Jared Anderson won a 10-round unanimous decision over former cruiserweight world champion Ryad Merhy in a listless heavyweight bout at the American Bank center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The bout lacked action as it seemed that Merhy was happy staying out of close range and eating jabs and right hands all fight from Anderson.

Anderson landed 128 of 662 punches. Merhy was a putrid 34 of 144. Merhy threw the third lowest amount of punches in the history of Compubox for a 10-round bout.

Anderson, 250.9 lbs of Toledo, OH won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 17-0. Merhy, 235.6 lbs of Brussels, BEL is 32-3.

Anderson said, “Another day, another night in the office. I wanted to give the fans a better show, but what can you do when they show up to fight like him. It’s just another day in the office. We’re going to continue working.

“I stayed sharp for 10 rounds. That’s the biggest takeaway. I got to make some changes. I made some mistakes. I got hit with a few punches. I shouldn’t have gotten hit at all because he didn’t even come here to fight.

“I want all of the names. If I’m ranked with you and your name is near mine, then we can get it crackin’. We’re coming to knock everybody off.”

Ajagba Wins Split Decision over Vianello

Efe Ajagba won a 10-round split-decision over Guido Vianello in a heavyweight bput.

In round two, Vianello hurt Ajagba badly when he landed a hard right to the head. Ajagba got it together and took the middle rounds by boxing and showing off his skills. Vianello made a late push but it feel just short as Ajagba won by scores of 96-94 on two cards and a third card was 96-94 in favor of Vianello.

Ajagba landed 186 of 583. Vianello was 177 of 622.

Ajagba, 241.2 lbs of Ughello, NIG is 20-1. Vianello, 244.5 lbs of Rome, ITA is 12-2-1.

Conceicao Stops Guardado in 7

Former two-time world title challenger Robson Conceicao stopped Jose Guardado in a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

In round nine, Conceicao dropped Guardado with a hard left to the body. Guardado was hurt badly and eat a barrage of punches until the fight was stopped when he was sent to the canvas for a second time at 2:27.

Conceicao, 131.6 lbs of Bahia, BRA is now 18-2-1 with nine knockouts. Guadardo, 131.5 lbs of Ensanada, MEX is 15-2-1.

Julian Delgado made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Juan Tamez in a middleweight fight.

Delgado, 159.3 lbs of Corpus Christi, TX won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 and is 1-0. Raez, 159 lbs of Laredo, TX is 1-1.

Ruben Villa IV won a 10-round unanimous decision over Cristian Cruz in a featherweight bout.

Villa, 125.6 lbs of Salinas, CA won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93 and is now 22-1. Cruz, 125.1 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 22-7-1.

John Rincon remained undefeated with a six-round majority decision over Yainel Alvarez in a welterweight bout.

Rincon, 143 lbs of Corpus Christi, TX won by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 57-57 and is now 9-0. Alvarez, 143.5 lbs of Ciego de Avila, CUB is now 3-4-2.

Abdullah Mason remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Ronal Ron in a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Mason landed a perfect left that put Ron on the canvas. In round three, Mason dropped Ron with a hard body shot and then a left to the head. In round four, Mason landed a vicious barrage of head and body shots that forced referee Laurence Cole to stop the bout at 1:02.

Mason, 134.6 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 13-0 with 11 knockouts. Ron, 134.7 lbs of Guarico, VEN is 14-6.

Charly Suarez remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Louie Coria in a junior lightweight fight.

In round eight, Coria landed a left that put Suarez backed into the ropes that was ruled a knockdown. That was not enough as Suarez dominated with boxing ability through just about the whole fight.

Suarez, 131.8 lbs of San Isidro, PHL won by scores of 7-74 twice and 76-75 and is now 17-0. Coria, 131.7 lbs of Moreno Valley, CA is 15-7.

Alejandro Guerrero scored an upset by stopping previously undefeated Jalen Walker in round seven of an eight-round lightweight bout.

In round two, Guerrero dropped Walker with a straight left hand. In round four, Guerrero scored another knockdown when Guerrero landed a right to Walker’s body.

In round six, Walker was credited with a knockdown after he landed a combination that bent Guerrero over that was ruled a count. In round seven, Guerrero landed a hard uppercut that hurt Walker on the ropes and the towel was thrown in by Walker’s corner after a follow up flurry had Walker defenseless at 1:36.

Ali Feliz made a successful pro debut with a second round stoppage of Anthony Woodson III in a scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Feliz dropped Woodson with a hard left and right to the chin and the fight was stopped at

Feliz, 219.1 lbs of Danbury, CT is 1-0 with one knockout. Woodson, 280.2 lbs of Gary, IN 1-2.

It wasn’t pretty, but Teofimo Lopez won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jamaine Ortiz to retain his WBO Junior Welterweight title at the Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The fight took it’s shape early as Ortiz wanted to circle the ring and not do much on offense. Lopez was following Ortiz around, but he was at least trying to make the fight. The fight was a frustrating watch, as the movement of Ortiz did not give Lopez any opportunities for sustained offense.

In round seven, Ortiz was cut above the left eye from an accidental headbutt In the same round, Lopez began to bleed from his mouth. The fight continued it’s defensive struggle theme as Lopez would land glancing blows, but it was more then what Ortiz was able amount.

Lopez landed 78 of 364 punches. Ortiz was 80 of 409.

Lopez, 139.6 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 twice to raise his record to 20-1. Ortiz, 139.6 lbs of Worcester, MA is 17-2-1.

Keyshawn Davis Stops Jose Pedraza in 6

Jose Pedraza remained undefeated bt stopping former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza in round six of their 10-round lightweight bout.

Davis was dominant from the second round on as he worked the body and that slowed the veteran Pedraza who was fighting at lightweight for the first time in four years.

In round six, Davis landed a body shot that set up a big right over the top that hurt Pedraza. Davis jumped on his prey and unloaded with some hard shots that forced Pedraza back on the ropes and the ref saved a bloody Pedraza as it was stopped at

Davis, 134.7 lbs of Norfolk, CA is 10-0 with seven knockouts. Pedraza, 134.5 lbs of Cidra, PR is 29-6-1.

Rene Tellez Giron won a eight-round unanimous decision over George Acosta in a lightweight bout.

In round five, Giron dropped Acosta with an overhand right. Giron was cut in the back of his head from a headbutt.

Giron landed 146 of 486 punches. Acosta was 125 of 422.

Giron, 132 lbs of Quertarro, MEX won by scores of 79-72, 78-73 and 76-75 and is now 19-3. Acosta, 131.3 lbs of Whittier, CA is 17-2.

Javier Martinez remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Raul Salomon in a middleweight bout.

Martinez, 161.6 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won by scores of 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 10-0-1. Salomon, 164.4 lbs of Long Beach, CA

Hot-Shot prospect Abdullah Mason scored a spectacular second round stoppage over Benjamin Gurment in round two of an eight round lightweight bout.

In round two, Mason landed three booming lefts that drove Gurment into the corner that was ruled a knockdown. The fighters met in the center in the ring and Mason landed a devastating left that put Gurment down on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:29.

Mason, 135.3 lbs is 12-0 with 10 knockouts. Gurment, 136.8 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 8-1-3.

Charlie Sheehy remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Abdel Sauceda in lightweight bout.

Sheehy, 135.7 lbs of Brisbane, CA won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 9-0. Sauceda, 135.4 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 12-4.

Alan Garcia made short work of Tomas Ornelas by registering a 51 second knockout in a six-round lightweight bout.

