By Norm Frauenheim –

The last time Elijah Garcia opened the show he proved to be a showstopper. He said a memorable hello to a new audience with a quick goodbye to an unbeaten veteran.

It was an impressive introduction, one that Garcia can continue with another hello to an even bigger audience, again in the opening pay-per-view bout in what is being called boxing’s biggest card so far this year.

This time, Elijah Garcia (14-0, 12 KOs) can deliver the opening salvo on the much-anticipated and highly-hyped Tank Davis-versus-Ryan Garcia clash on pay-per-view ($84.99) Saturday night (5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET) at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

It’s significant for lots of reasons. Showtime is calling it a “generational” fight, meaning it’s time for the young guns to move in and the aging ones to move on.  The 28-year-old Tank and the 24-year-old Ryan Garcia are at the defining edge of what might be boxing’s passing of the torch.

It’s a good place for a promising 19-year-old to be. For Garcia, it’s the only place. The teenaged middleweight from Arizona can further enhance his credentials as a fighter to follow for the next several years

“My last fight was an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up, just like this fight,’’ Elijah Garcia said during a media workout Wednesday at the MGM Grand. “I’m still learning. This is a huge card right here. I am so happy to be a part of it.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this before, but it is not as hard as I thought it would be so far.’’

Elijah Garcia expects the hardest part to happen at opening bell against Kevin Salgado, a Mexican middleweight living in San Antonio with a taste of world-class experience.

Salgado’s lone loss is to Joey Spencer, who lost a seventh-round TKO to junior middleweight prospect and fellow Arizona fighter Jesus Ramos March 25 on a card featuring Phoenix super-middleweight David Benavidez’ decision over Caleb Plant at Vegas’ MGM Grand.

Salgado (15-1-1, 10 KOs), who is listed as Kevin Salgado Zambrano on BoxRec, is more than five years older than Elijah Garcia. Then again, most everybody in the pro ranks are older than Elijah. He likes it that way.

“This is going to be a war,’’ said the young middleweight, who wears his Phoenix roots with city’s 602 area code stitched across his waist band “Someone is going to get knocked out.’’ 

Less than two months ago, Elijah Garcia opened the pay-per-view portion of a card featuring featherweight Brandon Figueroa’s stoppage of Mark Magsayo on March 4

The bout looked risky. His opponent was 27-years old, unbeaten and known for power. Elijah Garcia knocked out Amilcar Vidal within four rounds.

With the victory, Garcia did more than introduce himself as a prospect. He said hello to fans who didn’t know him. He also introduced heightened expectations, both for himself and newfound followers.

“Being a main event fighter is everybody’s dream,’’ he said. “My goal is doing it even sooner than [Tank] Davis and [Ryan] Garcia did.’’

Time to say hello again.

By Norm Frauenheim –

It’s called a tune-up. A long-awaited homecoming. But it’s beginning to look as if Canelo Alvarez’ fight with John Ryder on May 6 might prove to be more than just that.

The bout, Canelo’s first since his trilogy decision over Gennadiy Golovkin in September, is turning into a key date that could set the stage for the next and perhaps final chapter in a long, legendary career.

For weeks, the bout has been advertised as a way for Canelo to come back from surgery on his left wrist.

After a seven-month layoff, it’s a chance to see whether the wrist is repaired and the energy restored. In Canelo’s first fight in Mexico in more than a decade, it’s also an opportunity to say thanks to his fans in hometown Guadalajara.

It’s still all of those things. But increasingly there’s more at stake. More to consider.

There’s David Benavidez, who emerged from his unanimous decision over Caleb Plant on March 25 with unmistakable momentum. Then, there’s light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, who has been on the sidelines longer than Canelo in spite of his career-defining upset of the undisputed super-middleweight champion in a 175-pound last May.

The clamor for more Benavidez from his growing fan base and Bivol’s disappointing inactivity despite Fighter-of-the-Year recognition for the Canelo stunner are creating crosswinds and perhaps a crossroads for Canelo.

What’s next?

That plan looked simple enough before Benavidez-Plant. On Canelo’s to-do list, the first item was beating Ryder without complication and with only the roar of an adoring hometown crowd. Second item: A rematch with Bivol in September in a bid to correct the record with an avenging victory that would silence the Canelo doubters.

Before and after Benavidez plowed through Plant in the late rounds of a so-called 12-round eliminator, Canelo insisted that his 2023 calendar was booked.

Benavidez would have to continue waiting until at least next year. But Benavidez’ victory over Plant represents something of a coming-out party for the Phoenix-born fighter. There’s leverage in that. His growing number of fans are amplifying his call for a Canelo fight this year. Put it this way: His victory over Plant has put him squarely in the argument and will keep him there.

In on-line and social media, it’s an argument that – like Benavidez — won’t go away.  Just three weeks after Benavidez-Plant and three weeks before Canelo-Ryder, it continues. It’s sure to still be there, part of the proceedings at opening bell in Guadalajara.

It’s a debate fueled, first and foremost, by business interests. In prize fighting, follow the prize.

Despite Bivol’s comprehensive ring skill, he’s doesn’t have Benavidez’ emerging name recognition, especially among Mexican and Mexican-American fans. A further complication is Bivol’s Russian citizenship during Putin’s war with the Ukraine. Both loom as explanations for his inability to stay active in the wake of a victory that should have created opportunity. It just didn’t.

Depending on how Canelo does against Ryder, there are now reports that Showtime might make “an aggressive” offer to Canelo to fight Benavidez in late 2023. Bivol-Canelo would be interesting, but Benavidez-Canelo is the path to the biggest money, both for the fighters and the networks

But beware. In February 2022, Benavidez promoter/manager Sampson Lewkowicz said he had made an offer to Canelo to fight Benavidez in the fall of last year. It was aggressive, as in $50-million aggressive, according to Lewkowicz.

Canelo declined then.

He might decline again and instead pursue a rematch with Bivol. He has said he would want the rematch to again be at 175 pounds. His current promoter, Eddie Hearn, has mentioned super-middle, 168, which would put Canelo’s titles at risk.

But the biggest risk would be another loss, dealing a huge blow to Canelo’s career and long-stated pursuit of history. It would also damage the big-money potential of an immediate fight with Benavidez.

Already, there are hints of what many inside boxing have been saying since May. To wit: He can’t beat Bivol at either weight, 168 or 175. At opening bell, the Russian would still be the much bigger man.

Echoes of that opinion were evident last week in comments from Bivol manager Viktor Kornilov

“I don’t think Canelo’s team wants this fight and everything will be done to try to avoid this rematch and I don’t blame them,’’ Kornilov told RingTV.com.

Kornilov preceded that comment by saying that Canelo, Hearn, DAZN and fans wanted the fight.

“I do believe that Eddie, the fans and DAZN want the rematch,” Kornilov said. “There is no doubt this fight is attractive, as this is a fight Canelo clearly lost by majority of the rounds. I am sure Canelo personally wants revenge as well.’’

But, Kornilov continued:

“At the same time …” he said like somebody who could foresee a crossroads.

By Norm Frauenheim –

For now, the David Benavidez-Canelo Alvarez possibility isn’t about boxing. It’s about politics.

The debate goes on.

And on.

It also brings to mind an old line. To wit: You can’t play boxing. But you can play politics. Turns out, Benavidez is playing them very well.

In the ring, I’m not sure he could beat Canelo, at least not right now. But he’s winning the argument in terms of support that continues to grow in the wake of his unanimous decision over Caleb Plant on March 25 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

His performance was not his best. At the post-fight news conference, the Phoenix-born fighter said: “I could have done better.’’ His long-time fans have seen him better.

Since the 117-111, 116-112, 115-113 cards were announced, however, it’s become increasingly evident that the victory on Showtime was, far and away, his biggest. It boosted his celebrity and credibility like no other bout on his 27-fight resume.

It was also the latest step in his stubborn march forward, always forward. It affirmed his credentials in the ring and signaled some newfound power at the box office.

Who knows about the pay-per-view numbers? They don’t mean much anymore, not during an era when so many are armed with the decryption tech needed to rob the telecast.

But he and Plant did sell out 13,865 available seats at the Grand Garden Arena on a busy weekend in Vegas. The NCAA Basketball Tournament and Taylor Swift were in town.

Canelo and Eddie Hearn had long argued that Benavidez wasn’t worthy. They said he hadn’t fought anybody. It was another way of saying nobody really knew him. But that roaring crowd a couple of weeks ago said something else.

They do know him and they like what they see. Increasingly, they’re buying Benavidez and not the tired Canelo/Hearn argument. I’m not sure exactly what Hearn and Canelo will say next. But it might be hard to hear them

Even fighters, active and retired, are beginning to amplify the public sentiment. Ex-heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder, who was at ringside March 25, said Benavidez would be too big and strong for Canelo, the undisputed super-middleweight champion.

Then, there’s retired, multi-division champion Juan Manuel Marquez. He’s questioning his fellow Mexican legend publicly.

“I’m going to give my point of view: As champion I would show the world that, if Benavidez hasn’t had opponents like me, then it would be an easy fight, because I show that he is not an opponent that is at my level and I can beat him,’’ Marquez told Mexican media. “I am at a higher level and I will show you that you will not beat me.”

That, and more, sets the stage for loud echoes from Benavidez’ victory over Plant and his growing fan base on May 6 in Guadalajara, where Canelo fights John Ryder for his first bout in his homeland in more than a decade. 

A month before opening bell, the criticism is already there. But it’s short-sided. Amend that. It’s unfair.

Canelo, who hasn’t fought since a trilogy victory over Gennadiy Golovkin in September, is coming off surgery on his left wrist. He should test it in a tune-up. He’d be stupid if he didn’t.

But what happens after that is fair game. If all goes well against Ryder, Canelo is already on record as saying he’ll fight Dmitry Bivol next September in a rematch of Bivol’s stunning upset of him at light-heavyweight.

The Bivol plan is loaded with potential complications. It’s still not clear whether Canelo would fight him again at light heavyweight (175 pounds) or at super-middleweight (168). If it’s 168, Canelo’s titles would be at risk.

There’s a reasonable argument that Canelo can’t beat him at either weight. One-seventy-five or 168, Bivol will still be the much bigger man at opening bell.

At any weight, the bout would resurrect the argument about Bivol’s Russian citizenship. For as long as Russians are killing Ukrainians in Putin’s unprovoked war, Ukraine will demand that all Russian athletes be banned. 

Bivol – promoted by Hearn, who also promotes Ryder — was a gentleman with no political comments before and after his first fight with Canelo in Vegas.

Yet, the Ukrainians, including Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, condemned the decision that allowed him to fight. If there’s a rematch, further condemnation is sure to follow, especially in the wake of a World Boxing Council decision to ban Russians from its rankings.

Why risk the controversy and another loss to a Russian who wouldn’t bring as many fans as the unbeaten Benavidez, a Mexican American in perhaps the biggest Mexican American-versus-Mexican fight since Oscar De La Hoya-versus-Julio Cesar Chavez?   

It’s just another question. But if you’re taking a poll, the guess here is that the majority would say don’t take the risk. Just go straight to the Benavidez-Canelo option. More money, more interest, is there than in Bivol-Canelo. Barring a crazy miracle from Ryder, the belts would still be there, too.

“If he wants to go with Bivol, then I think what’s going to happen is, maybe — because I’ve been the mandatory for the past three fights for the WBC belt, I think maybe he’ll get stripped of that,’’ Benavidez, a former two-time WBC champion, said Wednesday on The DAZN Boxing Show. “And I was hearing some talk saying he might get stripped of the WBA belt, too, if he doesn’t accept a fight with me.

“If he doesn’t get in the ring, it might be me versus David Morrell or me versus (Jermall) Charlo for the WBC and WBA belt. So, even if you take Canelo out of the equation, these are still huge fights for me. This is still my dream I’m chasing after. The WBA belt is a belt I’ve never had. I want to get the WBC back again, so I’ll be three-time world champion.

“That’s really all I’m in it for, I’m looking for these belts. There’s big things on the way.’’

Call it a good political jab. It’s landing, landing in a big way.

By Mario Ortega Jr. (Ringside)-

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Tough journeyman Diuhl Olguin held unbeaten local featherweight William Villa to a split decision draw in the six-round main event to cap an eight-fight card at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Saturday night. 

The much shorter Olguin (15-30-6, 10 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico gave Villa (6-0-1) Sacramento problems by getting inside the younger fighter’s long reach. Olguin’s lack of height actually proved to be a benefit, as his ducking posture helped to lead some punches thrown by Villa, 127 ½, to stray to the backside of his head, prompting warnings from referee Edward Collantes. 

Despite his many fights, Olguin, 127, proved to still have tread on his tires as he maintained a steady pace for the six rounds and his conditioning proved to be every bit as strong as that of the younger Villa. The Sacramento native was unable to keep the Mexican veteran at the end of his jab and keep the distance he needed to give his long arms room to land effectively. What resulted was a hard-to-score inside fight for the six rounds. 

In the end, the official scoring was wide in range. Judge Michael Margado had the bout for Villa, 58-56, while Judge Phil DiSousa scored it 59-55 for Olguin and Judge Brian Tsukamoto scored the bout 57-57 even. 

Olguin holds a deceiving record, given the long list of undefeated prospects he has been matched with throughout his career. Villa, who ended an eighteen month layoff, took the fight on less than one week’s notice, taking the place of injured Malikai Johnson. “Machine Gun” Johnson addressed his fanbase on Saturday night, vowing to return to the ring after being sidelined with an eye injury that required surgery earlier in the week.

Another local favorite returning to the ring after a long layoff on Saturday, Ruben Torres (5-2, 1 KO) of Sacramento scored a workmanlike four-round unanimous decision over a game opponent in Luis Garcia (3-2, 1 KO) of San Diego, California. 

