the Mongolian grassland, living a nomadic lifestyle with his family, herding horses and livestock, which helped him to develop his lauded strength. As an amateur, Erdenebat was a two-time Olympian, competing in the 2016 Rio Games and 2020 Tokyo Games. Accumulating an impressive 147-41 record, Erdenebat won 11 Mongolian National titles, as well as gold medals at the AIBA Asian Championships twice, the 2018 Asian Games, and a bronze medal at the 2019 AIBA World Championships.

Tickets for “Holiday Fight Night 2” start at $95 and are available via ticketmaster.com. Doors to Sony Hall open at 6:30pm, and first bell is at 7:30pm.  

DiBella Entertainment

Instagram: @DiBellaEnt

Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt

Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

WORCESTER, Mass. (December 10, 2023) – Undefeated welterweight prospect Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (13-0, 7 KOs) settled unfinished business in last night’s “Pandemonium at The Palladium 2” main event, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), at the famed Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

All of the action was streamed live on BXNGTV.com from the famed Palladium in Worcester. GCP partnered with Project New Hope, a Worcester-based charity that supports veterans and their families.

In a fight that almost happened several times in the past, unbeaten welterweight Whitley and Larson finally met to settle unfinished business for the vacant Junior North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Welterweight Championship. Neither had fought in a 10-rounder until last night.

After a “feeling out” first round, the strategy was for Whitley to keep his hands high and effectively counter punch, while the tough, rugged Larson more than lived up to his nickname (“Lionheart”), charging forward and throwing punches from various angles. A steady diet of counter punches enabled Whitley to take control, knocking Larson’s mouthpiece out twice early in the fight when Whitley trapped him in the corners.

The action somewhat slowed in the sixth and seventh rounds as the always poised Whitley continued to breakdown a game Larson, who kept coming at the start of the eighth, but Whitley remained dominant and unfazed by Larson’s aggressive style.

Larson was penalized a point in the ninth round when his mouthpiece came out for the fifth time during the clash. Clearly the Fighter of the Night, Whitley only had to remain upright to win, but he chose to fight right to the end, firing shots until the final bell. The judges’ wide range of scoring resulted in a somewhat questionable 10-round split decision win for Whitley (99-90, 97-92, 92-97.

“He (Larson) said he was strong, and he was,” Whitley said after the fight. “That kid is tough. If you judge by competition in a full fight this was my best fight. Every time he threw his right hand, I countered with uppercuts. I thought I was going to get him out of there, but when I had him on the ropes, he got too close to me for me to have the right range, and he got out and came right back. I have to give it up to him. The question going into this fight was who was left in New England for the winner. I think I will have to move around, fighting outside of New England in 2024, and hopefully I’ll move up in the WBC rankings after this win.”

Denzel Whitley is crowned the new NABF Welterweight Champion

Whitley is also the reigning Massachusetts and United States Boxing Federation (USBF) Welterweight Champion.

Hometown favorite Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. (22-1-3, 12 KOs), of Worcester, captured his third title belt, the vacant USBF light heavyweight, stopping his Venezuelan opponent, former WBA Fedelatin Super Welterweight Champion Heber Rondon (20-6, 13 KOs), at the tail end of the first round. Ball drilled Rondon with a body shot and unleashed a couple of additional punches that dropped Rondon on his back. Ball added the USBF belt to his hardware collection that includes the New England middleweight and WBC USA Silver super middleweight straps.

Marshfield (MA) welterweight Joe Bush, a 2023 New England Golden Gloves silver medalist, turned in a spectacular pro debut performance versus Jemorean Smith (0-2). Bush stopped Smith with a perfectly placed shot to the stomach that dropped Smith to his knees. He failed to beat the referee’s 10-count for a Bush knockout at the 58-second mark of round one.

Joe Bush had his hand raised in victory in his pro debut

Coming out of the corner with vengeance in his eyes, aggressive Douglas (MA) junior middleweight Robert Degaetano (2-0, 2 KOs) blasted out Devon Grant (0-7) in the opening round, flooring Grant three times to earn a technical knockout victory.

Degaetano unloaded a barrage of unanswered punches for the first knockdown, followed by a six-punch combination for the second, and a left to the head and right to the body sent Grant down again and the referee waved off the action.