Garcia dropped Ornelas in the opening seconds with a left hook. Garcia ended things with three punch combo that finished off by a left to the body and the fight was stopped at

Garcia, 136.6 lbs of Ulysses, KS is now 11-0 with nine knockouts. Ornelas, 134.6 lbs of Denver is now 7-4.

Lemir Isom-Riley stopped Antonio Zeoeda in round three of their six-round heavyweight bout.

In round three, Isom-Riley dropped Zepeda as Zepeda took a knee. Moments later, Isom-Riley scored a second knockdown after a flurry and the fight was stopped by the corner at 1:28.

Isom-Riley, 257 lbs of Harrisburg, PA is 4-2 with two knockdowns. Zepeda, 299.7 lbs of Las Vegas is 6-2.

Art Barrera Jr. stopped Michael Portales in the opening round of their four-round junior welterweight fight.

In round one, Barrera landed a huge left hook that put Portales on the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:41.

Barrera, 141 lbs of Linwoood, CA is 3-0 with three knockouts. Portales, 140 lbs of San Jose, CA is 3-3-1.

In a fight that was void of action, Shakur Stevenson became a three-division world champion as he captured the WBC Lightweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Edwin De Los Santos at The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Not much happened in the fight as neither guy pushed forward. Stevenson was able to jab more effectively, while the handful of times that De Los Santos tried to press, he was ineffective as the elusive Stevenson was never in range.

Stevenson landed 65 of 209 punches. De Los Santos was 40 of 316.

Stevenson picked it up over the final six-rounds and won by scores of 115-113 and 116-112 twice.

Stevenson, 133.8 lbs of Newark, NJ is now 21-0. De Los Santos, 134.3 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 16-2.

Stevenson said, “I had a bad performance tonight. That’s all I’m really focused on. I wasn’t feeling too good, so I’ll live with it. It’s okay. I came here and got the victory, and that’s all I wanted to do.

“I just didn’t feel good. I didn’t feel good before the fight. Honestly, I had already told myself that if I feel like this in the ring and if it’s not going well, I’m going to make sure that I box and get the victory.”

De Los Santos said, “We all know what happened. He came for a track meet. He didn’t come to fight. I showed that I am on a higher level because he never stood and fought like he does with other fighters.

“I did my job. He came to survive. That’s what he did. They gifted him the title, but I’m the people’s champion.”

Navarrete and Conceicao Fight to Draw

Emanuel Navarrete and Robson Conceicao fought to a 12-round majority draw in a bout for Navarrete’s WBO Junior Lightweight title.

In round two, Navarrete had a small cut on the bridge of the nose. In round four, Navarrete dropped Conceicao with a left uppercut. In round six, Cinceicao was cut on the bridge of his nose.

In round nose, Navarrete landed a perfect right to the body that put Conceicao down.

Navarrete landed 116 of 47 punches. Conceicao was 213 of 852.

Navarrete, 130 lbs of San Juan, MEX won by a 114-112 score, while two cards were even at 113-113.

Navarrete is 38-1-1. Conceicao, 129.3 lbs of Bahia, BRA is 17-2-1.

Navarrete said, “The decision is well-deserved. Robson is a great fighter. He left his heart in the ring. There were some details with regard to technique, but we accomplished what we said we would do. We gave a great show for the fans. And, at least, I am very happy to come away with the title.
 
“He deserves the rematch, but that decision doesn’t depend 100 percent on me. But, if it does happen, I would train even better. He knows how I fight, and I know how he fights, so it would make for an excellent fight.”
 
Conceição said, “It was a hard fight. He is very strong. It was a difficult. But I know what I did tonight.
 
“It was a good fight. It deserves a rematch. If we do get the rematch, we will both train harder and will give an even better fight.”

Brian Norman Jr. remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Quinton Randall in a battle of undefeated welterweights.

In round four, Norman was cut over his right eye.

Norman landed 74 of 281 punches. Randall was 71 of 299.

Norman, 146.4 lbs of Atlanta, GA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 97-93 and is now 25-0. Randall, 145.3 lbs of Houston is 13-1-1.

Floyd Diaz remained undefeated with an eight-round split decision over Max Ornelas in a bantamweight bout.

In round two, Diaz dropped Ornelas with a leaping and wide left hook. In round three, it was a jab that put Ornelas on the canvas.

In round five, Diaz began to swell over his right eye.

Diaz, 117.7 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 78-72, 77-73 and Ornelas took a card by a 76-74. score.

Diaz is now 10-0. Ornelas, 117.9 lbs of Las Vegas is 15-2-1.

Troy Isley won an eight-round unanimous decision over upset-specialist Vladimir Hernandez in a middleweight bout.

Isley, 159.7 lbs of Alexandria, VA won by scores of 77-75 on all cards and is now 11-0. Hernandez, 156.8 lbs of Ciudad, MEX is 14-6.

Emiliano Fernando Vargas stopped Brandon Mendoza in round two of their six-round lightweight bout.

Vargas, 135.6 lbs of Las Vegas is 8-0 with seven knockouts. Mendoza, 134.9 lbs of Los Angeles is 6-3.

In round one, Vargas dropped Mendoza with a left hook that was followed by a right Hand. A second knockdown was ruled after the round when a right hand made the right glove of Mendoza touch the canvas. In round two, Vargas landed a double right over the top that put Mendoza down and the fight was stopped at 57 seconds.

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Jackson Murray won a six-round unanimous decision over Steven Torres.

In round three, Murray dropped Torres with a right hook to the side of the head.

Murray, 230.7 lbs of Sydney, AUS won by scores of 60-53 on all cards and is now 6-0. Torres, 240.7 lbs of Reading, PA is 6-1-1.

Abdullah Mason stopped Jose Cardenas in round two of their six-round lightweight fight.

In round one, Mason dropped Cardenas with a double left. In round two, Mason dumped Cardenas with a perfect one-two and the fight was stopped at 1:55.

Mason, 134.4 lbs of Cleveland is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Cardenas, 134.6 lbs of Laredo, TX is 7-2.

Hugo Micallef stopped Sergio Odabai after round four of their six-round junior welterweight bout.

Micallef, 142.7 lbs of Monte Carlo, MON is 9-0 with two knockouts. Odabai, 141.7 lbs of Vienna, AUS 6-2-1.

Giovanni Sarchioto remained undefeated with a third-round stoppage over Lucas de Abreu in a six-round super middleweight fight.

Sarchioto dropped de Abreu twice in round three. The first coming from a series of right hands. Sarchioto finisehed off de Abreu with a hard right that put his backside and the fight was stopped at 2:06.

Sarchioto, 167 lbs of Atazio, ITA is now 9-0 with eight knockouts. de Abreu, 166.3 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA 14-5.

Jared Anderson remained undefeated with a fifth round stoppage over Andriy Rudenko in a heavyweight bout at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Anderson was dominant, especially with his jab and he beat down the body of Rudenko. In round five, Anderson started to open up and land power shots until the fight was stopped at 1:40.

Anderson, 239.6 lbs of Toledo, OH is 16-0 with 15 knockouts. Rudenko, 244.3 lbs of Dnipro, UKR is 35-7.

“I’m enjoying the ride, enjoying the fights, and just doing my job,” Anderson said. “I was sending a statement to myself. I’m fighting for myself, and I’m fighting for my family. As much as people want to hate on me for it, I’m a realist. I’m going to stay real and be real. And I’m going to say what’s on my mind. Ya’ll can take it how ya’ll want. This is a business. This is a sport. I’m just doing my job. Take it how you want. You can’t force me to be somebody ya’ll want me to be. I’m going to be myself. And I’m going to be that till the end.”