Torres, 155, outworked and outlanded the forward-moving Garcia, 156, for much of the bout. Despite lopsided announced scores of 40-35, 40-36 and 39-37 for Torres, the fight was fairly competitive as the Sacramento native worked off a bit of ring rust early in the bout. 

Super bantamweight prospect Irving Xilohua (5-0, 3 KOs) of Stockton, California continued to impress with a one-punch, second-round knockout of Phillip Ramirez (0-1) of Sacramento.

After a measured first round Xilohua, 123, landed a picture-perfect straight right hand from distance that dropped Ramirez, 123, to the canvas. Referee Edward Collantes immediately called a halt to the bout at the 1:33 mark of round two. 

Julian Bridges (3-0, 2 KOs) of Antioch, California outboxed Milton Ramirez (1-1) of Sacramento en route to an exciting four-round unanimous decision.

Both Bridges, 140 ¼, and Ramirez, 140, took turns switching from southpaw and orthodox and back over the four rounds. Bridges’ edge in reach and offensive output led to a sweep of the judges’ cards, 40-36. 

In a four-round slugfest from start to finish, Mario Alexander (0-1) of Sparks, Nevada appeared to have spoiled the professional debut of Sacramento’s Terrell Glynn (1-0), but the three official scorers wound up seeing it the other way, to the dismay of many of the patrons on hand.

The shorter Alexander, 177, set the distance from the first bell, negating the long reach of the lanky Glynn, 177. Neither fighter may have thrown a jab but the power punches landed with great regularity throughout. 

Hernandez, who had a large contingent of supporters in the building, looked to have held an edge in hard landed punches, but came up short on the cards 39-37 three times. 

Josias Gonzalez (1-1) of Whittier, California by way of Jalisco, Jalisco, Mexico outworked Aaron Cadena (0-1) of Sacramento over four rounds en route to unanimous decision. Cadena, 153, tried his best to keep pace, but Gonzalez, 153 ½, was the more aggressive and harder puncher throughout, sweeping all three cards, 40-36.

In amateur kickboxing action, Alberto Montano of Sacramento took a three-round unanimous decision over Yusuf Kamara of Antioch and Ermias Jones of Sacramento scored a three-round decision over Everett Alanis of Sacramento to open the evening.

Upper Cut Promotions, promoter of Saturday night’s card, will bring their next event to the Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, California on May 27th. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim –

David Benavidez gained name recognition and some first-time recognition in pound-for-pound ratings with his victory over Caleb Plant, but he has yet to move into Canelo Alvarez’ plans for at least the next year.

Alvarez, who picked Benavidez to beat Plant, remained unmoved about whether Benavidez would be an option in a year when he’s scheduled to face John Ryder and plans for a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

“I don’t say no to any fight,’’ Canelo said during a media workout in San Diego Wednesday, four days after Benavidez’s unanimous decision over Plant at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. “But I have goals this year. Then, we’ll see.”

Benavidez continued to call out Alvarez after his 117-111, 116-112, 115-13 scorecard victory over Plant, who Canelo beat in an 11th-round stoppage in 2021.

Showtime, which televised Benavidez-Plant on pay-per-view, will replay the bout this Saturday (April 1, 11:05 pm ET).

“He has to give me that shot now,” Benavidez said after a victory for a so-called mandatory shot at Canelo, the super-middleweight division’s undisputed champion. “That’s what everyone wants to see.’’

However, Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) also conceded that Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs), boxing’s pay-per-view leader, has options. For now, at least, it sounds as if Benavidez won’t be one of them until next year.

If all goes according to plan for Canelo, he’ll come out his of tune-up against Ryder in hometown Guadalajara with his surgically-repaired wrist intact.

Then, he’ll face Bivol, perhaps in September in hopes of avenging his stunning loss by unanimous decision to the Russian light-heavyweight champion last May.

It’s still not clear whether Canelo would fight Bivol again at light-heavy, 175 pounds, or negotiate a deal to face him at 168, which would put his super-middleweight titles in jeopardy.

There’s widespread doubt about whether Canelo can beat Bivol at any weight. At opening bell, Bivol would still be the much bigger man, regardless of the weight class.

If Bivol takes his super-middleweight belts, the reason for a mandatory goes away.

Still, there’s a ripening rivalry between Benavidez and Canelo. Benavidez-Plant proved to be dramatic, mostly because of anticipation that was heightened by a constant stream of trash talk. It was over-the-top, often tiresome. But it worked.

Also, Canelo-Benavidez looms as perhaps the best fight in the Mexican-versus-Mexican American rivalry since Julio Cesar Chavez-versus-Oscar De La Hoya.

Canelo has been Mexico’s most popular fighter for more than a decade. Benavidez’ popularity among Mexican-Americans continues to grow. He grew up in Phoenix. A lot of people from his old westside neighborhood were in the MGM Grand crowd, a big part of a sellout on a busy Vegas night when Taylor Swift was in town.

Benavidez lives near Seattle now. But his Phoenix roots are evident. The desert city’s name was stitched across the back of his trunks against Plant.

Last May, there were doubts about the Benavidez-Canelo possibility. After Benavidez blew out David Lemieux last May in Glendale – a Phoenix suburb, his manager/promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said it would never happen.

“A fantasy,’’ Lewkowicz said then.

But Lewkowicz has changed his mind.

“I have, because I don’t think Canelo has anywhere else to go,’’ he said after Benavidez-Plant. “Ask the fans.’’

They spoke, spoke loudly last Saturday. Now they’re asking:

When?

Only Canelo can answer that one.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – With just a handful of days’ notice, undefeated featherweight William Villa will return to the ring for the first time in eighteen months to meet 50-fight veteran Diuhl Olguin in the six-round main event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Sacramento on Saturday fight. Fighters for the card weighed-in Friday afternoon at the venue.

Sacramento’s Villa (6-0) last fought in October 2021, scoring a four-round decision over Michael Mendez at the DoubleTree. Villa had been pegged to return in May on an Upper Cut Promotions-promoted card at the Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, California, but got the call to step-in on short notice just days ago. 

Olguin (15-30-5, 10 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico had originally signed to meet Sacramento featherweight prospect Malikai Johnson in Saturday’s main event. Johnson was ruled out with an eye injury that ultimately required surgery. Having gone the distance with a long list of unbeaten pros, Olguin figures to provide a litmus test for Villa. 

Olguin, who has gone eight rounds many times, scaled 127-pounds. Villa, scheduled for six-rounds for the first time, came in at 127 ½-pounds. 

Sacramento’s Ruben Torres returns to fight before his vocal following for the first time in three years in the four-round junior middleweight co-feature. Torres (4-2, 1 KO) will take on Luis Garcia (3-1, 1 KO) of San Diego, California. Torres is very familiar with the DoubleTree ring, as four of his six pro bouts have taken place at the venue. Garcia hopes to rebound from his lone pro defeat, which took place against mega prospect Callum Walsh last May. Torres weighed-in at 155-pounds, while Garcia scaled 156. 

Irving Xilohua (4-0, 2 KOs) of Stockton, California returns to the DoubleTree to take on debuting Phillip Ramirez of Sacramento in a four-round super bantamweight bout. Xilohua made his DoubleTree debut last May with a second-round stoppage and capped his 2022 campaign with back-to-back decision wins in his hometown. Xilohua and Ramirez both weighed-in at 123-pounds Friday. 

Julian Bridges (2-0, 2 KOs) of Antioch, California will take on Milton Ramirez (1-0) of Sacramento in a four-round light welterweight bout. Bridges came in at 140 ¼-pounds, while Ramirez made 140 even. 

Sacramento’s Terrell Glynn will meet Mario Alexander of Sparks, Nevada in a four-round light heavyweight bout. Both fighters are making their professional debut. Glynn and Alexander both weighed-in at 177-pounds. Glynn had been scheduled to meet debuting Matthew Monroe, who may await the winner in May at Gold Country Casino Resort, should the winner come out unscathed Saturday night. 

Aaron Cadena of Sacramento will make his professional debut against Josias Gonzalez (0-1) of Whittier, California in a four-round light middleweight contest. Cadena weighed-in at 153, while Gonzalez scaled 152 ¼-pounds. 

Two three-round amateur kickboxing bouts are also on the card. In a pairing of lightweights, Everett Alanis, 133, of Sacramento meets Ermias Jones, 136, of Sacramento to open the evening. Heavyweights Alberto Montano, 229, of Sacramento and Yusuf Kamara of Antioch meet later in the night. Fighters for the kickboxing portion will also weigh-in on the day of the show. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Featherweights, 6 Rounds

Villa 127 ½

Olguin 127

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Torres 155

Garcia 156

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds

Xilohua 123

Ramirez 123

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Bridges 140 ½ 

Ramirez 140

Light heavyweights, 4 Rounds

Glynn 177

Alexander 177

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Cadena 153

Gonzalez 152 ½ 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com

By Alex Seccia –

Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. is a Polish/Italian Boxer out of Roseland N.J. A professional fighter with the hopes of changing the life of his family through the sport of boxing.  Vito was brought into the ‘gym at seven”, and started winning national titles by the age of nine while having his first forty fights in areas like: Washington D.C. Philadelphia and Baltimore, Maryland. While in Maryland you could find Vito fighting out of Tank’s gym; “Upton Boxing Center”. Learning a ruthless skillset with a class act personality.  Signed with Al Haymon the promising prospect remains a busy fighter, a fighter with no backup plan. With the will to fight Vito has made boxing his soul purpose. For the young star there is no backup option, and after three fights in 2022 and already entering his second fight of 2023 Vito and his team continue punch out the opposition.

            With a record of 14-1 with 9 wins by way of KO, the Italian kid can truly pack a punch. With the keen ability to time his shots and make opponents miss, Vito has proven to be a lethal fighter when it comes to working the body. From timing to his bodywork, itself the 20-year-old display’s a high boxing IQ. His skillset and ruthlessness when working inside begins to remind me of Errol Spence Jr. When the opposition has sat to go toe to toe, they play into Vito’s strength. Finding themselves quickly in a pinch and up against the ropes

            Young Vito has fought on some of the most prodigious fight cards within the past 5 years. From: Spence vs Ugas, Fury vs Wilder at the MGM, Davis vs Garcia in the nation’s capital, to holding his own cards at the infamous Prudential Center in Newark New Jersey. By already establishing the Prudential Center as his home, Vito has built the foundation for his path in boxing. A foundation that has groomed him for the bright lights and the biggest stages.

            Come April 22^nd Vito will find himself fighting on the undercard of the biggest fight in boxing history. A super fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia. A cross roads between two mega stars under two different promoters. At T-Mobile Arena in the Boxing capital of the world, Vito will have the biggest stage to showcase his superb talent against Jose Sanchez Carlos.

            Already claiming a arena and representing more than just a city on his back. Vito fights with the passion of being able to tell his family they have nothing worry about. Currently training for his fight, Vito is currently putting himself in the atmosphere as him and his team finish out the remainder of their camp in Las Vegas. A promising talent attached to the mega fight of the decade. Don’t miss why they call him, “White Magic”

By Alex Seccia –

This past Friday on March 24, Bare Knuckle Fight Championship held their first sanctioned card in the state of Virginia. “BKFC 39” is the card where veteran fighter Brian Maxwell lead the charge in the first bout of “BKFC 39” prelims Brian out of Rocky Mount Virginia found himself fighting the very first sanctioned Bare-Knuckle fight in their history right in his own backyard.

          The light heavyweight had a little more pressure on his shoulders when it came to trying to represent his hometown. Now add the desire of looking for your first win and you have yourself a hungry fighter. Brian isn’t a stranger to pressure, nor is he a stranger to pressure. From battling in the octagon, to repping your organization in one of the biggest fight exhibition cards in sports history, Brian has continued to set a bar not many fighters do.

          In an interview with Brian on “Pr1me Point Media,” Brian talked about his image, how he felt he was too nice in a game where nice didn’t exist. That for BKFC 39 and for future fights Brian would have to pull the “cocky arrogant” side of him out. The usually chilled and humble fighter feels that those characteristics played a hinder in his career. He wants to bring some of those darker personality traits back out. He felt that when he had those mentalities in wrestling and early on in his career, he’s had success. Now because of his energy shift Brian feels as if he just started fighting all over again.

          On Friday March 24^th Brian displayed everything he talked about, making quick work of his opponent Daniel Bunyan with a win by way of TKO in the first round. This victory made Brian the first fighter to ever win a sanctioned BKFC bout in his home state of Virginia, thus bringing his first win of what looks to be many more in his BKFC fight career.

          A ruthless attitude mixed with a win streak and the genuine desire to fight; Brian Maxwell looks to reignite the flame in his fight career which leads to a very exciting future to look out for in the upcoming future.

LAS VEGAS –  It was contentious. It was surprising. It was ugly. It wasn’t everything David Benavidez thought it would be. Or promised it would be.

But it was a victory, a big one that enhanced his chances at climbing to the top of boxing’s marquee and into its pound-for-pound argument.

He beat Caleb Plant Saturday night, scoring a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Showtime pay-per-view bout. But it was neither the beat-down he vowed nor the blood-letting he threatened. Plant survived. His jaw stayed intact. He was still upright after six rounds. He didn’t go to the hospital.

Benavidez had promised to shatter that jaw. He said he would knock him out within six rounds. He promised him a trip to the emergency room. 

But, in the end, he hugged Plant. He praised him. Instead of contempt, there were congratulations.

“I would talk shit,” said Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOS), who had talked enough of it to fill a couple of metropolitan sewers. “But I like this guy now.”

It was an astonishing comment. Maybe,  peace-on-earth is possible, after all.. Benavidez and Plant had behaved as though they would be enemies until the bitter end. And that’s how the super-middleweight bout — a so-called title eliminator for a shot at undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez — began.