In arguably the Fight of the Night, Worcester junior middleweight Khiary “Too Sharp” Gray (17-6, 13 KOs) won a very competitive six-round unanimous decision (58-56 X 3) over cagey Jimmy “The Quiet Storm” Williams (18-14-2, 6 KOs), despite the New Haven fighter recording the lone knockdown of the fight. Gray fought for the first time in two years and his ring rust showed as he missed punches early, but he buzzed Williams in the second and buckled his opponent’s knees in the fourth. A former college football player who only two years ago defeated world champion Yuri Foreman, Williams used his experience and athleticism to great advantage, scoring a flash knockdown in the fourth.

Undefeated Springfield (MA) lightweight prospect Carlos “El Gallo” Gonzalez extended his win streak to nine with his eighth knockout. Gonzalez sent Nathan Benichou (2-19-1, 2 KOs) to the canvas in the opening round via a quick left-right combination. Gonzalez attacked full force in the second and closed the show with a lightning quick one-two.

Scituate (MA) heavyweight Kevin “Big Gulp” Nagle improved to 5-0 with his fifth knockout when pro-debuting Tadeu Costa was unable to continue after three rounds.

Cuban southpaw Danny Lafos Poll (3-0, 3 KOs) sent junior middleweight Bryan Goldsby (5-20) to the canvas three times by the middle of round one. The first was by way of a left cross, second a body shot, and the last a left to the head after which the referee stopped the fight.

Junior welterweight Carlos Marrero III (6-9-3, 1 KO) registered a mild upset, knocking out Tyrone “Hands of Stone” Luckey (16-23-4, 12 KOs) with a straight right hand in the second round. It was Marrero’s first knockout of his 18-fight pro career.

Famous Wilson (3-0, 3 KOs) dropped super middleweight Nata Gomes (0-3) with a body shot, followed by another knockdown, when the referee halted the action at 2:15 of the opening round.

Springfield junior welterweight Edwine Humaine (3-0, 3 KOs) only needed 19 seconds to stop pro-debuting Terrence Richardson, who was dropped by a three-punch combination, never recovering from the first shot to the body.

Four-time New England Golden Gloves champion Keno Luna, of Worcester, will need to wait a little longer for his pro debut. His scheduled fight last night was cancelled when his opponent, Moises Rivera, didn’t show up at the venue to fight even though he weighed in the day before.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT JUNIOR NABF WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Denzel Whitley (13-0, 7 KOs), Holyoke, MA.

WDEC10 (99-90, 97-92, 92-97)

Kenny Larson (7-1-1, 5 KOs), Salem, MA.

(Whitley won vacant Junior NABF welterweight title)

VACANT USBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Kendrick Ball, Jr. (22-1-3, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA

WKO1 (2:59)

Heber Rondon (20-6, 13 KOs), Los Teques, Venezuela

(Ball won vacant USBF light heavyweight title)

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Kevin Nagle (5-0, 5 KOs), Scituate, MA

WTKO3 (3:00)

Tadeu Costa (0-1), Boston, MA by way of Brazil

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Famous Wilson (3-0, 2 KOS), Stoney Brook, NY

WTKO1 (2:15)

Nata Gomes (0-3), Los Angeles, CA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Robert Degaetano (2-0, 2 KOs), Douglas, MA

WKO1 (1:02).

Devon Grant (0-7), Harlem, NY

Khiary Gray (18-6, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA

WDEC6 (58-56, 58-56, 58-56)

Jimmy Williams (18-14-2, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT

Danny Lafos Poll (3-0, 3 KOs), Santiago, Cuba

WTKO1 (1:43)

Bryan Goldsby (5-20, 0 KOs), Macon, GA

Keno Luna (0-0, 0 KO), Worcester, MA

CANCELED

Moises Rivera (0-9), Worcester, MA

WELTERWEIGHTS

Joe Bush (1-0, 1 KO), Marshfield, MA

WKO1 (0:58)

Jemorean Smith (0-2), Wilson, NC

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS

Carlos Marrero III (6-9-3, 1 KOs), Bridgeport, CT

WKO2 (0:53)

Tyrone Luckey (16-23-4, 12 KOs), Manahawkin, NJ

Edwine Humaine (3-0, 3 KOs), Springfield, MA by way of Haiti

WKO1 (0:19)

Terrence Richardson (0-1), Wilson, NC

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Carlos Gonzalez (9-0, 8 KOs), Springfield, MA

WTKO2 (1:20)

Nathan Benichou (2-19-1, 2 KOs), Puebla City, Mexico by way of France

By Mario Ortega Jr. (Ringside)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA  — The former unified lightweight champion Devin Haney impressed in his 140-pound debut, issuing Regis Prograis the most one-sided defeat of his career en route to claiming the WBC light welterweight title before his hometown crowd.

Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada was just too much of everything for Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) of Houston, Texas by way of New Orleans, Louisiana over the twelve rounds.

After a feeling out opening stanza, the fight was all Haney. In the second round, Haney, 140, began to find the angles he needed to land, which he did with one right uppercut in particular.

Early in the third, Haney scored a knockdown with a lead right over the top of Prograis’ guard.

Prograis, 139, came out for the fourth on steady legs, but the challenger continued to give him a boxing lesson as the fight wore on. Haney landed a crisp one-two combination to punctuate the fourth round.

Haney continued to blister Prograis with combinations in the fifth round, while also putting some money in the bank via a body attack.

The one-two worked again for Haney as he rocked Prograis back on his heels with less than a minute to go in the sixth.

The pace slowed in the seventh, with Prograis was unwilling to let his hands go. The referee and the ringside doctor took a long look in the Prograis’ corner prior to the eighth.

Haney led the action in the eighth and ninth, but with less and less to counter, the Bay Area native was content to box and move. With a minute to go in the ninth, Prograis over extended himself with a left and Haney made him pay with a clubbing right that excited the crowd.

Haney seemed satisfied sending the bout to the cards as he exhibited some flashy defense in the championship rounds, but never pressed for the stoppage as he outboxed Prograis from bell-to-bell.

In the end, all three judges scored the shutout for Haney, 120-107. The question now is where does Haney go next. 140-pounds is one of the deepest divisions in boxing, but the Haneys have already floated designs on the welterweight division. Promoter Eddie Hearn floated the name of Ryan Garcia after the bout, but that seems like an unlikely prospect.

In the final appetizer before the main event, WBO #11 ranked light welterweight Liam Paro scored two knockdowns early in the sixth en route to stopping Montana Love midway through the round.

Paro (24-0, 15 KOs) of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio fought on even terms early in the fight. There was not much to distinguish the two as the boo birds derided the lack of early action. 

Things heated up a bit more late in the fifth, but it was the sixth where the fight took a quick turn. Paro, 140, landed clean with a left uppercut that sent Love, 140, to the seat of his pants for the first knockdown. 

When action resumed, Paro moved in aggressively, eventually landing a straight left that sent Love down for a second time. Love made it to his feet, but when Paro forced him into a neutral corner with a flurry, Love covered up for too long for referee Thomas Taylor’s liking. The referee stopped the fight at 1:49 of round six.

With the win, Paro, who had a scheduled title bout against Regis Prograis slip between his fingers due to injury earlier this year, claimed the vacant regional WBO Intercontinental 140-pound title.

Cruz Takes out Straffon in 3

Fast-rising lightweight prospect Andy Cruz (2-0, 1 KO) of Miami, Florida by way of Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba completely steamrolled normally durable Jovanni Straffon (26-6-1, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico en route to a third-round stoppage. 

Cruz, 134.4, let loose with both hands from the opening bell. It was all Straffon, 134, could do to weather the onslaught. The second round was especially one-sided, as Cruz straffed Straffon with everything in his arsenal.

Early in the third round, Cruz pressed Straffon into a neutral corner, landing clean with both hands. Having seen enough of the mismatch, referee Edward Collantes leaped in to stop the bout at :53 of the third round. 

With the win, Cruz successfully defended his IBF International lightweight title and claimed the vacant WBA Continental Latin America lightweight title. 

Yoshida Upsets Bridges to Claim Bantamweight Title

Coming in on short notice, Miyo Yoshida (17-4) of New York, New York by way of Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan upset media darling Ebanie Bridges (9-2, 4 KOs) of New South Wales, Australia to claim the IBF bantamweight championship by ten-round unanimous decision. 

Yoshida, 117.6, was in the face of the champion Bridges, 117.8, from the get-go and never took a backward step. Yoshida, despite having campaigned mainly in the 115-pound super flyweight division throughout her career, looked like the bigger fighter and landed the harder shots.