Efe Ajagba defeated Zhon Kossobutskiy via fourth round disqualification due to low blows.

In round three, Kossobutskiy was deducted a point for a low blow. Seconds later, he deducted another point for the same in fraction. In round four, Kossubutskiy landed a hard shot below the belt tat sent Ajjagba to the canvas and the fight was waved off at 33 seconds.

Ajgaba, 226.5 lbs of Ughleli, NIG is 18-1. Kossibsbutskiy, 234.4 of Atkalyk, KAZ is 19-1.

Bruce Carrington remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Antonio Contreras in a featherweight bout.

Carrington, 126.7 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 9-0. Contreras, 126.8 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 13-7-2.

Jeremiah Milton remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Craig Lewis in a heavyweight bout.

Milton, 254.4 lbs of Tulsa won by scores of 80-72 and 79-72 twice and is now 11-0. Lewis, 260.4 lbs of Detroit is 15-7-1

Sona Akole scored a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated Nico Ali Walsh in a middleweight bout.

Akole, 157.9 lbs of Saint Paul, MN won by scores of 58-56 twice and 57-57 and is now 8-1. Walsh, 159.1 lbs of Las Vegas, NV 8-1.

Abdullah Mason remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Cesar Villarrga in a lightweight bout.

Mason, 134.9 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 10-0. Villarraga, 134.7 lbs of Bogota, COL is 10-8-1.

Ablaikhan Zhussupov stopped Wiston Campos in round five of their six-round welterweight bout.

In round four, Zhussupov dropped Campos with a combination. Campos began to bleed from his nose. In round five, Zhussupov landed several hard jabs that was followed by a flush left. Zhusspupov continued to beat down Campos and the fight was stopped by the corner at 2:52.

Charly Suarez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Yohan Vazquez in a junior lightweight bout.

Suarez, 130.6 lbs of Davao del Norte PHL won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93 and is now 16-0. Vazquez 129.6 lbs of Stroudberg, PA is 25-4.

TOLEDO, Ohio (June 1, 2023) — Two Ohio-born talents have joined the pre-Independence Day celebration as part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard to the heavyweight doubleheader featuring Toledo’s  Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson against Kazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy in a 10-round main event on Saturday, July 1 at Toledo’s Huntington Center. 
 
Cleveland native Abdullah Mason will make his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round lightweight fight against Tobias Green, while Toledo-born junior lightweight Tyler McCreary will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.
 
Anderson-Kossobutskiy and Arslanbek Makhmudov-Raphael Akpejiori will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Universum Boxing, tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
 
Mason (8-0, 7 KOs) is a 19-year-old prodigy who was considered one of the brightest talents in U.S. amateur boxing before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. Mason debuted as a pro the following month with a second-round TKO over Jaylan Phillips. In 2022, Mason went 5-0 with four knockouts. The southpaw phenom plans to be just as dominant this year after a first-round knockout over Erick Garcia Benitez in April and a sixth-round TKO win over Desmond Lyons last month on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undercard. Green (10-3, 3 KOs) is a 27-year-old Floridian who returns after an eight-round decision win against Ryan Schwartzberg last October. 
 
McCreary (17-2-1, 8 KOs) is an almost nine-year pro who is on the comeback trail. Following his 2019 showdown against former two-division world champion Carl Frampton, the 30-year-old experienced a near-two-year layoff before losing to Manuel Rey Rojas in 2021. Last month, however, he overcame another layoff to score a first-round knockout against Jake Bornea in Toledo.

LAS VEGAS –If this was chess, TheGrandMaster got robbed.

That at least, was the verdict from an angry crowd that booed a unanimous decision handed down by three judges in favor of Devin Haney over Vasiliy Lomachenko Saturday night in a contentious pay-per-view fight for the undisputed title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The chants of Loma, Loma quickly turned to boos when the scorecards were announced. It was 115-113, 116-112, 115-113, all for Haney. On the 15 Rounds card, it was 116-112 for Lomachenko. 

The outrage reflects what was a tough fight to score. It also proved that boxing isn’t chess. It’s subjective. 

Checkmate only happens on a game board. 

On the canvas, just about anything can happen.

And it  did throughout Haney-Lomachenko in a bout that included more subtle twists and turns than anything wild. To wit: There were no decisive knockdowns. There was just a lot of footwork and counters.

In the beginning the subtlety seemed to belong to Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs), who appeared to dictate pace while landing purposeful jabs. Early on, it looked as if Haney (30-0, 15 KOs)  was confused. Slowly and subtly, however, the momentum appeared to shift, slowly towards Haney, who seemed to control the center of the ring with superior size and strength. He was beginning to land body punches.

From their ringside seats, the judges saw what fans in the upper deck didn’t. Haney was scoring, but not enough to convince those fans or Lomachenko.

“I don’t want to talk about [the decision].” Lomachenko said. “All the people saw what happened today. I think I showed that I can still be in boxing. I’m in good shape now. And see you next time.”

“I can’t talk about this right now. It’s not a comfortable moment for me. Thank you to everyone who came. Before, I thought he would be better. He’s a tough fighter. He’s a good fighter.  But he’s not a pound-for-pound fighter.”

Haney, of course saw it differently. He believes his destiny is to be the very best, pound-for-pound. He was modest about his decision over Lomahenko. He heard the boos, too. But he also believed his destiny was still there, still intact.

“He’s a crafty fighter,” Haney said. “He turns it up in the championship rounds. I just have to take my hat off to him. He’s a great fighter.

“This is all experience. Me and my team are going to go back to the house, watch the fight and reflect on it. I’ve been at 135 (lightweight) for a long, long time. 

“This is my 30^th fight. I’ve been here at 135 since I was 16 years old. We’re going to go back to the lab and figure out what’s next.”

Oscar Valdez back with unanimous decision

Oscar Valdez Jr. was back, back to rediscover himself.

Mission accomplished.

Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) did it Saturday night in a rematch against Adam Lopez, who knocked him down and might have left him with some hard questions a couple of years ago.

He’ll never erase the knockdown. But he answered some of the questions with a solid performance in winning a 98-92, 98-91, 97-93 decision over Lopez in a fight before the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Devin Haney rematch at the MGM Grand.

It wasn;t always easy. Then again, it never is for the resilient Valdez, who was fighting for the first time since Shakur Stevenson beat him badly 13 months ago.

Above all, his victory over Lopez was a sure sign that Valdez is still a contender at junior-lightweight. In beating Lopez, he resurrected the possibility of an intrigving bout with fellow Mexican Emanuel Navarrete.

An earlier date with Navarrete in Glendale at Desert Diamond Arena near Phoenix was put on hold because Valdez hurt his ribs in a fall down some stairs. But the possibility is back on. Now, Top Rank is looking to stage Valdez-Navarrete in August.

 A re-energized Valdez  was there Saturday in the opening rounds. There was some familiar power in his left hand. There was also a precise, purposeful jab. He put Lopez on his back foot, the first step in an early retreat. 

But the younger Lopez flashed some of his aggression, stepping forward midway through the third and again late in the fourth with punches powerful enough for Valdez to be wary. Valdez continued to move forward. But he had to be careful that he wasn’t moving into a trap. Lopez appeared to gain some momentum in the fourth and again in the fifth. But it slowed when Valdez landed a couple of stinging left hands.