Just seconds before the opening bell echoed throughout a sold out arena, Referee Kenny Bayless ordered them to touch gloves, a gesture of respect. They didn’t.

For the next 12 rounds, however, they were forced to respect each other. Benavidez moved forward, stubbornly and seemingly sure that one of his promises would become reality. But Plant had other ideas and perhaps more resilience than the Phoenix-born fighter expected 

.

Plant ( 22-2, 13 KOs) threw body shots and moved around the ring, trying to take advantage of every inch in its 22-by-22 feet of real estate. Benavidez stalked and often mocked. He followed Plant to his corner after the ninth, talking to the back of Plant’s head as if to say the end was near. It wasn’t. 

Plant came roaring out of his corner for the 10th, throwing a low blow as a warning shot.

He wasn’t finished. But he was behind on the cards. Tim Ceathham scored it, 115-113. David Moretti had it 116-112. On Steve Weisfeld’s card, it was 117-111. All for Benavidez, whose size and strength were dominant factors over the five six rounds.

“I feel good, my mind’s right,” Plant said. “David is a helluva fighter. It’s a big rivalry but that’s what boxing is all about. We came here and settled it like men. I take nothing from David. We haven’t been the best of friends but we got into the ring and we settled it like men.”

In the super-middleweight division, there’s much more to settle, of course. For the 26-year Benavidez, the victory might represent the beginning of a new stage, especially if Canelo agrees to fight him.

“I just want to tell everyone that I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez but he has to give me that shot now,” he said. “That’s what everyone wants to see. Let’s make it happen.

“I don’t think Canelo is trying to avoid me. I just feel like he has a lot of options. But now the fans are calling for this fight, the legends are calling for this fight, so let’s make it happen.”

Even Caleb Plant would agree.

Cheers welcomed Benvidez, the first to enter the jammed arena. There were boos for Plant, who He wasn;t far from his hometown. He grew up on on the westside of Phoenix. It sounded if a lot.

Third Benevidez beging to cuut off the ring during the round’s finl minute. In the opening    

Jesus Ramos wins dominant stoppage

Jesus Ramos moved up the scale, hoping to be a good fit.

For one night, at least, the fit looked to be perfect. 

For Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs), the prospects look promising at junior-middleweight.

Ramos, of Casa Grande AZ, dominated Joseph Spencer, forcing his corner to surrender at 1:25 of the seventh round in the final fight Saturday before Showtime’s Pay-Per-View biggie, David Benavidez-versus-Caleb Plant at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

It didn’t take long for Ramos, a former welterweight and Abel Ramos’ nephew, to show that he’s very comfortable at junior-middleweight. Very dangerous, too

Late in the first round, Ramos threw a short left that landed like the hammer on a  pulled trigger. It crashed off Spencer’s chin and sent him crashing onto the canvas. A resilient Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) , of Fenton Mich., got up. But it also set up the inevitable. Ramos continued to walk down, push around Spencer before his corner told referee Tony Weeks “no mas.”

Chris Colbert gets ups from knockdown to win controversial decision 

Jose Valenzuela’s first impression rocked and rolled.

But Chris Colbert survived. Make that thrived.

Colbert got up from a first-round knockdown to win a controversial decision — 95-94 on all three cards — over Valenzuela Saturday night on the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring David Benavidez-versus-Caleb Plant.

A roaring crowd expressed its outrage over the decision from judges Glenn Feldman, Lias Giampa and Don Trella. Colbert stuck his tongue out at the booing fans and Valenzuela, junior-middleweight and Benavidez stablemate.

“You called me a loser,” Colbert screamed at Valenzuela.

An angry Valenzuela then looked at broadcaster Jim Gray as he prepared for an interview in the middle of the ring.

“Who do you think won,?” Valenzuela asked.

“I ask the questions,” Gray said..

There was no question about what happened during the fight’s first few seconds. The opening bell still echoed through the arena when Valenzuela landed a thunderbolt-like left. 

Colbert and Valenzuela heard the ref’s instructions.

They touched gloves.

Valenzuela dropped Colbert.

One-two-three,  all in one quick sequence.

Looking like the best leftie since Fernando, Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) ducked and came up with a left that Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) never saw. It was astonishing that Colbert got up. He calls himself Prime Time. He knew there was still some left in the hour glass and prove it repeatedly by coming back with solid shots from the second through the 10th rounds.

 He was up and on his feet, fighting back at about the same time former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder walked into the arena and toward his ringside seat.

Cody Crowley win emotional decision in punishing fight with Abel Ramos

Abel Ramos wanted to make a statement. 

Instead, he got one.

Cody Crowley delivered it repeatedly with stubborn  pressure and wicked uppercuts in a punishing majority decision over Ramos Saturday in the first televised bout on the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring David Benavidez-versus-Caleb Plant  at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

The bout, a WBC title eliminator, was close and somewhat controversial. Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs) was the winner on judge Chris Migliore’s card, 116-112. He he won on Steven Wiesfeld’s card, 11-113. However, judge Tim Cheatham scored it a draw, 115-115.

In the eleventh, it looked as if Ramos (27-6-2, 21 KOs) might have a chance. Ramos, of Casa Grande AZ, landed a short right that buckled Crowley’s knees. Referee Robert Hoyle ruled that Ramos had scored a knockdown. It looked as if  the Canadian touched the canvas with a glove as he tried to stay on his feet. But video replay showed that he had not.

The knockdown was overturned from ringside before the 12th and final round. . A punishing victory belonged to Crowley.

An emotional Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs) came into the welterweight title eliminator determined to win one for his late dad, who committed suicide in June. Crowley cried during news conferences when asked about him during news conferences before the welterweight bout.

Crowley was fighting for a lost dad. Fighting for his dad’s memory. And fighting to make a statement against the mental illness that led to his father’s tragic death.

Consider it delivered.

Kevin Gonzalez remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Sanmartin in a super bantamweight fight.

Scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Gonzalez, 121.4 lbs of Culican, MEX is 26-0-1. Sanmartin, 121.8 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 34-7-1.

Orestes Velazquez, a Cuban living in Miami, had advantages in reach, power and energy. 

That and more proved to be too much for Argentine Marcelino Lopez (37-3-1, 22 KOs) throughout 10-rounds of junior-welterweight bout, the first on card featuring David Benavidez-Caleb Plant Saturday at the MGM Grand’s Grand Garden Arena.

Velazquez’ long jab dictated the pace as it landed repeatedly, sending echoes throughout a mostly empty arena hours before the main event. Velazquez (7-0, 6 KOs) won easily on all three scorecards –99-91, 97-93, 99-91. 

Follow all the action LIVE from ringside at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas as David Benavidez and Caleb Plant fight for the WBC Interim Super Middleweight Title.  The action kicks off at 9 PM ET as Cody Crowley fights Abel Ramos; Chris Colbert battles Jose Valenzuela and Jesus Ramos takes on Joey Spencer

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Plant trying to jab…Left hook from Benavidez…

ROUND 2  4 Punch combination from Plant…Left..Right…

ROUND 3 Left from Plant..Right from Benavidez

ROUND 4 Benavidez missing…Left hook from Benavidez…another…Left from Plant

ROUND 5 Jab and rights from Plant to the body..Left to body…Hard right from Benavidez..

ROUND 6 Left hook from Benavidez..Flurry from Plant…Wild misses from Benavidez..Counter left from Benavidez..Left to body from Plant…Right from Benavidez…chopping right

ROOUND 7 Right from Plant..Counter right…Hard right from Benavidez…Perfect counter from Plant

ROUND 8 Big right hurts Plant,,,Digging to body…Long right..2 more rights rock Plant..Plant cut over right eye,,,Big right and round for Benavidez

ROUND 9 Plant lands a low blow…Left to body from PlantCombination…Big right from Benavidez..Uppercut…Left

ROUND 10 Uppercut and body shot from Benavidez..Uppercut..Benavidez just unloading on Plant…Plant looks spent…

ROUND 11 Left hook from Plant..Hard left hook from benavidez…Jab…Chopping right..Left hook..

Round 12 Left from Benavidez..Right

Round 1 Jab from Ramos…Right from Spencer…Left from Ramos..LEFT HAND AND DOWN GOES SPENCER…Big Shot again…Spencer fighting back
Round 2 Left from Spencer..Body shot from Ramos..Body..More body work…Step around left…Straight left…Hard combination
Round 3 Spencer lands 2 body shots…Spencer coming forward..2 lefts from Ramos…left…left and right to the  head…
Round 4 Hard straight.  2 lefts.. left on the ropes by Ramos..Left…Spencer trying to flurry…
Round 5 Ramos Boxing
Round 6 Left from Ramos…Uppercut…3 Hard lefts
Round 7 Ramos pounding away AT A BLOODY SPENCER…TOWEL THROWN 

Round 1: BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES COLBERT…Huge right by Valenzuela
Round 2 Colbert jabbing
Round 3  Combination from Valenzuela..Straight left…hard right
Round 4 Straight left from Valenzuela..Right from Colbert…8 punches from Valenzuela..
Round 5 Leaping left from Valenzuela…Colbert lands a straight left…Jabbing
Round 6 Counter left from Valenzuela..   Massive flurry…Counter Right from Colbert…Uppercut and 4 punch combination from Valenzuela
Round 7 Hard combination from Colbert….Right to body from Valenzuela…Body combo from Colbert…Body/Head combo…
Round 8  Colbert coming out aggressive…. flurry from Valenzuela
Round 9 Clean left from Valenzuela…Jab from Colbert…Combination
Round 10 Colbert lands a jab…Counter right,,,Left from Valenzuela..Right from Colbert…Body…Big left from Valenzuela

95-94 ON ALL CARDS FOR COLBERT

Round 1  Left from Crowley..Counter right from Ramos…Left…Counter right…Another…Biody shot from Crowley…Right from Ramos at The Bell
Round 2  Left to body from Crowley…Left on the ropes..Body shot from Ramos…Right hook from Crowley…Left to body from Ramos..Trading shots…Left from Crowley…2 uppercuts..
Round 3 Right hook and uppercut from Crowley…Right hook and left to the body..Body shot…Crowley crowding Ramos..Right Hook…Counter right from Ramos..
Round 4 Uppercut from Ramos…Body shot…Straight right..Good left from Crowley
Round 5 Left from Crowley…Uppercut…Left to body from Ramos…Double left from Crowley…
Round 6  3 body shots from Crowley…Big left..3 punch combo on the ropes
Round 7 Body from Crowley..Uppercut on the ropes..Hard right hook…Good straight left…
Round 8 Right hook from Crowley…Uppercut…
Round 9  Right off the ropes from Ramos..Right…Body shot,,Left from Crowley,…
Round 10 Jab from Crowley…Hard right to body from Ramos..Jab from Crowley…Left to body..Body..
ROUND 11 Hard right from Ramos….BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES CROWLEY…Straight left from Crowley….Replay reversed….No Kockdown
Round 12  Left from Crowley…Right Hook..Right from Ramos…

114-114; 115-113 AND 116-112 CROWLEY

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS — On the scale, David Benavidez and Caleb Plant did what they had to. They made weight. 

Off the scale, they did what they’ve been doing for years. They exchanged profanities, threats and taunts in a noisy feud that will finally escalate Saturday into a real exchange of punches in a fight motivated by a potent mix of anger and mutual contempt. It’s a potent cocktail, a shot glass full of tension, 180-proof.

That tension continued to spill out into the open in a second face-off in as many days Friday after Benavidez and Plant were comfortably within the super-middleweight limit, 168 pounds. Then, they walked around to face each other in front of the scale. What followed was off-the-scale, over-the-top and thoroughly predictable.

Plant stuck out  his left hand, which was cocked like a loaded weapon, and pressed his index finger into Benavidez’ neck. Benavidez stepped forward, ready to retaliate. But that’s where it ended.

Wary security quickly intervened, stepping between the and pushing each to opposite ends of the stage at the KA Theatre, a short walk from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, site of Saturday’s night’s simmering grudge match.

“Just exchanging pleasantries,” said Plant, who was at 167.25 pounds.’

For Benavidez, there was nothing pleasant about it.

“He tried to put his finger in my face,” Benavidez (26–0, 23 KOs) said. “I tried to push him back and onto his expletive.”

Benavidez didn’t exactly say expletive. But you get the idea. The Benavidez-Plant feud has been nothing if not for the expletives. On and on, it goes. Finally, the two are expected to mix in a few punches in a bout with enormous stakes. 

The winner takes a step toward further stardom and into the pound-for-pound debate. There’s also a possible shot at undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and the big money that could come with it. The possibilities are life-changing. There’s no other expletive way to describe it.

That accounts for a lot of the tension. But there’s some personal history, too. A long and jagged path precedes their date Saturday in Showtime’s pay-per-view bout (6 p.m. PT/9 pm ET, $74.99). Plant and Benavidez have attacked each other’s families, demeanor, courage and ethics. There’s nothing that one likes about the other..

Perhaps, only a fight can calm the storm — alleviate the personal contempt one has for the other. But don’t count on it.

After the face-off furor, Benavidez was asked if the fight will end the rivalry.

“Effing no,” Benavidez said.

He didn’t say effing. But, by now, you know that.

Benavidez, a Phoenix-born fighter nicknamed “The Mexican Monster” by Mike Tyson, goess iot the fight as the favorite. He’s at least a 3-to-1 favorite. His energy and lanky leverage gives him an edge, especially with his raw power. The consensus is that he’ll walk down Plant (22-1, 13 KOs), scoring a late-round stoppage.

However, it’s not as if Plant hasn’t watched and studied a Benavidez career. He’s demolished almost everyone in front of him. Plant’s chances might rest with his ability to slow him down. A possible tactic:  Make Benavidez chase him across a bigger than average ring. It’s 22-feet by 22-feet, a Plant demand met in negotiations.