Bridges, fighting for the first time in a year with a surgically-repaired right hand,  never was able to force Yoshida into any sort of retreat and ate the more eye-catching shots as they exchanged throughout a fight fought completely on the inside. 

Yoshida, who entered the ring as the IBF #10 ranked bantamweight and had fought just one month ago in a losing effort to Shurretta Metcalf, closed out the fight strong and raised her hands in celebration as the final bell rang. In the end, all three judges scored the fight wide for Yoshida by scores of 97-93 and 99-91 twice

Middleweight prospect Amari Jones (11-0, 10 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Oakland, California was impressive in his Bay Area homecoming as he stopped tough veteran Quilisto Madera (14-5, 9 KOs) of Stockton, California in the fifth-round. 

Jones, 159.2 controlled Madera, 160, in the opening round with his jab. As the fight progressed into round three, Jones’ right hand came more into play and became the dominant punch of the fight. 

The end of round four got Jones’ home crowd excited as a right hand snapped Madera’s head back against the turnbuckle and set off an exchange along the ropes. 

Jones picked right up where he left off early in the fifth. With Jones landing clean, two-handed combinations as Madera backed against the ropes, referee Thomas Taylor leaped in to stop the fight. Official time of the stoppage was 1:44 of the fifth round. 

Beatriz Ferreira (4-0, 2 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil saw her own blood for the first time as a professional en route to an eight-round stoppage of a game Destiny Jones (5-2, 2 KOs) of Austin, Texas.

Ferreira, 130, found a willing opponent in Jones, 129.8, who had her moments throughout the bout. Ferreira is just a fearless punching machine and Jones had to work hard to keep pace. Twice Ferreira knocked Jones’ mouthpiece out, once with a right late in the second and again in the fourth.

After Jones drew blood with an accidental elbow late in round four, Ferreira seemed more determined to go for the stoppage as the fight progressed. Ferreira eventually landed with a sweeping left hook with seconds to go in round seven that dropped Jones, who was leaning that way.

At the beginning of round eight, Jones did not react well when asked to touch gloves and referee Edward Collantes asked the doctor for a look. On the advice of the doctor, Collantes stopped the bout. Official time of stoppage was :05 of round eight.

In the opening bout, Shamar Canal (7-0, 4 KOs) of Albany, New York continued his rise with a dominant six-round unanimous decision over veteran Jose Antonio Meza (8-9, 2 KOs) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico. 

Canal, 132, had too many dimensions for the durable Meza. After comfortably outboxing Meza, 131.8, over the early rounds, Canal pressed on the gas in the last two and finally broke through with a straight right that dropped the Mexican native late in the sixth. All three judges were in agreement on the shutout, 60-53.

Rafael Espinosa wrestled the WBO Featherweight title with an action packed 12-round majority decision over Robeisy Ramirez at The Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

The taller Espinosa had a good start to the fight as he was able to get inside and land punches. Ramirez was able to get in some decent shots of his own. In round five, Ramirez landed a right hook that sent Espinosa to the deck. Espinosa got up but fell back down at the bell.

The two traded flurries of punches which thrilled the sold out crowd which favored the Cuban born Ramirez. In round 12, Espinosa’s pressure finally wilted Ramirez and dropped the now-former champion with a flurry that was capped by a left hook.

That seemed to be the difference as Espinosa won by scores of 115-111, 114-112 and 113-113.

Espinosa, 125.3 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is now 22-0. Ramirez, 125.6 lbs of Cuba is 13-2.

Espinoza said, “I didn’t think about anything in here. I just thought about winning. I even asked what round we were in. And I knew that I had to drop him in order to win. I just put my heart into it. I always do that. And thank God it happened.

“I think I’ve had a broken foot since the second round. But what kept me on my feet was my daughter, my parents, my wife and my family. I knew that all of Mexico was watching me. And I knew that I had to become a world champion.”

Ramirez said, “We did what we always do. We followed what Ismael Salas told us to do. We scored the knockdown and tried to end the fight, but it didn’t happen.

“I thought the fight was won. But he got his second wind. I tried to catch mine. But I’ve got to give him credit. He came after me. He got the knockdown. I didn’t think it would determine the result, but that’s what the judges decided.”

Zayas Stops Fortea in 5

Promising Xander Zayas stopped Jorge Fortea in round five of their 10-round junior middleweight bout.