In the sixth, Lopez began to move, side to side. Back and forth. Always on his toes. It was a dance that forced the older Valdez into a chase. Catch me, if you can. In the sixth, Valdez could not.

In the seventh and eighth, Lopez ( 16-5, 6 KOs) continued to move his feet. It was elusive and – at times — effective. Yet it seemed to frustrate only the Valdez fans, many of whom had traveled to Vegas from his Mexican hometown, Nogales, south of Tucson . They chanted: “Oscar, Oscar.” They also booed Lopez. All the while, Valdez, true to the bulldog-like tattoo on  his chest, moved forward, ever forward.

In the tenth and final rounds, Valdez’ stubborn patience paid off. He took the spring out of Lopez’s feet, rocking him repeatedly with left hands. Both fighters tripped and tumbled onto the canvas like pro wrestlers once. Then, Lopez slipped, apparently tripping over his own feet.

In the end, only Valdez was still standing, a winner for the 31st time in a long career

Raymond Muratalia wins 2nd-round TKO

Raymond Muratalia talked about delivering a statement.

He did.

He delivered a couple of them.

First, he blew away Jeremia Nakathila within two rounds, a quick TKO that helped support his stated claim on being among the best lightweights.

Then, he stated he wanted the winner of the fight that was about to happen between Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko for the undisputed title Saturday night at the MGM Garden Garden Arena.

“I think I sent a big message to the lightweight division,” Muratalia (18-0, 15 KOs) said. “Nobody has ever stopped Nakathila. I just stopped him in the second round. I think that’s a huge statement.”

“I want the winner of the main event, That’s who I want.”

Nakathila (23-3, 19  KOs), of Namibia, never had much of a chance against the fighter from Fresno, Calif., who trapped him in the corner midway through the second round and unleashed a succession of blows, Referee Robert Hall stepped in and ended it at 2:46 of the round.

Junto Nakatani delivers scary KO

In the beginning, it was one sided. In the end, it was scary.

From start to finish, Junto Nakatani controlled all of it, knocking down Andrew Moloney in the second round, breaking him down with almost clinical efficiency in the middle rounds, flooring him again in the eleventh and then finishing him in the twelfth with punch that left the Aussie flat on his back for several perilous moments.

Moloney never had a chance in a title fight featured on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko card Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. But he had plenty of courage, enough to endanger him against the proficient Nakatani (25-0,19 KOs), the World Boxing Organization’s new junior-bantamweight champion.

The finishing blow was set up by a couple of glancing right hands from Nakatani. He ducked once, then landed a glancing right. He ducked again, landing another. Moloney (26-3, 16 KOs) dropped his hands, leaned forward and directly into an incoming left. It looked as if he was unconscious before he hit the canvas and rolled flat onto his back.

He stayed there motionless until he was helped onto a stool, looking as if he had no clue where he was. Then, there was a glimmer of recognition He was helped to his feet. The crowd applauded. Then, cheered. Then, exhaled in relief.

Rosenberger fights Al Walsh to standstill in split draw

Daniel Rosenberger knows the name. Knows what it means. Ali is boxing royalty.

But for eight rounds he wouldn’t be intimidated by the name and all it represents.

Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali’s grandson, was just another fighter to Rosenberger and a growing crowd of fans on the Vasiliy Lomachenko–Devin Haney undercard Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Rosenberger (13-9-5, 4 KOs) a middleweight from Youngstown Ohio, fought Ali Walsh to a standstill — a split draw. A debatable one, too. 

In his nine-fight career, it was the first blemish on Ali Walsh’s career. But the blemish could have been worse. It could have been a loss. Ali Walsh (8-0-1, 5 KOs), of Las Vegas, mounted an aggressive assault in the middle rounds. But he appeared to tire over the last two. That’s when Rosenberger backed him up and rocked him, but apparently not often enough to gain an edge on the cards.

Emiliano Vargas wins second-round TKO

It was quick. It was efficient. Lethal, too.

Emiliano Vargas (5-0, 3 KOs), an unbeaten lightweight and the son of ex-welterweight great Fernando Vargas, threw two right hands and then unloaded a looping left that crashed onto  Rafael Juno’s midsection. 

Juno (3-1, 1 KO, of Houston, winced, then collapsed onto his side, beaten at 1:41 of the second round in the fourth bout on the Loma-Haney card.

Floyd Diaz wins debatable decision

Luis Fernando Saavedra (9-9, 3 KOs) challenged Diaz (9-0, 3 KOs) throughout eight rounds and appeared to beat him over several of those rounds, despite one-sided cards. The judges had 80-72, 79-73 80-72, all for  Diaz of Las Vegas

But the judging didn’t account for Saavedra’s aggressiveness throughout the third fight on the Loma-Haney card Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Round after round, he pursued and Diaz retreated into what was a debatable decision

Lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason aces to an 8-0 record

Lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason has raced through his brief career, making it look easy.

That didn’t change Saturday in the second fight on a card featuring Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

For five rounds, Mason (8-0, 7 KOs), of Cleveland, scored at will against Desmond Lyons (8-3-, 2 KOs) of South Carolina. Then in the sixth, Lyons kicked it into another gear, unloading  a succession of shots at a blinding rate that left Lyons defenseless and finished at 32 seconds of the round.

Middleweight prospect Amari Jones scores impressive TKO

It was first bell, a good time to say hello.

Middleweight prospect Amari Jones (9-0, 8 KOs) did, capitalizing on the opportunity with a thorough display of his versatility, power and speed in a sixth-round TKO of Chino Hill (8-3-1, 6 KOs) in the opening bout on the card featuring Devin Haney-versus-Vasiliy Lomachenko Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Jones, of Oakland CA, rocked Hill, of Davenport Iowa, with repeated right hands through the five rounds. In the sixth and final round, Jones, a Haney stablemate, went southpaw, finishing Hill with a multiple-punch combination. Referee Mike Ortega ended it at 1:16 of the round.

LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2023) – A pair of 19-year-old lightweight prodigies are set to return in separate bouts as part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard to the PPV main event headlined by the undisputed lightweight championship battle between Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Undefeated Las Vegas native Emiliano Fernando Vargas will take on an opponent to be named in a four-round bout, and Cleveland-born southpaw AbdullahMason will face Desmond Lyons in a six-rounder.

Vargas’ return, Mason-Lyons and additional undercard fights will be streamed live on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. 

The stream will precede a two-fight ESPN telecast featuring the vacant WBO junior bantamweight world title showdown between Australia’s former world champion Andrew Moloney and Japan’s undefeated former WBO flyweight titlist Junto Nakatani. Moloney-Nakatani and the return of middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

The Haney vs. Lomachenko main card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, the event’s exclusive digital distributor in the United States, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Priced at $59.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The PPV undercard features a 10-round junior lightweight co-feature between two-division world champion Oscar Valdez and Adam “BluNose” Lopez in a rematch of their 2019 battle.

In the PPV opener, rising lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla will take on big-punching Namibian contender Jeremia Nakathila in a 10-round clash. 

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Devin Haney Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, tickets are on sale now at axs.com.

Vargas (4-0, 3 KOs) was a seven-time national amateur champion before debuting in the pro ranks in May 2022 with a first-round knockout of Mark Salgado. In October, “El General” signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank and debuted with a highlight-reel knockout over Julio Martinez. Under the guidance of his father and trainer, former world champion Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas, the young lightweight has already scored two victories this year, a four-round decision win over Francisco Duque in February and a second-round knockout over Edgar Uvalle in April.