For Pant, the task is to interrupt Benavidez’ focus and momentum. That might lead to a frustrating fight,  both for Benavidez and his fans, many of whom made the trip up from Phoenix.

“In the end, you’ll see my hand raised,” Plant said in a comment that suggests a decision.

Benavidez envisions another kind of ending. In one breath, he promises to send Plant to the hospital. In another, he vows to break his jaw.

He’s not kidding.

You choose the expletive.

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS — Nobody blinked, but David Benavidez got the face-off he wanted Thursday with Caleb Plant after the final news conference for their super-middleweight grudge match Saturday at the MGM Grand .

“I’m real happy we were able to get that face-off,” Benavidez said after he and Plant exchanged threats and profanities during a few tense moments on a stage at the casino’s KA Theater.

Benavidez and father/trainer Jose Benavidez Sr, expressed doubts Wednesday that the face-off would happen.

“I was very surprised that it did,” Benavidez Sr. said. “There was never any chance that anything bad was going to happen. It wasn’t like I going to throw a punch.”

But his son did throw some verbal shots during what was just another extension of a long-running feud.

“I’m going to send you to the hospital,” he said to Plant as they stood eyeball-to-eyeball, each flanked by security guards.

Security finally stepped in between them, breaking off the face-off. As they were led to opposite ends of the stage, Plant pointed at Benavidez with a hand cocked like a loaded weapon.

“He said what I thought he would, what he’s supposed to say,” Plant told reporters and a small crowd of fans, including ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

Tyson is the first to call Benavidez “The Mexican Monster”, a nickname that is beginning to supplaint his first nickname, “The Red Flag.” 

When the Showtime pay-per-view card (6 pm PT/9 pm ET) was formally announced at a newser in Los Angeles on February 2, the two had to be separated twice.

It’s not clear whether the two will do another face-off Friday after the official weigh-in. During the formal part of the newser Thursday, each was asked what the fans could expect in a fight that could lead to a shot at undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alavrez..

“You’re going to see my hand get raised,” Plant said.

Then, Benavidez delivered a chilling counter:

“You’re going to see me break his jaw, that ‘s what the fans are going to see,” he said.

Photo by Esther Lin / SHOWTIME

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS — In terms of trash talk, it’s all been said.

Maybe that’s why David Benavidez and Caleb Plant didn’t have much else to say Wednesday at media workouts for their super-middleweight clash Saturday at the MGM Grand in a pay-per-view bout.

That’s not to say threats weren’t there. Benavidez climbed through the ropes and into a  ring near the MGM Sportsbook. He looked at the crowd and made what has become a familiar, throat-slashing gesture. It was his way of saying he intends to do more than just knock out Plant.

“Everybody I hit, gets hurt,” Benavidez said.

The hurt will be there early, Benavidez promises , in what he says will be a quick finish. He intends to knock out Plant within six rounds in a bout that could lead to a shot at big money against pay-per-view star Canelo Alvarez, who last week agreed to a May 6 bout with John Ryder at home in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

“This is the most focused I’ve ever been for a fight,” Benavidez said. “I know Caleb Plant is going to be a hard fighter, moving around a lot. But whatever he brings to the table, I’m going to be ready for it. I’m looking for that knockout and I’m going to get it.’

If there was a surprise, it was the way Benavidez looked. The Phoenix fighter has long had a soft-looking upper-body. He was a chubby kid, he says. Plant had another word for it. He called him fat. Whatever the description, he entered the ring Wednesday, looking every bit like the maturing fighter who turned 26 in December  

“This is the best I’ve ever felt mentally, physically and emotionally,” Benavidez said. “I was already a monster before, but Caleb Plant brought the ‘Mexican Monster’ out of me.”

On Wednesday at least, there were no taunts from Plant.

“I’ve been here before,” said Plant, a Tennessean who grew up near Nashville. “I’ve been in big fights before. I know what this is all about and I know what it takes. Me and my team are fully prepared to get my hand raised on Saturday night.”

Both fighters were understated, wary perhaps of a confrontation that could lead to a scuffle. Opening bell is just a couple of days away. Years of trash-talk has left evident tension. As a result, there are doubts the fighters will engage in the ritual face-off both at the final formal news conference Thursday and at the weigh-in Friday. But Benavidez was hopeful.

“I’m hoping we can still do a face-off, give the fans what they want,” Benavidez said. “I’m not going to do something, something stupid, that might jeopardize this event. Not after all the work I’ve done.

“There’s a lot at stake here. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long, long time.”

By Norm Frauenheim –

The proof has been unfolding for years. First, David Benavidez had to prove it to himself. Now, he has to prove it to everybody else.

The journey from fat kid to feared fighter, from anonymity to stardom has been a process that almost looks inevitable just days before it undergoes its most significant test yet against Caleb Plant on March 25 in a Showtime pay-per-view bout at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

But it hasn’t been easy, much less predictable. Growing-up never is, especially when the lesson plans are subjected to all of the twisted dynamics and drama that rule boxing. Within those ropes, there’s no playground. Just chaos.

At 26, however, Benavidez looks as if he was born for it. Beneath the baby fat, he discovered his identity. A fighter’s instincts were always there, part of his DNA. He’s a natural, comfortable with the craziness and more confident than ever that he can control the violence.

“I’m at the beginning stages of my prime,’’ Benavidez said during a media workout Tuesday in Burien WA, a Seattle suburb and home far from the streets where he grew up in west Phoenix. “After this fight, the sky is the limit.’’

Plant has other ideas, of course. He’s about four years older. At 30, he’s squarely in his prime. He’s also been on boxing’s biggest stage in a stoppage loss to PPV star Canelo Alvarez in November 2021. That’s a place Benavidez has yet to see, yet to experience. Plant says he’s had to learn and adjust in ways that Benavidez has not. He calls it an advantage.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

It’s a key question in a super-middleweight fight that has been brewing for a long time. In the promotional media, it’s been dubbed Bad Blood. The Bad is genuine. The Blood is likely.

“I’ve been training for this fight for three-and-a-half months,’’ said Benavidez, who has vowed to knock out Plant in what he promises will be a painful stoppage to a long-running trash-talk exchange that has been over-the top, even by boxing standards.

Truth is, Benavidez has been training for Plant for longer than mere months. More like years.

Besides all of the noisy trash, Benavidez’ volatile career has been unusual. He’s unbeaten, yet he lost the World Boxing Council title twice, first because of a positive test for cocaine and then a failure to make the 168-pound weight.

If not for that, he might have already experienced what Plant says Benavidez has not. He might have already fought Canelo. He might already be a long-reigning champ.

“If not for issues losing his titles, he’d be on the pound-for-pound list,’’ Plant trainer Stephen “Breadman’’ Edwards told Sean Zittel in a compelling interview for FightHype.

From Terence Crawford to Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev and newcomer Shakur Stevenson, Benavidez’ 26-0 record and knockout rate – 23 KOs – compares favorably to any other on the various pound-for-pound lists.

A place in the pound-for-debate is among the stakes against Plant. So, too, is a possible shot at Canelo, who is coming off wrist surgery against Brit John Ryder in a tune-up on May 6 at home in Jalisco, Mexico. Canelo-Ryder was formally announced Tuesday, the same day Benavidez in Washington and Plant in Vegas did their media workouts. 

Coincidence? Probably. Still, the Benavidez-Plant showdown has been designated as a bout that will lead to a so-called mandatory shot at Canelo, the undisputed champion at 168.

“The winner gets Canelo, or so they say,’’ said Benavidez, who has been calling out Canelo for just about as long as he’s been trash-talking Plant.

If anything, Benavidez has taken the edge off his talk about Canelo. He complimented him for agreeing to fight at home, his first in Mexico in more than a decade. A possible date and a big paycheck against Canelo are part of the motivation, both for Benavidez and Plant.

Before opening bell, however, Canelo is almost secondary to the bitter rivalry and all that it means. For both Benavidez and Plant, the bout carries a burden of proof. Edwards called it a test of character in his FightHype interview.

The maturing Benavidez knows that. He’s using it as just one more source of motivation. In saying that Benavidez lacks big-fight experience, Plant left questions that are being asked by fans and media. Benavidez has heard them. Can he deal with adversity? Can he adjust?

Benavidez repeatedly counters with facts and figures that he says the doubters ignore.

“I throw punches in bunches and I land them at a 46-percent rate,’’ he said. “Nobody ever mentions that. I’ve never lost two rounds in a row. Every man I’ve fought, I’ve hurt.

“If you guys don’t think I know what I’m doing, you’re stupid.’’

Next task:

Prove it. 

Oscar Valdez Update

15 Rounds has confirmed that former two-time champion Oscar Valdez Jr. expects to be back on a Top Rank card featuring Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko planned for May 20 at Vegas’ MGM Grand.

An injury suffered in training forced Valdez to withdraw from a bout for a vacant junior-lightweight title against fellow Mexican Emanuel Navarrete at Desert Diamond Arena on Feb. 3 in Glendale AZ, a Phoenix suburb.

Navarrete, a former featherweight champion, went on to win the WBO ‘s 130-pound title in a wild ninth-round stoppage of late stand-in Liam Wilson of Australia.

Valdez, who was at ringside and joined Navarrete in the ring after his controversial stoppage of Wilson, said he hurt his ribs in a freak accident — a fall down some stairs.

After the planned May 20 bout, Valdez and Navarrete are expected to fight later in the year on ESPN, which reported Friday that Valdez is expected to face Adam Lopez in a rematch.

Saúl Canelo Álvarez will defend his Undisputed Super-Middleweight title against John Ryder at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday May 6, live around the world on DAZN and DAZN PPV in the U.S & Canada – the first time in over a eleven and a half years that Canelo has fought in Mexico.

Canelo (58-2-2 39 KOs) defends his Undisputed crown for the second time after beating bitter rival Gennadiy Golovkin in their trilogy battle in Las Vegas in September, having ripped the IBF crown from Caleb Plant in Sin City in November 2021 with an 11^th round stoppage.

The Mexican superstar will make an emotional return to his homeland for his latest Cinco de Mayo showdown, and it will be 4180 days since he last stepped through the ropes in Mexico, when he stopped Kermit Cintron in Mexico City in five rounds to defend his WBO World Light-Middleweight title.

The 32 year old four-weight World Champion fights for the 63^rd time of his storied career as he closes in on 18 years as a pro. Cinco de Mayo weekend will see him fight for the 35^th time in his homeland and it promises to be a spectacular occasion with the state of Jalisco marking 200 years of independence.

WBO mandatory challenger Ryder (32-5 18 KOs) will be looking to spoil the party, as the popular Londoner travels to Mexico for the biggest fight of his 12-year career. ‘The Gorilla’ landed the WBO interim title in his last fight when Zach Parker retired on his stool after four rounds of their clash in London, England in November. 

That win for the 34 year old followed a career-best victory earlier in 2022 over former Middleweight ruler and old Canelo foe Daniel Jacobs, with Ryder having also tackled three other Britons who have taken on the Mexican king, challenging Callum Smith for the Super-Middleweight World crown after fights with Billy Joe Saunders and Rocky Fielding.

“I feel really happy to be coming back in May because following my surgery, I was unsure of when I’d be coming back,” said Canelo. “Returning to the ring and coming back to fight in Jalisco, where I’m from, makes me especially happy. And in John Ryder, I’m facing a very competitive fighter.”

“There’s no denying that Canelo is one of the greats and I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s achieved in the sport but I fully believe this is my time fulfil my dream of becoming a World champion,” said Ryder.

“I’m not going over there for a holiday. For me this is purely business and my full focus is on going into his backyard in Guadalajara on May 6 and bringing those belts back with me to the UK. I want to thank the team, Tony and Charlie Sims and Matchroom Boxing for making this happen.”

“Canelo’s return to Mexico is historic for Mexican boxing,” said trainer Eddy Reynoso. “He is returning as an Undisputed champion, this is proof that a Mexican can succeed outside his country with discipline and love for his sport.

“I feel proud of all of this, because the dream of a kid who started in Guadalajara came true and he returns as a winner!”

“This is a moment that will be forever engrained in the history of boxing and Mexican sport,” said Eddie Hearn. “Canelo Alvarez defending his undisputed championship in his hometown in front of 50,000 fans will be an incredible sight and a night we will never forget. 

“In John Ryder, you have a mandatory challenger that has paid his dues and off the back of big wins against Daniel Jacobs and Zach Parker is ready for the ultimate challenge. See you May 6 in Guadalajara for something very special, live on DAZN.”

“It doesn’t get bigger than Canelo in Mexico,” Joe Markowski, CEO North America, DAZN Group said, “Canelo returning home, John Ryder coming to spoil the party after big wins versus Daniel Jacobs and Zach Parker in 2022; this has the makings of a classic. Tune in to this historic event live on DAZN around the world and in Mexico for the very first time.”

An announcement on ticket sale dates will be made soon.

By Norm Frauenheim –

They went coast-to-coast. They trash-talked, face-to-face, at midday in New York on Wednesday and after lunch on Thursday in Los Angeles. They postured, preached and promised.

But, mostly, Tank Davis and Ryan Garcia kept us waiting. The NY version of the coast-to-coast newser was about two hours late. Something about Davis getting caught in traffic.

The sequel, an LA matinee, started about an hour after it was scheduled to begin. On BST – Boxing Standard Time, late starts are like low blows. Count on them.

In any time zone, however, boxing news conferences are all about theater. The bigger the fight, the bigger the stage. And Davis-Garcia is a biggie, at least it is in a market that has left its eroding fan base starving for something relevant – something real – in the wake of collapsed negotiations for Terence Crawford-Errol Spence.

Enter Davis-Garcia, which has moved into the vacuum with a fight loaded with dynamic potential. But, like the news conferences, we’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out on April 22, the scheduled opening bell for their 136-pound bout at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Showtime pay-per-view.