In round one, Zayas dropped Fortea with a left to the body. In round five, it as another left to the body that put Fortea down for the 10-count at 1:37.

Zayas, 153.6 lbs of San Juan, PR is 18-0 with 12 knockouts. Fortea, 153,7 lbs of Souce, ESP is 24-4-1.

Zayas, “We knew that he likes to keep his elbows out. And it was just a matter of time after we got him in the first round. After that, he went into survival mode and brought his elbows down. But then we got him with another body shot.”

Good looking Bruce Carrington remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Jason Sanchez in a 10-round featherweight fight.

In round two, Carrington rocked Sanchez with a right. He followed him around the ring and dropped Sanchez with a hard right. Sanchez was not all the way back and then ate a left hook just before the bell and went to the canvas again and the fight was over at 2:59.

Carrington, 125.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 10-0 with six knockouts. Sanchez, 125.7 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 16-5.

Carrington said, “This was a statement to the rest of the featherweight division. I want all the smoke. It doesn’t’ matter who it is.”

Richard Torrez Jr. had to almost go the distance for the first time. The key word is almost as he stopped veteran Curtis Harper in the eighth and final round of their heavyweight bout.

Torrez battered Harper throughout the fight and finished him with a hard flurry of punches on the ropes before a referee stoppage at 2:03.

Torrez, 230.8 lbs of Tulure, CA is 8-0 with eight knockouts. Harper, 273.9 lbs of Clarksville, TN is 14-11.

Torrez said, “I knew I needed the rounds, and Curtis Harper was a tough, game opponent. This is an experience that will only help me as I progress.
 
“When I saw his mouthpiece fly out, I knew the knockout was coming. I’m happy I got the rounds in and a knockout.”

Jahi Tucker and Francisco Daniel Veron fought to a eight-round majority draw in a junior middleweight contest.

Tucker won a scorecard by a 77-75 tally, that was overruled by two 76-76 cards.

Tucker, 155.2 lbs of Deer Park, NY is 10-1-1. Veron, 155.1 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 13-0-1.

Rohan Polanco scored a sixth round stoppage over Keith Hunter in a eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round six, Polanco hurt Hunter and landed a huge flurry of punches and the fight was stopped at 2:06. Hunter was visibly upset and may have struck the referee.

Polanco, 142.9 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 11-0 with seven knockouts. Hunter, 139.3 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is now 15-2.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with an eight-round split decision over Jimmer Espinosa in a junior welterweight bout.

Johnson, 141.6 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 79-73 and 78-74, while Espinosa took a card 77-75.

Johnson is now 11-0. Espinosa, 141.2 lbs of Tuxtl, MEX is 15-2.

Damian Knyba remained undefeated with eight-round unanimous decision over Michael Coffie in a heavyweight bout.

Knyba, 264.1 lbs of Wodzyn, POL won by scores 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is 13-0. Coffie, 290.9 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 13-5.

WORCESTER, Mass. (December 9, 2023) – The official weigh in for tonight’s “Pandemonium at The Palladium 2” pro boxing event, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), was held yesterday at Mackao Restaurant in Worcester, Massachusetts.

All of the action will be streamed live on BXNGTV.com from the famed Palladium in Worcester. GCP has partnered with Project New Hope, a Worcester-based charity that supports veterans and their families.

Tickets are on sale and available for purchase online at www.ThePalladium.net. Limited tickets may be available to buy at the Palladium Box Office on fight night.

Event starts at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Fighters’ weights below:

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT JUNIOR NABF WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)

Denzel Whitley (12-0, 7 KOs), Holyoke, MA 147 lbs.

Kenny Larson (7-0-1, 5 KOs), Salem, MA 147 lbs.

VACANT USBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)

Heber Rondon (20-5, 13 KOs), Los Teques, Venezuela 177 lbs.

Kendrick Ball, Jr. (21-1-3, 12 KOs), Worcester, MA 180 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Joe Bush (pro debut), Marshfield, MA 147 lbs.

Jemorean Smith (0-1), Wilson, NC 143.5 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Robert Degaetano (1-0, 1 KO), Douglas, MA 152 lbs.

Devon Grant (0-6), Harlem, NY 145 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (6)

Khiary Gray (17-6, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

Jimmy Williams (18-13-2, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT 153.5 lbs.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Nathan Benichou (2-18-1, 2 KOs), Puebla City, Mexico by way of France 134.5 lbs.