Mason (7-0, 6 KOs) was considered one of the brightest talents in U.S. amateur boxing before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. Mason made his pro debut in November 2021 with a second-round TKO win over Jaylan Phillips. In 2022, Mason went 5-0 with four knockouts. The southpaw phenom is coming off a first-round stoppage over Erick Garcia Benitez in April. Lyons (8-2, 2 KOs) is a 24-year-old South Carolina native who defeated Aaron Jamel Hollis via a six-round decision last May. 

In other undercard action streaming on ESPN+:

• Junior featherweight Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz (8-0, 3 KOs) looks to shine in front of a hometown crowd in an eight-round bout against a to-be-determined foe. Diaz is coming off a fourth-round TKO win over Edgar Joe Cortes last November.
   
• Middleweight slugger Amari Jones (8-0, 7 KOs) will make his 2023 debut in a six-round clash. In 2022, Jones traveled to Melbourne, Australia, and fought on the undercard of both Haney-George Kambosos Jr. fights.

Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Robeisy Ramirez can add the WBO Featherweight world title to hos trophy case as he won the title with a 12-rounds unanimous decision over former champion Isaac Dogboe at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ramirez landed 160 of 495 punches; Dogboe was 113 of 619.

Ramirez, 125.6 lbs of Cuba won by scores of 117-110, 118-109, 119-108 and is now 12-1. Dogboe, 124.2 lbs of Ghana is 24-3.

Ramirez said, “I’m living a new stage in my life. This is a new history that I’m writing, and I did everything I had to do. As an Olympian, I won two Olympic gold medals, and now I can call myself a champion.”

“All the respect to a warrior like Isaac Dogboe. He has my admiration, and all it took was me listening to this genius, Ismael Salas, because I did that, and he led me to victory.

“I believe things happened for a reason. If it wasn’t for that loss in my pro debut, I would have never ended up with Ismael Salas. Yordenis Ugas never would’ve told me, ‘You have to move to Vegas, you have to change your life,’ and I never would have gotten this team together to be where I am today.”

Dogboe said, “Let’s run it back. That’s all I have to say. He’s a great fighter.”

In round 12, Ramirez scored a knockdown when he landed a left hand while Dogboe was coming in and Dogboe hit the canvas.

Former world title challenger Joet Gonzalez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Enrique Vivas in a featherweight bout.

Gonzalez landed 271 of 646 punches; Vivas was 207 of 930.

Gonzalez, 126.2 lbs of Glendora, CA won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice and is now 26-3. Vivas, 126.2 ls of Texcoco, MEX is 22-3.

Jahi Tucker remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Nikloz Sekhnishvili in a junior middleweight bout.

In round four, Tucker was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

In round six, Sekhniashvili was cut on his face.

Tucker, 151.8 lbs of Deer Park, NY won by scores of 77-74 on all cards and is now 10-0. Sekhnishvili, 150.2 lbs of Gori, Georgia Republic is 8-2.

Jeremiah Milton remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Fabio Maldonado in a heavyweight bout.

In round four, Milton was cut over his right eye from a headbutt.

Milton, 255.8 lbs of Tulsa, OK won by scores of 80-70 twice and 78-72 and is now 9-0, Maldonado 215.8 lbs of Sai Paulo, BRA is 29-7.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Alfonso Olvera in a junior welterweight bout.

Johnson, 142.8 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 8-0. Olvera, 142.8 lbs of Tucson, AZ is 12-8-2.

Dante Benjamin Jr. remained undefeated with second round stoppage of Jasper McCargo III in a scheduled six-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Benjamin dropped McCargo with a hard right uppercut to the jaw. Early in round two, Benjamin sent McCargo to the canvas with a left hook. Benjamin dropped McCargo for a third time as he landed a body shot while being held. Benjamin ended things by sending McCargo down again from a right to the top of the head at 2:58.

Benjamin, 175 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 6-0 with four knockouts. McCargo, 174.4 lbs of Richmond, CA is 4-4-2.

Emiliano Fernando Vargas stopped Edgar Livalle in round two of their four-round lightweight fight.

In round two, Vargas landed a right to the body that put Livalle down and the fight was over at 1:21

Vargas, 133 lbs of Las Vegas is 4-0 with three knockouts. Livalle, 132.2 lbs of Des Moines, IA is 2-4-2.

Good looking 18 year-old prospect Abdullah Mason stopped Erick Garcia Benitez in the opening round of their six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Mason dropped Benitez with a counter right hand and the fight was over at 1:32.

Mason, 135.2 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 7-0 with six knockouts. Benitez, 135.4 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 4-2.

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Quiroz in a junior welterweight fight.

Polanco, 142.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 7-0. Quiroz, 142.6 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 12-2.

Vasiliy Lomachenko won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jamaine Ortiz in a lightweight bout that headlined a Top Rank show at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

In round six, Lomanchenko had swelling under his right eye. Ortiz had swelling over his left eye.

Lomachenko landed 125 of 571 punches. Ortiz landed 122.

Lomachenko, 134.6 lbs of Akkerman, UKR won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 and is now 17-2. Ortiz, 134 lbs of Worcester, MA is 16-1-1.

Robeisy Ramirez stopped Jose Matias Romero in round five of a 10-round featherweight bout.

In round one, Ramirez dropped Romero with a straight left, In round nine, Ramirez turned up that pressure and landed a vicious flurry of punches that was capped off by a hard straight left and the fight was stopped at

Ramirez, 125.4 lbs of Cindhegos, CUB is 11-1 with seven knockouts. Romero, 127.4 lbs of Cordoba, ARG is 26-3.

Richard Torrez Jr. remained undefeated with a third round stoppage over Ahmed Hefny in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Torrez landed a chopping left that sent Hefny to the canvas. In round two, Torrez dropped Hefny with a right hook to the body. In round three, Torrez continued to land power shots, and then landed a another right to the body that put Hefny down again, and the fight was stopped at 2:32,

Torrez, 229.4 lbs Tulac, CA is 4-0 with four knockouts. Hefny, 218 lbs of Egypt is 13-3.

Duke Ragan remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Luis Lebron in a featherweight bout.

Ragan, 128 lbs of Cincinnati, OH won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 and is now 8-0. Lebron, 128 lbs of Manuel Aprens, PR is 18-5-1.

Nico Ali Walsh remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Billy Wagner in a middleweight fight.

Walsh, 159 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 twice and is now 7-0. Wagner, 159 lbs of Browning, MT is 5-3.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Esteban Garcia in a junior welterweigt bout.

Johnson, 141.4 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 6-0. Garcia, 139.2 lbs of El Comino, CA is 15-2.

Troy Isley pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision over Quincy Levallais in a middleweight bout.

Isley, 159 lbs of from Alexandra, VA won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 8-0. Levallais, 157,4 lbs of Panama City, FL is 14-4-1.

Good-looking prospect Abdullah Mason scored a fourth round stoppage over Angel Barrera in a scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Mason dropped Barrera with a straight left. Seconds later, Mason landed a short left on the inside that put Barrera down again. The onslaught bloodied the left side of Barrera’s face.

In round four, Mason landed shots that had Barrera bouncing all over the ring and the out was stopped at 21 seonds.

Mason, 135.6 lbs of Cleveland is 5-0 with four knockouts. Barrera, 135 lbs of Chicago, IL is 4-1.

Haven Brady Jr. remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Eric Mondragon in a junior lightweight bout.

Brady, 131 lbs of Albany, GA won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 8-0. Mondragon, 130.6 lbs of Maywood, CA is 7-1-1.