For now, it’s a show like full of familiar hyperbole, stunts and proclamations. Believe at your own risk. The common theme has been that Davis-Garcia represents another new beginning for a sport that always seems to be starting over. Davis is 28; Garcia 24.

“You all keep saying boxing is dead,’’ Davis trainer Bob Ford said Thursday “Naaah, the young-ins is coming.’’

The Youngblood plot line is compelling. I hope it’s right. I wrote a New Year’s column for 15 Rounds in January, saying it was time for a new generation. Depending on who’s doing the talking, it’s already here.

“Whoever wins this is on top, the face of boxing,’’ Garcia said Thursday. “I truly believe that.’’

Davis, never shy or short on confidence, believes he’s already that face. Move over, Canelo Alvarez. Hand over that pound-for pound crown, Terence Crawford

 “I’m already in that position,’’ Davis said matter-of-factly Thursday. “Canelo, he’s already out the door. I’m the face of the sport.’’

As I heard Davis declare his supremacy, I kept hearing that automated message you get after pushing the button for the crosswalk signal at a busy intersection. Wait, wait, wait.

If Davis-Garcia lives up to the hype, it will herald that the new is moving in and the old is moving out. The 26-year-old David Benavidez has a chance to kick in the door a few weeks earlier in a super-middleweight bout against Caleb Plant on March 25 at Vegas’ MGM Grand.

At best, Davis and Garcia could motivate Crawford and Spence to do what they wouldn’t late last year. Rights to pound-for-pound supremacy are won and retained only in the ring, a piece of real estate they have been unwilling to share thus far.

Davis and Garcia have agreed to do what they won’t. Maybe that changes their minds.

Maybe.

The waiting game continues, however, until we see Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) and Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) walk down the aisle, up the steps and through the ropes. Only the sound of an opening bell ends the waiting.

There’s nothing new about late arrivals for news conferences. They are a well-rehearsed part of the show. In New York, however, Davis sent off some alarm bells that have been there before and after the date with Garcia was a done deal.

Davis is often compared to Mike Tyson because of his dramatic punching power. But another Tyson parallel is trouble outside of the ring. Like Tyson, you get the sense you’re watching an accident about to happen.

The Davis-Garcia fight is happening on April 22, because Davis won’t be sentenced on a Baltimore hit-and-run until May 5. He also was arrested on Dec. 27 on a domestic-abuse charge in Broward County, Fla. His accuser later retracted the allegation.

When he’s nearly two hours late for a newser, you wonder. Fans wonder.

But they wait, too.

There’s evident enthusiasm for Davis-Garcia  

In terms of experience, power and proven skillset, Davis figures to beat Garcia. Yet, Garcia’s abundant poise and smarts suggest he’ll be more of a threat to Davis than the odds might suggest. Davis is a narrow favorite.

After the staged part of the New York newser, Garcia talked to a group of reporters and questioned Davis’ ability to fight through adversity.

“When Tank gets into trouble, he takes the easy way out,’’ Garcia said in a comment captured on video.

Whether Garcia has enough in his skillset to prevail, however, is there. He’s known for his speed and a huge left hook.

But, Davis wonders, is that all there is?

“He’s going to hit me with that hook, because that’s all he’s got,’’ Davis said as he looked over at Garcia Thursday. “A left hook. What else? That’s all you got. You’re not a complete fighter.

“What happens when that one punch don’t work?’’

We’ll have to wait for an answer to that question. And a few more.

LAS VEGAS – March 8, 2023 – The battle to become the future face of boxing is set, as five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis takes on hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia in a highly anticipated 12-round showdown headlining a pay-per-view event on Saturday, April 22 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The telecast is being produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV and will be available across pay-per-view providers including DAZN PPV.

Davis has established himself as one of boxing’s hottest, must-see attractions, selling out arenas in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and most recently, Washington D.C., while Garcia headlined fights across Los Angeles, Dallas and San Antonio, with fans packing the rafters to watch his meteoric rise in person. Backed by two passionate, divergent fanbases, the April 22 winner will be primed to make their claim as the sport’s biggest star attraction.

In a rare matchup of unbeaten superstars in the primes of their careers, Davis vs. Garcia is set up to be a crossover event that captures the sporting world’s imagination. With contrasting, colorful personalities and aggressive, dynamic styles in the ring that translate to highlight-reel knockouts, April 22 projects to be the must-see boxing event of the year.   

Davis vs. Garcia is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.  

Tickets for the live event go on sale Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m. PT and will be available through www.axs.com.  

Pre-sale tickets will be available TOMORROW, Thursday, March 9 from 10 a.m. PT to 10 p.m. PT with the code: BOXING

“Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia have taken the boxing world by storm, attracting legions of fans with their thrilling performances and rapidly becoming ‘can’t miss’ attractions,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “On April 22, the two biggest young stars of boxing – both in the prime of their careers – will face each other in the most highly anticipated fight of the year. When the bell rings to start the first round, it will be a ‘where were you’ type moment that boxing fans will be talking about for years to come.”

“Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia is a true fight that will transcend the sport,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Gervonta Davis has proven his star power from coast-to-coast and will now step into a mega-fight with the chance to stake his claim as the future of the sport. This is one of boxing’s biggest events of the last several years and will only grow in intrigue as we near April 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and live on pay-per-view.”

“This fight is boxing the way it should be – two superstars at the peak of their powers squaring off in the ring to see who is truly the best of the best,” said Oscar De La Hoya. “Both Ryan and ‘Tank’ are at the top of the world when it comes to speed, power and skill. This will come down to who wants it more, and it is for that reason that I strongly believe Ryan will come out on top.”

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) holds the WBA Lightweight Title, and has also won world titles at 130 and 140 pounds during his spectacular career. The Baltimore-native set a new gate record for Capital One Arena in January to see him stop the previously unbeaten 130-pound world champion Hector Luis Garcia in the ninth round.

Prior to that fight, Davis added another highlight-reel KO to his resume, as he dispatched longtime rival Rolando Romero with a thudding left hand in February 2022, in another record-setting event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The 28-year-old also owns the distinction as the only fighter to stop former three-division champion Leo Santa Cruz and former 140-pound champion Mario Barrios. Davis burst onto the scene with an explosive knockout of Jose Pedraza in 2017 to capture his first world title and won the lightweight strap he currently holds with a 12^th-round KO of former unified champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2019. This bout marks Davis’ sixth-straight headlining appearance on SHOWTIME PPV.

“I’m excited for this fight and I appreciate Ryan stepping up to the plate and helping make this happen,” said Davis. “This is one of those fights that everyone has been talking about for a few years now. I know I’m going to be ready to put on a show. Make sure you buy the pay-per-view or come out to Las Vegas and witness a historic fight between two of the biggest names in boxing. Thank you to all my fans and everyone that continues to support me. I’m fighting for all of you on April 22!”

The 24-year-old Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) has used his skills and Hollywood-persona to establish a huge fan base, backing it up in the ring with a perfect record, including knockouts in six of his last seven contests. Most recently, Garcia delivered a sixth-round knockout over former champion Javier Fortuna in July 2022 in front of a packed, star-studded audience at Los Angeles’ famed Crypto.com Arena.

Born in Victorville, California and now residing in Los Angeles, Garcia has entered the ring for his last two fights under the guidance of legendary trainer Joe Goossen. ESPN’s Prospect of the Year in 2017, Garcia established himself as a lightweight contender by rising off the canvas to stop Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in the seventh round of their 2021 clash that saw Garcia walk away with the Interim WBC Lightweight Title.

“This is the super fight of the year,” said Garcia. “Boxing needs to return to the best fighting the best, and I’m bringing back that hype, that glamor, and a new generation of fans to this beautiful sport. Tank is shorter than me, slower than me, older than me, and he knows it. He’s been ducking me for months, but now he’s all out of excuses. It’s time for him to get knocked out.”

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

By David Galaviz –

PHOENIX, AZ — Trevor McCumby is coming back the way he left.

Unbeaten

McCumby, a former heavyweight prospect, announced he will resume his career during an Iron Boy card at Celebrity Theater Saturday night.

McCumby, who made the surprising announcement from the center of the ring, said he plans to fight for the first time in more than four years on April 29, also at Celebrity, on an Iron Boy card expected to include Carlos Castro.

The 30-year-old McCumby, who lives in Glendale AZ, last fought in November 2018, pushing his record to 25-0 (19 KOs) with a unanimous decision over Felipe Romero.

“A spectacular night and performance,’’ McCumby said of what he expects in his return.

At the time of his announcement, it wasn’t known who he’ll fight. 

Castro (27-2, 12 KOs), a junior-featherweight from Phoenix, is coming off successive losses. He was stopped by Brandon Figueroa in July and lost a split decision to Luis Nery 14 months ago.   

Saturday night’s main-event results:

The main event showcased one of Iron Boy’s up- and-coming prospects. Phoenix welterweight Alexis Ortega (5-1, 4 KOs) scored a second-round stoppage of from Deonte Smith (0-2) of Jacksonville FL.

In the co-main, unbeaten Elias Terraza (6-0, 4 KOs), of Phoenix, AZ faced Giovanny Meza, of Mexico, in a 143-pound bout. Terraza looked poised, utilizing his left jab. But it was his right hook that ended the night for Meza at 1:34 of the second round.

YOKOHAMA, Japan (March 6, 2023) — Naoya “Monster” Inoue conquered the bantamweight division. He’s now moving up in weight to capture the biggest fish at 122 pounds.

Philadelphia’s WBC & WBO junior featherweight world champion, Stephen Fulton, will defend his titles against Japan’s pound-for-pound king Sunday, May 7, at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The showdown pits two of the world’s top fighters, as Inoue aims to become only the fifth Asian boxer to win world titles in four weight classes.

Fulton-Inoue and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ in a special early-morning presentation.

Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) is 19-0 with 17 knockouts in world title fights, a championship run that started in 2014 when he knocked out Adrian Hernandez for the WBC light flyweight world title. He went on to rule the junior bantamweight division with seven title defenses, including a second-round stoppage over Omar Narvaez. At bantamweight, Inoue became the division’s first undisputed champion in a half-century, stopping Emmanuel Rodriguez in two rounds to win the IBF strap, outlasting Nonito Donaire in the 2019 Fight of the Year to add the WBA belt, starching Donaire in the second round of their June 2022 rematch to snatch the WBC title, and stopping then-WBO champion Paul Butler in the 11th round. Inoue vacated all four bantamweight titles to move up four pounds for a shot at “Cool Boy Steph.”

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) turned pro in 2014 and defeated five undefeated prospects in his first 12 bouts. In January 2021, he defeated Angelo Leo to capture the WBO junior featherweight world title. Ten months later, he added the WBC belt to his collection with a majority decision over then-unbeaten Brandon Figueroa in one of the year’s most action-packed championship showdowns. Fulton defended both titles last June with a one-sided unanimous decision over former unified world champion Daniel Roman. Fulton will enter the Inoue bout, his first away from American soil, coming off an 11-month layoff. The 28-year-old Fulton, however, is the naturally bigger man, holding advantages in height and reach.

# # #

About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).

Brandon Figueroa won the WBC Interim Featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mark Magsayo at The Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

In round four, Figueroa was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt.

In round eight, Magsayo was deducted a point for holding. In round 10, Figueroa was cut over his left eye due to another accidental headbutt. In round 11, he was deducted another point for holding.

Figueroa, 125.8 lbs of Weslaco, TX won by scores of 118-108 and 117-109 twice and is now 24-1-1. Magsayo, 126 lbs of the Philippines is 24-2.

Resendiz Stops Hurd in 10th

Armando Resnediz stopped former unified junior middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd in the 10th and final round of their middleweight bout.

The fight was a high-volume, high-contact fight that was stopped five seconds into the final round when Hurd’s lip was severely cut.

Resendiz, 162 lbs of Mexico is 13-1 with 10 knockouts. Hurd, 159.2 lbs of Accokeek, MD is 24-3.

Elijah Garcia Stops Vidal in Four

19 year-old Elijah Garcia stopped Amilcar Vidal in round four of their 10-round middleweight bout.

In round four, Garcia landed a huge flurry that started by a right hook on the ropes that sent off 13 unanswered punch that put Vidal down, and the bout was stopped at 2:17.

Garcia, 158.6 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 14-0 with 12 knockouts. Vidal, 159 lbs of Uruguay is 16-1.

Former world title challenger Terrell Gausha stopped Brandon Lynch in round nine of their 10-round super welterweight bout.

In round nine, Gausha dropped Lynch with a short right. Seconds later, it was another right that put Lynch down again. Gausha finished off lynch with a series of overhand rights that put Lynch down for a third and final time, and the fight was stopped at 50 seconds.

Gausha, 156.6 lbs of Encino, CA is 23-3-1 with 10 knockouts. Lynch, 155.6 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 12-2-1.

Travon Marshall remained undefeated with a third round stoppage over Justin DeLoach Dock in a scheduled eight-round welterweight fight.

In round three, Marshall dropped Dock with a hard right hand. Dock got to his feet, but the fight was called at 2:07.

Marshall, 145.6 lbs of Capitol Heights, MD is now 8-0 with seven knockouts. Dock, 147 lbs of Augusta, GA is 19-6.

In round one, Dock began to bleed from the nose.

Samuel Teah won a eight-round unanimous decision over Enriko Gogokhia in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Teah scored a knockdown when Gogokhia was off balance and Teah landed a right hand that that put Gogokhia on the canvas.

In round six, Teah started to swell under his left eye.

Teah, 141.6 lbs of Philadephia won by scores of 79-72 and 78-73 twice and is now 19-6-1. Gogokhia, 143 lbs of Woodland Hills, CA is 13-1-2.

Daniel Blancas remained undefeated with a first round stoppage over Kynndale Prather in a scheduled four-round super middleweight bout.