Carlos Gonzalez (8-0, 7 KOs), Springfield, MA 135 lbs.

HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Kevin Nagle (4-0, 4 KOs), Scituate, MA 293 lbs.

Tadeu Costa (pro debut), Boston, MA by way of Brazil 262 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Bryan Goldsby (5-19, 0 KOs), Macon, GA 152 lbs.

Danny Lafos Poll (2-0, 2 KOs), Santiago, Cuba 154.5 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Moises Rivera (0-9), Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

Keno Luna (pro debut), Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Tyrone Luckey (16-22-4, 12 KOs), Manahawkin, NJ 144.5 lbs.

Carlos Marrero III (5-9-3, 0 KOs), Springfield, MA 142.5 lbs.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Famous Wilson (2-0, 1 KO), Stoney Brook, NY 162 lbs.

Nata Gomes (0-2), Los Angeles, CA 167.5 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Terrence Richardson (pro debut), Wilson, NC 150 lbs.

Edwine Humaine (2-0, 2 KOs), Springfield, MA by way of Haiti 153 lbs. 

(card subject to change)

_______________________________________________________________________

INFORMATION:  

Facebook.com/GraniteChin

Twitter: @Granite_Chin

12×3 mins – WBO World Cruiserweight Championship

CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH  – 14st 3lbs / 199lbs

MATEUSZ MASTERNAK – 14st 2 lbs / 198lbs

8×3 mins – Light Heavyweight Contest

BEN WHITTAKER – 12st 6lbs / 174lbs

STIVEN LEONETTI DREDHAJ – 12st 8lbs / 176lbs

8×2 mins – Welterweight Contest

LAUREN PRICE – 10st 6 lbs / 146lbs

SILVA BORTOT – 10st 2lbs 5oz / 142lbs

10×3 mins – Vacant English Super Welterweight Championship

LEE CUTLER – 10st 13lbs / 153lbs

KINGSLEY EGBUNIKE – 10st 12lbs / 152lbs

10×3 mins – Vacant WBC Silver International Welterweight Championship

MICHAEL MCKINSON – 10st 6lbs / 146lbs

MUSAH LAWSON – 10st 3 lbs / 143lbs

6×2 mins – Bantamweight Contest

FRANCESCA HENNESSY – 8st 8lbs / 120lbs

LUCRECIA BELEN ARRIETA – 8st 7lbs / 119lbs

6×3 mins – Light Heavyweight Contest

LEWIS EDMONDSON – 12st 12lbs / 180lbs

DMYTRO FEDAS – 12st 13lbs / 181lbs

RETURN OF THE KING: Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak takes place on Sunday, December 10 at the Bournemouth International Centre and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and Who Dares Gyms.

6 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
 
SHAMAR CANAL (132lbs)          vs.        JOSE ANTONIO MESA (131.8lbs)
Albany, New York                                  Durango, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
8 x 2 mins Super-Featherweight contest
 
BEATRIZ FERREIRA (130lbs)       vs.        DESTINY JONES (129.8lbs)
Sao Paulo, Brazil                                   Austin, Texas
 
Followed by
 
8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
 
AMARI JONES (159.2lbs)           vs.       QUILISTO MADERA (160lbs)
Oakland, California                               Stockton, California
 
LIVE ON DAZN PPV (USA) AND DAZN (R.O.W) FROM 5PM
 
10 x 2 mins IBF World Bantamweight title
 
EBANIE BRIDGES (117.8lbs)       vs.        MIYO YOSHIDA (117.6lbs)
New South Wales, Australia                   Kagoshima, Japan
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins IBF International and vacant WBA Continental Latin-American Lightweight titles
 
ANDY CRUZ (134.4lbs)                 vs.        JOVANNI STRAFFON (134lbs)
Matanzas, Cuba                                    Mexico City, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins WBO Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title
 
LIAM PARO (140lbs)                  vs.        MONTANA LOVE (140lbs)
Brisbane, Australia                                Cleveland, Ohio
 
Followed by
 
12 x 3 mins WBC World Super-Lightweight title
 
REGIS PROGRAIS (139lbs)         vs.       DEVIN HANEY (140lbs)
Houston, Texas                                      San Francisco, California