In a battle of former world champions, Jose Pedraza and Richard Commey battled to a 10-round split draw in a junior welterweight bout at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Th fight was entertaining with each guy landing some great flurries. Over the first half of the fight, Commey was getting through with some great power shots. He seemed to have built up a small lead as the second half of the fight commenced.

In round six, Commey was cut around his left head from an accidental headbutt. That seemed to slow him down a little bit as Pedraza was able to stage a furious rally in rounds nine and 10. It looked like Pedraza may have eked the fight out as Pedraza won a scorecard 97-93; Commey 96-94 and 95-95.

Pedraza landed 165 of 496 punches; Commey was 149 of 684.

Pedraza, 139.8 lbs of Cidra, PR is now 29-4-1. Commey, 138.8 lbs of Accra, GHA is 30-4-1.

“Even though my eye was inflamed, we understood that it was done because he has a good right hand. The entire night, the whole point was to neutralize that right hand. Despite the fact that it was inflamed, I was able to do that,” Pedraza said. “I’ve never turned down a fight, and I’m not going to start now. Whatever Top Rank wants for me. If they demand a rematch, I’m ready to give Richard Commey a rematch because he deserves it and I have the utmost respect for him. Ultimately, my goal is to win a world title once again. Whatever I have to do, that’s what I’m willing to do.”

Commey said, “It is a draw. Obviously, I have to go back home and see my people. I love my people, and I gotta go back there, do what I gotta do.”

Anderson Stops Ravcanin in 2

Heavyweight Jared Anderson remained perfect stopped Mijan Ravcanin in round two of an eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Anderson landed a blistering right that sent Ravcanin down for the 10-count at 3:00.

Anderson, 241.4 lbs of Toledo, OH is 12-0 with 12 knockouts. Ravcanin, 230.6 lbs of Belgrade, SER is 24-3.

“I was very calm. I was very patient. Actually {trainer Darrie Riley} was more nervous than I was as usual, though. I felt very relaxed, pretty much the most relaxed I’ve ever been,” Anderson said. “I heard my coach tell me to switch {to southpaw}. I listened to him as always, so that was really the reason I switched.”

Torrez Destroys Canedo

Olympic Silver medal winner Richard Torrez Jr. annihilated Marco Antonio Canedo in the opening round of their six-round heavyweight bout.

In the opening seconds, Torrez dropped Candedo with a left hand.  He then landed a big left and right and sent Canedo down on his face and was motionless at 44 seconds.

Torrez, 225.4 lbs of Tulare, CA is 3-0 with three knockouts.  Canedo, 215.8 lbs of Mexico is 4-3.

“I am happy with the result, but my thoughts right now are with Canedo,” Torrez said. “He’s a tough man, and I have the utmost respect for him. It happens to the best of us.”

Tiger Johnson stopped Harry Gigliotti in round five of their six-round junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Johnson opened up a cut under the left eye of Gigliotti with a hard right hand. Johnson battered and bloodied Gigliotti, and in round five, Johnson landed a hard combination that was punctuated by a left hook that made Gigliotti turn and the fight was stopped at 2:17.

Johnson, 141.8 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 5-0 with four knockoouts. Gigliotti, 140.6 lbs of Lowell, MA is 8-4.

Efe Ajagba stopped Jozsef Darmos in round two of their eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Ajagba dropped Darmos with a right to the body. Seconds later, it was a right to the temple that put Darmos to a knee and the fight was stopped at 1:15.

Ajagba, 232.2 lbs of Ugetlli, UGA is 16-1 with 13 knockouts. Darmos, 239.2 lbs of Hungary is 14-5-1.

Jeremiah Milton remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Nick Jones in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Milton landed a huge right that dumped Jones on the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 2:49.

Milton, 245.6 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 6-0 with five knockouts. Jones, 217.2 lbs of Jackson, MS is 9-5.

Kelvin Davis remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Sebastian Gabriel Chaves in a junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Davis landed a big left-right combination that put Chaves on the deck. Chaves began to bleed from his nose.

Davis, 141 lbs of Norfolk, VA won by scores of 60-52 on all cards and is now 6-0. Chaves, 142.6 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 5-5.

Frevian Gonzalez won a six-round unanimous decision over Gerardo Esquivel in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Gonzalez scored a knockdown from a left hook.

In round six, Esquivel began to bleed from the nose.

Gonzalez, 135.8 lbs of Cidra, PR won by scores of 59-54 twice and 58-55 and is now 6-1. Esquivel, 135.6 lbs of Tacoma, WA is 3-3-1.

In a battle of undefeated 18 year-olds, prized prospect Abdullah Mason pounded out a four-round unanimous decision over Angel Rebollar in a lightweight contest.

In the opening seconds, Mason dropped Rebollar with a right hook to the head. In round two, Rebollar started to bleed from his nose. In round three, Mason began to bleed from his nose.

Mason, 135.2 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 40-35 twice and 39-36 and is now 4-0. Rebollar, 133.6 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 5-1.

Dante Benjamin Jr. remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Leandro Silva in a light heavyweight bout.

Benjamin, 174.2 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 4-0. Silva, 175 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 3-7.

Former world champion Isaac Dogboe won a 10-round split decision over two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez in a featherweight bout at The Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota.

Dogboe landed 190 of 783 punches; Gonzalez was 197 of 549.

Dogboe, 125.8 lbs of Anyako, GHA won by two scores of 96-94. Gonzalez won a card 96-94.

Dogboe is now 26-2. Gonzalez, 125.6 lbs of Glendora, CA is 25-3.

Dogboe said, “I said to the people that my journey can be a Hollywood blockbuster movie, and I praise God always.
 
“I’ve always seen {trainer} Barry {Hunter} as a very inspirational person, a father figure. He’s a person that when it seems like it’s all gone, he always has something to say to you. I really needed him in my corner. He was able to pull that extra strength in me out. I want to say thanks to Joet Gonzalez. He’s a true warrior.
 
“Whoever the champions are, they should watch out. The ‘Royal Storm,’ I am back, baby!”

“Close fight. I thought I won the fight. I buckled him, I believe, twice in the fight. I stunned him,” Gonzalez said. “He didn’t really land too many shots. I landed the cleaner, harder shots. I was pushing him back, and he was holding most of the time. Roughing me and trying to stop me. But I thought I won the fight.”

Giovanni Cabrera remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Flores Jr. in a lightweight fight.

Cabrera dropped Flores just 10 seconds into the fight with a straight left. In round four, it was a right hook around the head that put Flores on the canvas.

Cabrera landed 189 of 602 punches; Flores was 57 of 335.

Cabrera, 135.6 lbs of Chicago won by scores of 98-89 on all cards and is now 21-0. Flores, 135.4 lbs of Stockton, CA is 21-2.

“I felt amazing. It’s what we worked on in the gym,” Cabrera said. “Everybody, I think, can see I’m a very slick boxer. As I’ve progressed in the professional ranks, there’s still growth to be had. There’s a lot to learn, and I have the best trainer in the world to do that. I’ve been working on my power. He felt it in the first round. Gabriel Flores is as tough as they come. My hat’s off to him. This incredible fight wouldn’t have been made if he wasn’t brave enough to take it.”

Flores said, “I should’ve kept on stepping to my left. The game plan kind of went to blur. My father was telling me to keep stepping to my left, keep feinting, keep flicking my jab, and keep jabbing. I didn’t really do much of any of that.”

Javier Martinez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Chino Hill in a middleweight bout,

In round three, Martinez had a scrape around his right eye.