In round one, Blancas dropped Prather with a hard combination in the corner. Prather dropped Prather again in the round with another flurry and the bout was stopped.

Blancas, 168.2 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is 5-0 with three knockouts Prather, 165.4 lbs of Kansas City, KS is 3-16.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Elijah Garcia wears 602 on his waistband. It’s his hometown. It’s also a busy area code, a fight town that is beginning to live up to the name of the city it represents.

Phoenix is named for a mythic bird rising from the ashes. it’s the city crest. It’s on the side of busses and on the patch police wear on their uniforms.

But it’s more than myth these days. There’s Kevin Durant, who has the town buzzing about whether the Suns can finally soar to their first NBA title. And there’s boxing, a market that is climbing off the deck the way that proverbial bird is coming out of those ashes.

Phoenix and most of Arizona are becoming a go-to area for matchmakers looking for fighters and promoters searching for an audience.

From A to Z, fighters and fans are drawing the boxing business back to a market that had gone dormant in the years after Michael Carbajal’s Hall of Fame run in the 1990s.

Increasingly, AZ’s place in the boxing universe is evident.

It was a month ago in Emanuel Navarrete’s stoppage of Australian Liam Wilson in an entertaining, controversial junior-lightweight bout in front of an ESPN audience and a lively crowd at Desert Diamond Arena in suburban Glendale.

AZ will be there again Saturday, this time on the road when the 19-year-old Garcia (13-0, 11 KOs) gets a true test of his middleweight credentials in Ontario CA against Amilcar Vidal (16-0, 12 KOs)) on a Showtime Championship Boxing card (6 pm PT/9 pm ET) featuring featherweights Brandon Figueroa and Mark Magsayo.

Vidal, of Uruguay, is 27. He had 59 amateur fights, reportedly losing only once. Vidal has his own AZ connection. His manager/promoter is Sampson Lewkowicz, who promotes former super-middleweight champion David Benavidez, today’s best-known AZ fighter.

Lewkowicz has been at ringside for two Garcia fights, first when Benavidez beat Kyrone Davis at the Suns home area and then last year when Benavidez blew out former middleweight champion David Lemieux in Glendale.

In terms of physical maturity, Vidal is a tough fight for Garcia, who is still nearly two months from turning 20. His birthday is April 26.

“Yeah, it’s my toughest,’’ Garcia said.

But, Garcia says, he wouldn’t have it any other way. He has watched video of Vidal.

“He’s a tough guy who likes to come forward,’’ Garcia said. “I like to fight on the inside.’’

The idea is that Vidal will step forward and into Garcia’s wheelhouse. It’s not clear whether Vidal can fight in retreat, off his back foot.

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen, to be honest,’’ Garcia said.

But it’s an answer Garcia will pursue. It’s what he’s been doing since he was a kid. A son of former Arizona heavyweight George Garcia, Elijah says he never envisioned a prizefighting career.

“I hated boxing as a kid,’’ he said. “But when I was about 11, I was in the gym, working out and suddenly I just knew. I loved it.’’

Boxing was there, in his DNA and his geography. On the same night as his bout with Vidal, there will be a card in the 602 at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre (7 p.m.) promoted by Iron Boy’s Robert Vargas. It is Vargas’ first boxing card in the New Year.

Garcia is an emerging face in a AZ generation that includes David Benavidez and his brother, Jose Jr., a former 140-pound champion who has a film role in the current sequel, Creed III.

There’s also welterweight Abel Ramos and his nephew, junior-middleweight Jesus Ramos, both of Casa Grande, 50 miles from Phoenix. Both will fight on the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring David Benavidez versus Caleb Plant at Las Vegas MGM Grand on March 25.

Then, there’s Oscar Valdez, Jr., a former featherweight and junior-lightweight champion who calls himself a Son of Sonora, the name of the desert that stretches from northern Mexico to Phoenix. Valdez grew up in Nogales in the Sonoran state of Mexico, south of Tucson. He went to school in Tucson.

After Navarrete got up from a knockdown to beat Wilson in Glendale, Valdez joined him in the ring. He and Navarrete are expected to fight later in the year for the 130-pound title.

“Maybe, here in Arizona,’’ Valdez said.

The crowd roared, as if to say:

Where else.

By Norm Frauenheim –

For an emerging 22-year-old nephew, he’s a wise uncle. Uncle Abel. But don’t be misled. This uncle isn’t retired. And most of his wisdom is still evolving.

Abel Ramos is still seeking, fighting on in a stubborn quest for an elusive piece to his career.

At 31, the welterweight uncle to junior-middleweight prospect Jesus Ramos sounds more motivated than ever to gain a 147-pound title.

A bout against Cody Crowley March 25 on the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring fellow Arizona fighter David Benavidez against Caleb Plant at Las  Vegas’ MGM Grand is an opportunity, another one, to move closer to a second chance at a belt.

Abel Ramos (27-5-2, 21 KOs) is still in his prime. But 30 isn’t 20. He’s at an age when the horizon begins to include fewer chances. That focuses the mind. Puts an edge on the motivation.

“I want to make a statement,’’ he said this week during a stop at Central Boxing in downtown Phoenix, about 50 miles from the Ramos home in Casa Grande.

Ramos said it with an easy smile and a quiet poise that includes no hint at the ever-present danger that defines his two-fisted, relentless ring style.

Translation: It’s unwise to ignore him.

For a while, he has been.

He’s been mostly forgotten since a split decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in September 2020 in Los Angeles for the World Boxing Association’s welterweight belt.

Against Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs), a Canadian, he has a chance to remind the division that he’s still there, still a force at 147-pounds.

In part, the narrow scorecard loss to Ugas drives Ramos. It represents an endless source of motivation.

“I thought I did enough to win,’’ said Ramos, who struggled to find a way to negate Ugas’ long, precise jab. “I watch it, and I can see that I could have done more. But I still thought I won.’’

A split decision often sets the stage for a rematch. Ramos lost 115-113 in two cards. He was a big winner on the third, 117-110, a surprising card that must have reflected moments when his power had Ugas in trouble. It’s that third card that said – says – there’s reason for a rematch.

So far, however there’s been no interest from Ugas.

“Not yet,’’ said Abel’s brother and trainer Jesus Sr, Jesus Jr.’s father.

Ugas is back in training in Las Vegas after suffering a fractured eye socket in a stoppage loss to Errol Spence last April.

Ugas wants to make a comeback. Perhaps in April, he says. But, Ugas says, he wants to fight only contenders. He mentioned Terence Crawford, Spence, Jaron Ennis and Virgil Ortiz during a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) podcast interview with Michael Rosenthal and Kenneth Bouharie in late January.

“I want the top contenders,’’ the Cuban said in comments translated into English. “I believe I’m one of the best. I want to fight the best. Why hold back?”

For Abel Ramos, that means delivering proof that he still belongs. Proof positive would mean a big knockout, one that could force dominoes to fall in the balkanized business.

A sensational KO could lead to a ranking that might set up a so-called eliminator for a title shot.

It’s part politics and part crap-shoot, which is another of saying it’s boxing. Anything can happen, and it did in Ugas’ first fight after Ramos

In a stunner, Ugas went on to score a huge upset over fading legend Manny Pacquiao in May 2021. Ugas was a late stand-in for an injured Spence. He got the fight because Pacquiao wanted the WBA title that went to Ugas on a night when the cards fell his way.

That won’t happen again. History probably won’t get rewritten. If Ramos gets a big win and some bigger luck, however, it might get a rematch for a shot at a title and a real reason for a wise uncle to one day think it could have been him.   

In a bout that was two years in the making, Tommy Fury won a eight-round split decision over Jake Paul in a cruiserweight bout in Saudi Arabia.

It was a tactical fight that picked up with Fury getting the better of the action by landing right hands. Paul fought back well and was able to get some good shots in.

In round five, Paul was deducted a point for hitting behind the head. In round six, Fury was deducted a point for holding the head down. In round 10, Paul dropped Fury with a hard jab. That was not enough as Fury won two cards by 76-73 scores. Paul won a card 75-74.

Fury is now 9-0. Paul is 6-1.

Fury landed 88 of 302; Paul was 49 of 157.

Fury said, “For the past two years, this is all that has consumed my life. Broken rib. Denied access. Everybody thought I was running scared. Tonight, I made my own legacy. I am Tommy Fury.
 
“All through these past two years, I had a dream and a vision that I would win this fight. And no one believed me. Now I can stand up and everybody can take note. It’s my first main event at 23 years old. I had pressure on my shoulders, and I came through.
 
“This is my first main event. I’m only going to get stronger, and I’m only going to get bigger. There were a lot of nerves going into that fight, but I override that. If he wants a rematch, bring it on.”
 
Paul said, “All respect to Tommy. He won. Don’t judge me by my wins. Judge me by my losses. I’ll come back. I think we deserve that rematch. It was a great fight. It was a close fight. I don’t know if I agree with the judges. I got a 10-8 round twice. So, it is what it is. I’ve already won in life, man. I’ve already won in every single way. I have an amazing family. Amazing friends. Amazing work ethic. I’ve made it farther than I ever thought I would.”

Badou Jack Stops Makabu; Wins Cruiserweight Title and Becomes 3-Division Champ

Badou Jack won the WBC Cruiserweight title with a 12th round stoppage over Ilunga Makabu.

In round four, Jack landed a quick right hand on the inside that sent Makabu down on his back.

In round nine, Makabu started to bleed from his Nostrils. In round 10, Jack dropped Makabu again with the right hand. In round 12, Jack landed a booming right to the head that hurt Makabu badly. A follow up flurry on the ropes forced a stoppage at 54 seconds.

Jack now becomes a three-division world champion with a record of 28-3-3 with 17 knockouts. Makabu of the Congo is 29-3.

Jack said, “I was standing there too much. My trainer told me to box and move. That’s not really my style. I mean, I box. But I also like to come forward and fight. Makabu is a hell of a fighter. He’s an African brother of mine. We used to be training partners. He is still my brother.”

Ziyad Almaayouf won an entertaining four-round split decision over Ronald Martinez in a welterweight bout.

After Almaayoud came out strong, Martinez landed a perfect right to the jaw that sent Almaayouf down. Almaayouf was able to right himself by landing hard punches that snapped the head back of Martinez that thrilled the crowd.

Almaayouf, 145.6 lbs of Saudi Arabia won by scores of 38-37 on all cards and is now 2-0. Martinez, 142 lbs of Ecuador is 3-2-1.

Muhsin Cason stopped Taryel Jafarov after the opening round of their eight-round cruiserweight bout.

In round one, the first punch of the fight was a booming right by Cason that put Jafarov on the canvas. Jafarov had enough after the round, and the fight was stopped.

Cason, 199.1 lbs of Las Vegas via Baltimore is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Jafarov, 200.6 lbs of Azerbaijan is 18-6.

Badeer Samreem stopped Viorel Simion in the opening round of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Samreem dropped Simion with a hard right and the fight was stopped at 1:26.

Samreem Dubai via Jordan is 8-0 with seven knockouts. Simion, 138.6 lbs of Bucharest, ROM is 23-10.

Follow all of the action as Jake Paul takes on Tommy Fury in an much anticipated grudge match. The action begins at 2 PM ET with a 4-fight undercard that will feature the WBC Cruiserweight title fight between Ilunga Makabu and Badou Jack.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED. THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Fury going after Paul..Referee warning for holding..Jab from Fury..Right from Paul..Left hook..Right to body…Combination from Fury
Round 2 Jab from Fury..Right on the inside..Jab…Right down the middle…Jab..Right..Left hook from Paul
Round 3 Paul lands a jab…Jab..Jab..Counter left hook..overhand right…
Round 4 Hard right from Fury…Combination…4rights…Combination from Paul..
Round 5 Right from Paul..Right from Fury…POINT DEDUCTED FROM PAUL FOR HITTING BEHIND THE HEAD…Lett Hook from Paul..Jab..Big right from Fury
Round 6 Left hook from Paul..Uppercut from Fury…uppercut..Right..POINT DEDCUTED FOR FURY FOR HOLDING THE HEAD…
Round 7 Right from Fury..Overhand right from Paul..3 rights from Fury…Fury bleeding from around the left eye
Round 8 JAB AND DOWN GOES FURY…Right from Fury…Uppercut from Fury..

75-74 PAUL,,,76-73 Fury,,,,76-73 Fury

ROUND 1 Left to body from Makabu…Body shot..

ROUND 2 1-2 From Jack…Right…Left to the body with Makabu..2 lefts 

ROUND 3 Right from Jack….Right from Makabu..2 lefts to the body…Big right hook..Chopping left..

ROUND 4 2 lefts to the body from Makabu..RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES MAKABU…Right from Jack

ROUND 5 Right from Jack..Right hand..

ROUND 6 Left from Makabu…right hook..Right to body,…Left 

ROUND 7 Right from Jack..Right to body..Big Right..Right to the body from Makabu…1-2 from Jack…2 rights to the body…

ROUND 8 Counter right from Jack

ROUND 9 Right from Jack…Blood from Nostril of Makabu…Right from Jack..Makabu coming forward…right to body and jab..Left from Makabu..Overhand right from Jack..Right at the bell

ROUND 10 Left from Makabu…2 hard rights from Jack….Right to body..Flurry from Makabu..Big left from Jack…3 more lefts.

ROUND 11 BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES MAKABU…Big right from Jack..Right to the body hurts Makabu

ROUND 12 BIG RIGHT HURTS MAKABU BAD….FOLLOW UP FLURRY AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1: Almaayouf going after Martinez,,Big Right…Double jab followed by a right…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES ALMAAYOUF…Right from Almaayouf
Round 2 Right from Martinez…Right uppercut…Big right from Almaayouf…Big left..
Round 3 Right from Martinez..Double jab from Almaayouf…Right over the top..Big right over the top..
Round 4 Double jab from Almaayouf..Left hook..Nice right to the body..Big right over the top..Left hook..