Martinez landed 115 of 242 punches. Hill was 70 of 368.

Martinez, 160.8 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 7-0. Hill, 161 lbs of Davenport, IA is 7-1-1.

Guido Vianello remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Rafael Rios in a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round four, Vianello dropped Rios with a flurry of punches and the fight was stopped at 2:59.

Vianello, 244.2 lbs of Milan, ITA is 9-0-1 with nine knockouts. Rios, 258.4 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 11-4.

Haven Brady Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Aaron Echeveste in a featherweight bout.

Brady, 127.8 lbs of Augusta, GA won by scores of 60-53 and 60-54 twice and is now 7-0. Echevester, 126.8 lbs of Leon, MEX is 6-8.

Colton Warner won a four-round unanimous decision over Jimmy Barnes in a heavyweight bout.

Warner, 254 lbs of Pine City, MN won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 5-1. Barnes, 265.6 lbs of Pine City, MN is 1-3.

Good looking 18 year-old prospect Abdullah Mason stopped Luis Fernandez in the opening round of their four-round lightweight bout

Mason dropped Fernandez in the first 15 seconds with a quick right-left. Mason dropped Mason again with a quick right hook. Mason continued to beat up Fernandez with devastating blows until the bout was stopped at 2:39.

Mason, 135 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 3-0 with three knockouts. Fernandez, 136 lbs of Austin, TX is 1-4-1,

Antonio Mireles stopped Dennys Reyes in round two of their four-round heavyweight fight.

In round two, Mirleles dropped Reyes with a body shot that was followed by a left to the head. Mirleles finished off the fight by dropping Reyes with a right hand, and the fight was stopped at 2:19.

Mireles, 269.2 lbs of Des Moines, IA is 4-0 with four knockouts. Reyes, 228.6 lbs of Finley, MN is 3-3.

Dante Benjamin stopped Corey Thompson in round one of a scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

Benjamin jumped all over Thompson in the opening seconds, cutting him in the forehead and then dropping him with a hard combination. Benjamin then dropped Thompson with a vicious five-punch combination. Benjamin ended the fight by dropping Thompson with a hard right hand at 2:24.

Benjamin, 172.6 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 3-0 with two knockouts. Thompson, 174.8 lbs of Alexandria, MN is 4-1.

Antonio Woods remained undefeated with a first round stoppage over Darryl Jones in a six-round middleweight bout.

Woods uncorked a vicious combination in the corner and the bout was stopped at 2:36.

Woods, 161.6 lbs of Cedar Rapids, IA is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Jones, 162 lbs of Sarasota, FL is 4-5-1.

LAS VEGAS–In the last appetizer before the main card headlined by the super featherweight unification bout between Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Raymond Muratalla (14-0, 12 KOs) of Fontana, California scored an impressive third-round stoppage of Jeremy Hill (16-3, 11 KOs) of New Orleans, Louisiana to claim the minor WBC USNBC silver lightweight title.

After controlling the first minute of the bout, Muratalla, 134.8, landed a clean right that appeared to drop Hill, 134, two-thirds of the way through round one. Despite motioning as such, referee Tony Weeks apparently informed the official scorers that Hill was not knocked down, as he somehow managed to keep his gloves just off the canvas. Muratalla continued his relentless onslaught throughout the second round, punishing Hill along the ropes and landing clean with his right hand.

In the third, lefts to the body softened Hill up for more punishment upstairs as Muratalla forced him to drop his hands to protect against the attack. Muratalla would land another left to the body that opened Hill up for a two-punch combination that dropped his game, but overmatched adversary hard to the mat. Weeks only got his count up to about five before deciding to call for the stoppage at 2:27 of the third round.

Rising super featherweight prospect Andres Cortes (17-0, 10 KOs) of Las Vegas scored an exciting and impressive sixth-round stoppage of a game Alexis del Bosque (18-6-1, 9 KOs) of Dallas, Texas.

After a feeling-out first round between Cortes, 131.8, and del Bosque, 131.6, the action heated up in the second round and did not let up through the rest of the bout. Cortes opened up over the left eye of del Bosque in the fourth and had the Dallas resident in some serious trouble soon thereafter. Cortes would land a well placed body shot that dropped del Bosque midway through the fourth. Del Bosque continued to fight back off the ropes and weathered the storm for the rest of the round.

In the fifth, del Bosque sprang back to some life and found spots when Cortes would let off the gas pedal. Still, the overall momentum of the bout was Cortes’ as eventually del Bosque could not keep up with the pressure. In the sixth, Cortes landed a beautiful straight right, left, right combination directly down the middle on a weary del Bosque. Somehow, del Bosque managed to get back up on his shaky legs, but referee Celestino Ruiz mercifully called a halt to the bout 43 seconds of round six.

Cortes, who signed a promotional pact with Top Rank earlier this year, appears primed for a bout with a world ranked contender in the near future.

Former national amateur champion Troy Isley (5-0, 3 KOs) of Alexandria, Virginia dominated Anthony Hannah (3-3, 2 KOs) of Augusta, Georgia with speed and aggression en route to a second-round stoppage.

Hannah, 156.8, was in constant retreat as the classy Isley, 157.4, forced him to the edges of the ring throughout.

Isley landed a hard jab to the body to down Hannah midway through the second. Another jab to the body, followed by a glancing right, scored a second knockdown, prompting the corner to throw in the towel as referee Robert Hoyle began counting to ten. Time of the stoppage was 2:33 of the second.

18-year-old former youth national amateur champion Abdullah Mason (2-0, 2 KO) of Cleveland, Ohio punished normally tough Luciano Ramos (1-3) of Stockton, California by way of Buenos Aires, Argentina en route to a first-round stoppage victory.

Mason, 136.4, was simply too fast and too strong for Ramos, 137.8, to weather. Mason quickly forced Ramos to the ropes, landing in combination. A stiff body shot that left Ramos reeling, led to a Mason flurry along the ropes that prompted referee Tony Weeks to call a halt to the bout at 2:32 of round two.

Antoine Cobb (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Chicago, Illinois was lucky to leave Las Vegas with his “O” in tact as Jaylan Phillips (1-2-1, 1 KO) of Ebro, Florida clearly won three of the four rounds in the opening bout of the evening, but failed to convince two of the official scorers. 

Phillips, 142.4, troubled Cobb, 143.6, fighting out of the southpaw stance and applying constant pressure. Cobb woke up the sparse opening doors crowd with two solid rights to close the second round, but it would be his lone shinning moment. Phillips was again the aggressor in the third, forcing Cobb to the corners and landing clean. Phillips dominated the action in the fourth, landing flurries on a retreating Cobb for much of the round. In the end, Phillips took the dissenting card 39-37 in the majority draw. The other two judges scored the bout even, 38-38. 

LAS VEGAS (April 21, 2022) — Lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla, a Southern California dynamo with eight consecutive knockouts, is aiming for another show-stopping performance in Las Vegas. Muratalla will fight New Orleans native Jeremy Hill in an eight-rounder Saturday, April 30, on the undercard of the Oscar Valdez-Shakur Stevenson WBC/WBO junior lightweight title unification tilt at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Valdez-Stevenson, an eight-round lightweight co-feature between U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis and Esteban Sanchez, and Nico Ali Walsh-Alejandro Ibarra will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Muratalla-Hill and additional undercard action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Muratalla (13-0, 11 KOs) grew up fighting in his father’s backyard boxing ring in Fontana, a well-known cultivator of talent that saw everyone from Ryan Garcia to 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas step through the ropes. After a fruitful amateur career, Muratalla turned pro in Mexico in 2016 and worked his way up the SoCal circuit before signing a long-term deal with Top Rank. In 2020, he won two fights inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble and emerged as a contender to watch in 2021. Last November, he made the most of his opportunity on the televised Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter PPV undercard, stopping Elias Araujo in five rounds. Hill (16-2, 11 KOs) won his first 14 fights before a 1-2 skid that saw him drop competitive decisions to Steven Ortiz and Nahir Albright. He kicked off his 2022 campaign with a second-round knockout over Jonathan Perez in New Orleans.