38-37 oN ALL CARDS FOR ALMAAYOUF

Round 1 1st PUNCH A BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES JAFAROV..Combination in the corner by Cason..Big right to the head..Right over the top…sweeping right from jafarov..Right to the body by Cason….THE FIGHT IS WAVED OFF IN THE CORNER
Round 2

Round 1 Left hook to body from Samreen..Nice right…right to head…BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES SIMION…THE FIGHT IS OVER

Follow all the action as Subriel Matias takes on Jeremias Ponce for the vacant IBF Junior Welterweight title. The action kicks off at 9 PM ET with Elvis Rodriguez against Joseph Adorno and Jamal James vs Alberto Palmetta

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Round 1: Ponce landing body punches..Right…Ripping upprcuts…Lefts from Matias..

ROUND 2 Right from Ponce…Ponce crowding Matias…Ponce working on the inside..Left uppercut from Ponce..Matias lands a left hook..2 bog left hooks..

ROUND 3 Left hook from Ponce…another and another..Both guys just whaling away on each other on the inside…

ROUND 4 Left hook to the body from Ponce…counter right from Matias..Beautiful left hook..Left hook from Ponce

ROUND 5 Good combination from Matias..Left..Left…MATIS STAGGERS AND DROPS PONCE…..PONCE’S CORNER STOPS IT IN BETWEEN ROUNDS

Round 1 Combination from James…Jab…Right..Combination..
Round 2 Left from Palmetta…
Round 3 2 lefts from Palmetta…Right hook..left
Round 4  Jab and combination from James..Cuffing right hook..Jab and right hand..Combination to the body..left hook to the body
Round 5 Right from James..Another right to the head..Body shot from Palmetta…Counter by James..Right..Body and uppercut from James..2 lefts hooks to the body from James…Good counter right from Palmetta…Body shot…
Round 6 Good counter right hook from Palmetta…Right-left…2 counter punches from James..Right
Round 7 Right to the body from James…Hard right…Body shots…hard rights..Sharp right…Right hook to body from Palmetta…left hook from James..
Round 8 Left from Palmetta..Right hook to body..Right from James..Trading body shots…James lands a head shot..Right from Pakmetta..Chopping left…Left uppercut…right uppercut to body from James..Left to body from Palmetta…
Round 9 James lands a right…Straight left…James landing 2 rights to the body
Round 10 Combination from James…3 punch combination..Right hook to body from Palmetta..right uppercut.

99-91 and 98-92 FOR JAMAL JAMES

Round 1 Adorno Jabbing…
Round 2 Lead right hook from Rodriguez..Left down the middle…Body..Counter to the body..Adorno lands a jab and left hook..Body shot from Rodriguez…Lead right from Adorno…Combination Rodriguez
Round 3 Double left hook to Body shot from Adorno..Jab from Rodriguez..Short right to body from Adorno…Body shot…Right hook to body from Rodriguez…Double jab and right to body from Adorno…
Round 4 Exchanging jabs to the body…Left hook to the body…Lead right..Counter
Round 5 Right from Adorno…Lead right hook to body from Rodriguez…Counter from Adorno..Double right..Nice counter from Rodriguez..Left hook to head from Adorno
Round 6 Combination from Rodriguez…Left from Adorno..Combination from Rodriguez..Counter right from Adorno..Counter from Rodriguez…Left hook from Adorno..Right hook from Rodriguez..Counter right to body from Adorno
Round 7 HUGE RIGHT HOOK ROCKS ADORNO AND DOWN HE GOES…Rodriguez landing big shots, but Adorno landing some shots of his own..Big right uppercut from Rodriguez
Round 8 Jab from Adorno..Right hook from Rodriguez..Right hook to the body…Left…2 lefts from Adorno…straight right to the body..Counter left from Rodriguez..Right to body…Right hook rocks Adorno
Round 9 Straight left and right hook from Rodriguez..Lead left…Double jab from Adorno..Lead right to the body..Right uppercut from Rodriguez.Lead right…jab to the body…
Round 10 Counter right from Adorno..Straight left..combination from Rodriguez,,,Double left hook from Adorno……BODY SHOT AND DOWN GOES ADORNO

97-91, 95-93 and 94-94 FOR RODRIGUEZ

Subriel Matias stopped Jeremias Ponce after round five to win the IBF Junior Welterweight Title in a blistering fight at the Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ponce came out firing punches in bunches. Ponce was all over Matias, but Matias was calm and fired back in between to starve off any sustained assault from Ponce. The pace continued throughout the fight with toe-to-toe action. Matias slowly started getting the better of these exchanges and in round five was starting to break down Ponce. Late in the round, Matias landed a flurry of punches that sent Ponce to the canvas. Ponce looked spent as he went to the corner, and his trainer/father stopped the bout.

Matias, 139.25 lbs of Fajardo, PR is now 19-1 with 19 knockouts. Ponce, 139.5 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 30-1.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” said Matias. “I don’t think I’ve woken up from this dream. Maybe I can tell you how it feels tomorrow, but right now, it’s a dream come true. I wanted to work him from the first round on, because I knew he wouldn’t have the same power as me as the fight went on.”

“I thought it was an even fight, but one punch can change everything and that’s what happened,” said Ponce. “Subriel is a tough, strong fighter and I knew what he was capable of.”

“I’m fine now,” said Ponce. “My team knows me, and they made the decision that they had to make. It hurts, but the most important thing is that I’m healthy.”

“I wasn’t really surprised,” said Matias. “Once I saw how his corner reacted. I saw that [Ponce] was hurt. I thought that I was patient in the first four rounds, so I came out with a different approach and mindset in the fifth.”

“Regis Prograis, I’m coming for you,” said Matias. “I’m the world champion now. I promise that I’m coming to hurt you. Prograis likes to talk the talk, but I have that same mentality. Let’s see who prevails. I want him to see that there are people crazier than him in this sport.”

Jamal James Decisions Palmetta

Jamal James won a 10-round unanimous decision over Alberto Palmetta in a welterweight bout.

James landed 193 of 728 punches; Palmetta was 111 of 541.

James, 146.75 lbs of Minneapolis, MN won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice and is now 28-2. Palmetta, 147 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 18-2.

“I’m pretty sure everybody can see that layoff affected me,” said James. “I had a lot of rust in me. My legs weren’t sharp, my punches weren’t sharp, but I’m glad I was able to get in there. I liked that because it’s pushing me mentally and it made me step up to the occasion.”

“I thought it was an even fight,” said Palmetta. “I was the aggressor throughout against a former world champion, a taller opponent with longer reach than me.”

“I was trying to adapt,” said James. “I definitely felt like I won the fight but I believe I could’ve done much better. I know that I’m a lot sharper. I know that my endurance is a lot stronger. I just had a lot of time off and my body is still getting back in shape. I’ll be back for sure.”

“I also like to counter, but I ratcheted up the pressure in the second half of the fight,” said Palmetta. “Maybe it looked like Jamal James was superior in the first half because he kept being conservative and countering.”

“I know I can be a champion again because I was a champion before,” said James. “I have to stay focused. Stay in the gym and back and study this fight – actually, my last two fights – and step it up. Thanks to everybody in Minneapolis for coming and showing me love.”

Elvis Rodriguez Decisions Adorno

Elvis Rodriguez scored a 10-round majority decision over Joseph Adorno in a junior welterweight bout.

In round seven, Rodriguez landed a huge right hook that rocked Adorno and eventually sent Adorno to the canvas. In round 10,Rodriguez landed a little body punch and Adorno appeared to slip, yet was ruled a knockdown.

Rodriguez landed 90 of 316 punches; Adorno was just 69 of 320.

Rodriguez, 139.75 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 97-91, 95-93 and 94-94 and is now 14-1-1. Adorno, 140 lbs of Allentown, PA is 17-2-2.

“Ring rust was definitely a factor,” said Rodriguez. “Maybe the struggle was more mental than physical in a way, but the important thing is that I overcame it.”

“I thought I had him once I landed that right hook, but he got up,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a warrior and a good fighter… The seventh round was huge, that’s when I truly started to win this fight. I have to give credit to Adorno for being savvy and knowing how to keep his distance before then.”

“I thought the judges were blind,” said Adorno. “I can’t get a win with these judges. I don’t know how you see the fight 97-91. I thought I won every round except the ones he dropped me. He never out worked me at all. I had the jab in his face and was snapping him to the body. He couldn’t do anything. No way he won seven rounds. I thought 94-94 was okay because of the two knockdowns.”

“Like I said yesterday at the weigh-in, bring on the winner of the main event,” said Rodriguez. “And to my people in the Dominican Republic, just know that I’ll be back even bolder and even better next time.” 

VeShawn Owens scored an upset 10-round unanimous decision over Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in a welterweight bout.

Owens, 147 lbs of Minneapolis, MN won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 14-3. Abdukakhorov, 156 lbs of Uzbekistan is 18-2.

Willie Jones shocked previously undefeated Derrick Jackson by scoring a one-punch first round stoppage in an eight-round welterweight bout.

Jones landed a perfect left hook to the head of Jackson that dropped him hard on his back and the fight was stopped immediately.

Jones, 147.75 lbs of Burlington, NC is 9-2 with six knockouts. Jackson, 149 lbs Orlando, FL is 10-1.

Mikkel Spencer made easy work of Margarito Lopez with a first round stoppage in their four-round super lightweight bout.

Spencer dominated the fight by landing fast power shots and culminating with a left that sent Lopez down and the fight was stopped at 2:18.

Spencer, 139 lbs of Linden, MI is 3-0 with two knockouts. Lopez, 140 lbs of Wapato, WA is 3-5-1.

By Norm Frauenheim –

It’s a main event, pay-per-view, between fighters with a combined 14-0 record compiled against YouTubers, a 3-time NBA Slam Dunk champion, a 47-year-old mixed-martial-arts legend and a guy – who at last count — is 0-47.

A pound for-pound list, it’s not. More like butchers, bakers and tomato can makers.

Step right up. For just $49.99, you can get ripped off, too. Plenty of customers will, of course. But there’s a market for it, proven repeatedly by Jake Paul, who is expected to deliver some more of the evidence against Tommy Fury on Feb 26 in Saudi Arabia

The Paul-Fury promoter, Skill Challenge Entertainment, knows that. So, too, do the networks. That’s why the bout will be staged on ESPN+, which from this corner gets more of a minus than a plus for selling this one.

But only the numbers matter. Paul has been generating big ones. He draws crowds. He gets PPV buys that Terence Crawford never has. And never will. But can he fight? That’s a stupid question.

He’ll say he can. Ever the provocateur, he calls out Canelo Alvarez. He rips UFC czar Dana White. He accuses UK promoter Eddie Hearn of a fix. Hearn sues, then says he’d still do business with him.

At the bully pulpit, there’s never been a bigger bully. There, Paul knows what he’s doing. Within the ropes, who knows?

But it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the show, and — in the here-and-now – Paul is the undisputed showman.

I’ve only been to one Paul fight. He scored a boxing decision over 47-year-old Anderson Silva, a former UFC star, at a jammed Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale AZ early last December. On my scorecard, it was a draw. But a knockdown of Silva was enough to give it to Paul. No argument there.

Still, it looked as if Paul was just too easy to hit. He looked to be a long way from a main event, much less a chance at a champion or even a contender. He left himself wide-open for repeated shots from Silva. Maybe Fury, Tyson Fury’s brother, can take advantage. Maybe not. In Saudi Arabia, it might not matter in a bout that figures to go Paul’s way. Translation: Expect controversy.

That, however, would set the stage for what Paul does best. He’s the master of post-fight controversy.

The post-fight newser is an irreplaceable part of the show.

So, too, is the pre-fight newser.

That’s when I asked a question after welcoming Paul to former super-middleweight champion David Benavidez’ hometown.

Paul had been saying he wanted to promote Benavidez. I asked: Why not fight Benavidez instead? Paul looked back at me as though I was a nutcase.

Then in a sober, measured tone, he said he wasn’t ready for a fight at Benavidez’ level. No bullyboy response. It was the right answer.

A couple of days later, he called out Canelo. The Canelo challenge got the attention. The reasonable answer to the Benavidez question got little.

It was an instructive sequence, a plot line in a well-rehearsed show that must go on.

About four months later, Paul arrives in Saudi Arabia with assurances from the World Boxing Council (WBC) that he will be ranked at cruiserweight if he wins.

At first, I was confused. Did the WBC say ranked? Or rank? The Paul-Fury fight is more of the latter than deserving of the former.

Paul, a 26-year-old novice, has yet to face a full-fledged boxer. He beat Silva, who had some boxing experience. Silva beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Before Silva, he beat Nate Robinson, an ex-NBA point guard and slam-dunk champ. Then, there’s Fury, whose record is arguably even more problematic than Paul’s.  

His 8-0 record came against opponents with a cumulative record of 24-176-5. One, Genadij Krajevskij, went into a November 2020 loss to Fury at 0-11. After a TKO loss to Fury, Krajevskij lost 35 more bouts.

At 0-47, it’s a wonder that Krajevskij, a Lithuanian living in the UK, can get licensed.

To drive or fight.

But that’s another story.

It’s the promised WBC ranking that has generated most of the controversy. Presumably, Fury will get the ranking if he wins. But would there be any ranking at all if the fight didn’t include Paul? Sorry, that’s another stupid question.

It’s been pointed out that WBC rankings include 40 fighters in each division. Most other rankings only include the top 15. It was a revelation that there were 40 cruiserweights in the world. Who knew? But Oleksandr Usyk, now a heavyweight champ hoping to fight the other Fury, took the snoozer out of cruiser. He made it relevant.

But a Paul ranking threatens to return it to irrelevancy, even if he moves into the bottom half of the 40. But those aren’t the kind of numbers that matter.

To the WBC

Or ESPN.

By Norm Frauenheim –

It looks as if boxing is moving up and on, beyond dashed hopes for a definitive date at welterweight and onto light-heavy.

Don’t call the move upscale. There’s no new real estate in a battered place where nothing much gets made anymore.

For now, however, more opportunities are beginning to appear at 175 pounds, soon to be one of boxing’s busiest neighborhoods.

That much has become evident in comments from David Benavidez, who still has some career-defining work to do at super-middle in a risky Showtime pay-per-view date with Caleb Plant on March 25 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

Benavidez is signaling that a jump to light-heavy looms. At a formal news conference announcing his bout with Plant a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, he said he would probably fight three more times at 168.

He foresees a victory over Plant in a bout that is supposed to lead to a so-called mandatory shot at Canelo Alvarez, who holds all the 168-pound belts and the key to boxing’s pay-per-view vault.

Post-Plant, he said, he plans to fight David Morrell, Demetrius Andrade and Jermall Charlo.

Notably absent: Canelo, the prize that is supposed to be there for the Benavidez-Plant winner.

Why?

Best guess: Benavidez doesn’t believe Canelo will fight hm. There are too many indications that he just won’t. Canelo has dismissed Benavidez’ worthiness, saying his record is lacking.

He has said he doesn’t want to fight fellow Mexicans, which presumably means Mexican-Americans, including the Phoenix-born Benavidez, whose father is Mexican and mother Ecuadorian.

Now, there are increasing signs that Canelo will test a surgically-repaired wrist in a reported tune-up against UK pushover John Ryder and then go directly to light-heavy for a rematch later this year with Dmitry Bivol, the 2022 Fighter of the Year who upset Canelo in a stunner last May.

Maybe, Benavidez is just following Canelo in the next step of what has been a futile chase. But a move up-the-scale is already on-the-clock. Benavidez is simply out-growing super-middleweight. The social-media mob is already accusing him of overlooking Plant. Of course. But the real surprise is that he’s still at super-middle.

After all, he lost the WBC title in August 2020 when he failed to make the 168 pounds. He turned 26 on December 17. Maturity means gaining experience and weight. Making super-middle is about go from difficult to impossible. Benavidez is simply acknowledging reality.

In subsequent interviews after the LA news conference, Benavidez even talked about a move beyond light-heavy.

“Right now, my sights are 168,’’ he told Fight Hub TV. “I want to be unified champion at 168 and go up to 175, and it definitely could be a possibility at cruiserweight and then we’ll see from there.’’

Benavidez adds that he believes he’d beat Bivol. They sparred.

“I know I can win a belt at 175,’’ Benavidez said. (Insert more twitter trash here). “I know a lot of people saw the video of me saying I’d knock Bivol out.

“I mean, I would. I’m not going to lie.

“Every professional boxer should have that much confidence. I’m not lying about anything. I sparred him at Churchill Boxing (in Santa Monica CA). There were a lot of people there. They seen what happened. I’m not going to lie to anybody.’’

Above all, it’s what lies ahead. Light-heavy is inevitable, not just for Benavidez but for much of boxing. Talk about Terence Crawford-versus-Errol Spence is beginning to subside.

The business is moving on from news of their failed negotiations for a bout that would have been a 147-pound battle for pound-for-pound supremacy. But that could still happen at 175.

Bivol-versus-Artur Beterbiev is supplanting Crawford-Spence as a definitive fight, one fans want to see. The balkanized business might prevent it. Eddie Hearn promotes Bivol; Bob Arum has Beterbiev. Peace-on-earth has a better chance.

Yet at 175, there’s still a chance at legacy and good money. It’s a division where there are still some possibilities.

And, for Benavidez, maybe still a chance at Canelo.

But first, there’s still a challenge. There’s Caleb Plant. There’s no other way to upscale.

Liam Wilson-Emanuel Navarrete Update: Navarrete’s ninth-round stoppage of the tough Australian on Feb. 3 in Glendale AZ was entertaining, yet controversial.

Wilson and his promotional/management team protested loudly, first at the weigh-in and then a “long-count” late in the fourth round of a 130-pound title fight at Desert Diamond Arena.

As of Wednesday, however, no formal protest had been filed with the Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission.

There was no protest from Wilson or anybody representing him on the Commission agenda for its monthly meeting on Feb. 15

Wilson’s promotional team threatened to protest, first the weigh-in for a scale that it alleged was rigged. Wilson came in light, 126.3 pounds for a 130-pound title fight. Wilson’s promoters said they suspected Navarrete was in fact overweight. He was at 129.2.

Then, Wilson’s corner threatened to “launch” a protest of a wild fourth round. Wilson knocked down Navarrete, hurting the Mexican, who spit out his mouthpiece. About 27 seconds passed before the referee retrieved the mouthpiece and put it back in Navarrete’s mouth.

Wilson’s corner charged “a long count” that allowed Navarrete to recover from a knockdown that could have resulted in a TKO win for Wilson, a huge betting underdog. A review of the video also appears to show that Wilson landed an illegal punch, a left, after he had knocked down Navarrete.

If nothing else, the controversy generated a lot of headlines and might have “launched” a solid campaign for an All-Aussie fight between Wilson and George Kambosos, who is coming off a couple of losses to American lightweight champion Devin Haney. 

By Norm Frauenheim –

For now, it’s a fight known for its rancor. David Benavidez and Caleb Plant have been insulting each other for at least a couple of years.

The four-letter festival continued, ad nauseam, at a news conference in Los Angeles last week. Between now and opening bell on March 25 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, there’ll be no end to the trash.

Trash in, trash out. In boxing, that’s a business plan. But there’s more to this bout than just another effing expletive.

It’s a multi-dimensional date, edgy for the bad blood and the threat that some real blood will be spilled. Above all, it’s a genuine fight during an era when there just aren’t many.

Who wins? Who knows?

Benavidez appears to have the momentum and most of the energy. Narrow odds suggest he’ll win and move closer to a so-called mandatory date with undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

Even Canelo, who has beaten Plant and dismissed Benavidez as unworthy of a shot, picks Benavidez in an interview with ESNEWS. Still, it’s not clear whether Canelo would fight him or resume his career at light-heavyweight.

Nevertheless, he’s interested. Canelo and other fighters are talking about Benavidez-Plant. There’s a buzz building for the first significant fight in 2023.

Plant knows the odds, yet believes he has an edge because of his experience. He’s been where Benavidez has not, he says. It’s a comment that has echoes of what Canelo said during a news conference after his trilogy-ending victory over Gennadiy Golovkin in September. That’s when he angrily shut the door on any immediate prospect of a date with Benavidez.

“This is [Benavidez’s] first big fight,’’ Plant told reporters after a rancorous news conference in downtown LA on Feb. 2.  “This ain’t my first big fight. I’ve been here before. I’ve been on the big stage more than once.”

He has, exactly once.

In his lone loss, Canelo delivered a punishing beatdown, scoring an 11^th-round TKO on Nov. 6, 2021, also at Vegas’ MGM Grand. Plant’s comment suggests that he doesn’t believe Benavidez has had to deal with the kind of adversity that comes with a defeat under boxing’s brightest lights. It appears Plant learned from the loss. He has a new trainer in Stephen “Breadman” Edwards and some newfound power, which he flashed in a stoppage of Anthony Dirrell in one of last year’s most sensational knockouts.

“A lot of the people that [Benavidez has] fought have been one dimensional,’’ Plant said. “IQ has been decent, but not even the same universe as what I am able to do on fight night.

 “I can do a lot of things.”

But Dirrell is the reference point that says Benavidez-Plant is a pick ‘em fight. Both beat Dirrell — Plant in the ninth round of a bout last October in Brooklyn and Benavidez, also in the ninth of a September 2019 bout in Los Angeles.

Plant ended it with a big left hand. Benavidez simply wore down Dirrell, beating him into submission with relentless pressure and forcing his corner to throw in the towel. At the time of each stoppage, each led on the cards by similar scores. It was Plant, 79-73, 80-72, 79-73. It was Benavidez, 78-74, 79-73, 78-74.

A possible key to a Benavidez’ advantage might be what’s not on the Phoenix-born fighter’s record. He sparred with Dmitry Bivol, the 2022 Fighter of the Year, before Bivol’s masterful upset of Canelo in a light-heavyweight bout last May. Bivol’s stunning performance put him alongside today’s very best in terms of boxing skill. Plant talked about IQ. Bivol’s IQ ranks at the top of the scale. For Benavidez, those rounds of sparring might have been an education, an invaluable lesson plan.

It’s evident that Benavidez and Bivol emerged from the sparring with mutual respect. Benavidez said he was not surprised by Bivol’s upset of Canelo. He saw what he could do in the gym.

Before Bivol’s decision over Canelo, he was asked about Benavidez and whether he deserves a shot at the Mexican star, boxing’s biggest pay-per-view draw.

“He has enough to get the fight and win the fight,’’ Bivol said last year at a news conference announcing his date with Canelo. “Why not? He has good skill. Good combinations, good defense and lots of conditioning.’’

Just enough, perhaps, to beat Plant.

Follow all the action as Amanda Serrano takes on Erika Cruz for the Undisputed Featherweight title.  The action kicks off at 8 PM ET and will feature Alycia Baumgardner taking on Elham Mekhaled for the Undisputed Junior Lightweight crown.

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Round 1: Left from Cruz..Left to body from Serrano…another…Left over top from Cruz..Left from Serrano…Left from Cruz

ROUND 2 2 Lefts from Cruz…2 more lefts…Left..uppercut on the inside

ROUND 3 Cruz lands a left…Right..Straight left from Serrano…Right..Cruz cut badly on her forehead (Headbutt)

ROUND 4 left from Cruz…Right hook..Left from Serrano…Rught Hook..Straight left

ROUND 5 Right from Cruz…Combination..Left backs up Cruz…Left,,

ROUND 6 Doctor checks Cruz Cut forehead,,,Right hook from Serrano..Lef from Cruz..Body shot from Serrano..Big left hurts Cruz…she stumbles to the ropes…Body shot from Serrano

ROUND 7  Furious action to start the round..Big left from Serrano,,,Big right hook…Tremendous action

ROUND 8 Left from Serrano

ROUND 9 Left from Serrano..Right hook…Hard left…

ROUND 10 Left from Cruz,…right…A war between the two,,,Serrano cut around the right eye

98-92 TWICE AND 97-93 FOR AMANDA SERRANO

ROUND 1 Right from Baumgarder..Right aver top from Mekhaled…

ROUND 2 Right from Baumgardner…Right from Mekhaled…2 shots…Right from Baumgardner..

ROUND 3 BIG RGHT AND DOWN GOES MEKHALED…HUGE FLURRY AND DOWN GOES MEKHALED AGAIN…2 Big Rights followed by a an assault of punches..

ROUND 4 Right from Mekhaled…Left from Baumgardner..

ROUND 5 Right to body from Baumgardner…Left hook shakes Mekhaled…Body shots…Counter left

ROUND 6 5 Punch combination from Baumgardner..right…Left,..

ROUND 7 Left hook from Baumgardmer…Vicious lefts and rights hurts Mekjaled on the ropes…ref looks close to stopping fight..Right from Mekhaled..

ROUND 8 Right drives Mekhaled to the corner

ROUND 9 Jab from Mekhaled…Counter right…Counter left…Good exchange..Mekhaled lands a left

ROUND 10 Right to body from Baumgardner…Right from Mekhaled…Right…Left to body from Baumgardner…Uppercut and left hook from Baumgardner..Right to body..3 Good shots from Baumgardner…

99-89 TWICE AND 98-90 FOR BAUMGARDNER

Round 1: Jab from Bauza..Left to body…Jab from Hitchins..Right to body…INSIDE LEFT AND BAUZA FALLS…RULED A KNOCKDOWN..Jab from Bauza..Replays showed that Bauza stepped on the foot of Hitchins
Round 2 Jab from Bauza…Left to body..Left…Hard right from Hitchins…3 jabs…Left from Bauza..
Round 3 Left from Bauza..Jab…
Round 4 Counter right from Hitchins…BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES BAUZA…Another big Right..Hard Body punch…
Round 5 Straight right from Hitchins…Bauza starting to swell around the right eye…Counter right from Hitchins..Left from Bauza…
Round 6 Counter right from Hitchins…2 more straight rights…Big straight right…Another..Counter right uppercut..Left hook..
Round 7 Doctor checking Bauza’s eye…Double jab from Hitchins…bauza trying to fire back and lands a left..Double jab from Hitchins…
Round 8 Right from Hitchins,..Good counter right to the body…Good straight right…Right to body from Bauza..Right from Hitchins…Left from Bauza..
Round 9 Right from Hitchins…Big left from Bauza..Bauza trying to rally with a good flurry…3 monsterous shots from Hitchins..Left…Bauza’s face a mess…Body shots…
Round 10 Right from Hitchins…Left from Bauza…Hard right rocks Bauza..

100-88 ON ALL CARDS FOR HITCHINS

Round 1 Left from Rivera….Straight left…
Round 2 Hard left from Rivera…Diaz lands a right off the ropes…Right to body from Rivera..
Round 3 Uppercut by Diaz…Right from Rivera…Left from Diaz..Uppercut ..
Round 4 Left from Rivera..Uppercut from Diaz…Left from Rivera…Left drives Diaz back…Right hook…Straight to the body…Left to body..Good left to the body
Round 5 Left hook from Diaz..counter left…Left to body by Rivera..Combination from Diaz…Good straight left from Rivera..Right from Diaz…
Round 6 Left from Rivera…Left to body
Round 7  Right inside from Rivera…
Round 8 Left from Rivera…Right from Diaz…Hard left from Rivera..

79-73 TWICE AND 78-74 FOR RIVERA