In other undercard bouts:
Junior lightweight contender Andres “Savage” Cortes (16-0, 9 KOs), a Las Vegas native who recently inked a long-term contract with Top Rank, looks to make a hometown statement versus Alexis del Bosque (18-5-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder. del Bosque is 5-0-1 in his last six fights, while Cortes is coming off brutal knockout wins over Mark Bernaldez and former world title challenger Genesis Servania.

Cleveland-born lightweight sensation Abdullah Mason (1-0, 1 KO), who turned 18 years old earlier this month, goes for 2-0 in a four-rounder against Luciano Ramos (1-2). Mason made his pro debut last November as a 17-year-old, knocking out Jaylan Phillips in two rounds.

Recent U.S. Olympian Troy Isley (4-0, 2 KOs), from Alexandria, Virginia, will fight in a six-round middleweight bout against an opponent to be named. Isley has won two bouts since advancing to the Round of 16 at the Tokyo Olympics.

Rising lightweight Charlie Sheehy (2-0, 2 KOs), the Bay Area product with a pair of devastating knockouts to begin his pro career, goes for his third straight against New Orleans native Burnell Jenkins (2-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder. Jenkins has won two fights since losing his pro debut in 2019.

Junior welterweight prospect Antoine Cobb (1-0, 1 KO), Stevenson’s close friend and training partner, returns against the upset-minded Jaylan Phillips (1-2, 1 KO) in a four-rounder. Cobb made his pro debut last October with a sensational first-round stoppage on the Stevenson-Jamel Herring undercard.
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

LAS VEGAS--Mikaela Mayer retained her WBO and won the IBF Junior Lightweight titles In a classic junior lightweight unification bout at the Virgin Hotels.

The two stood inches from each other for most of the 20 minute brawl. Hamadouche was relentless as she basically attached herself to Mayer by landing good flurries on inside. On the rare occurrences that a few feet, Mayer was able to use her length and land some eye catching shots at distance. Those situations were few, as the two engaged in an action fight that was worthy of two champions.

Mayer seemed to have hurt Hamadouche in round six by landing a hard right hand. For about 45 seconds, and the only time in the fight, the French visitor took her feet off the gas. Mayer fought well on the inside, but Hamadouche seemed busier.

Mayer landed 239 of 594; punches; Hamadouche was 233 of 872.

Mayer, 129.6 lbs of Los Angeles won by wider then it seemed scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 to go to 16-0. Hamadouche, 128.2 lbs of France is 22-2.

“{I showed} I could bang it out on the inside. That wasn’t really the entire game plan,” Mayer said. “The game plan was to use my jab, but in the back of my head, I knew she was going to keep it close, keep me on the inside. Even though we trained for that, just being able to do that for 10 straight rounds taught me a lot.

“This is everything I trained for. It really hasn’t even sunk in, but I’m proud of what I did. I’m proud of my team. We’re going to celebrate this one, for sure.”

Added Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, “This was a sensational fight, one of the best fights of the year, male or female. These two ladies are a credit to the sport, and they left it all in the ring. It was a close fight, but I felt Mikaela did more than enough to have her hand raised.”

Mayer said, “I really wanted to show everyone in the division and the naysayers that I didn’t have the power and the grit to stay in there for 10 rounds with Hamadouche that I am the best in the division. I am coming to be undisputed, and I want the big fights. I’m definitely a threat.”

Luis Melendez pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision over Thomas Mattice in a junior lightweight fight.

Melendez landed 92 of 306 punches; Mattice was 131 of 408.

Melendez, 131.4 lbs of Miami won by scores of 77-75 cards and is now 17-1. Mattice, 131.4 lbs of Cleveland is 17-3-1.

Andres Cortes remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Mark Bernaldez in a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

In round three, Cortes landed a hard combination that drove Bernaldez into the ropes. Cortes followed up with seven unanswered blows and the fight was stopped at 2:32.

Cortes, 131.6 lbs of Las Vegas is 16-0 with nine knockouts. Bernaldez, 131.2 lbs of the Philippines is 23-5.

17 year-old prospect Abdullah Mason made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Jaylon Phillips in a lightweight bout.

In round two, Mason put together a big flurry of punches for which Phillips had no answer for and the fight was stopped at

Mason, 135.4 lbs of Cleveland is 1-0 with one knockout. Phillips, 134.6 lbs of Florida is 1-1.

Ian Green won a eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Tyler Howard in a middleweight bout.

Howard was deducted a point in round four for hitting on the break.

Green, 160 lbs of Paterson, NJ won by scores of 80-71 and 79-72 twice and is now 17-2. Howard, 160 lbs of Crossville, TN is 19-1.

Rowdy Legend Montgomery stopped Martez McGregor in round three of their scheduled six-round super middleweight fight.

In round three, Montgomery landed a perfect right that sent McGregor down and out at 1:10.

Montgomery, 164 lbs of Victorville, CA is now 7-3-1 with five knockouts. McGregor, 166.8 lbs of Maywood, IL is 8-6.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 18, 2021) — Cleveland native Abdullah Mason is ready to conquer the boxing world. The lightweight prodigy, who many insiders tabbed as the brightest talent in the American amateur system, is not wasting time. At 17 years old, Mason, part of The Mason Brothers family of fighters, signed a professional contract with Top Rank and will turn pro in a four-rounder Friday, Nov. 5 on the Mikaela Mayer-Maiva Hamadouche undercard at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (LIVE on ESPN+).

Mason, who is managed by James Prince and co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Promotions, won the National Junior Olympics in 2017, the Eastern Regional Open in 2017 and 2018, and the Junior Open in 2018 and 2019. In April, he won a USA Boxing Youth National title, cementing his status as one of the country’s fighting crown jewels. He concluded his amateur career with roughly 65 wins in 80 fights.

“Abdullah Mason is one of the most electrifying young fighters I’ve ever seen, a 17-year-old who is ready to be a sensational professional,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He’s held his own in sparring against the best pros in the world, and everybody I’ve spoken to raves about his talent and work ethic. It takes a special type of kid to turn pro this young, and I have no doubt he’ll live up to the billing.”

Mason said, “I want to thank Bob Arum, Top Rank, James Prince, Antonio Leonard, and my family for this incredible honor. My father and I believed it was the right time to take the next step.”

Mason, who recently relocated to Las Vegas with his family, has sparred the likes of Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, and Darwin Price. Trained by his father, Valiant Mason, he has four brothers, all of whom are boxers: Amir, 24, Adel, 22, Abdurrahman, 19, and Ibrahim, 15.

“My family is one big team. It keeps us on track,” Abdullah Mason said. “We’re always in the gym. We all have fun with it, but we push each other to the limit.

“Vegas is the boxing capital, so we wanted to come here and follow in the footsteps of all the world champions before us. We came here to train with the best fighters in the world. Being in an environment like this breeds champions. And with the team I have behind me, I know I will be a world champion one day.”