David Morrell Jr. defended the WBA Super Middleweight title with a vicious first round stoppage over Mario Cazares at the Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Morrell landed a straight left that stunned Cazares and that was quickly followed by another straight left that plummeted Cazares under the bottom ropes and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:32.

Morrell, 167 1/2 lbs of Minneapolis is 5-0 with four knockouts. Cazares, 166 1/2 lbs of Culican, MEX is 12-1.

“I didn’t expect that to end so quickly,” said Morrell. “I thought it would be more like a five or six round fight. However, once Cazares stepped in the ring, I noticed that he was not ready to fight on my level. He wasn’t ready for this kind of test or this level of fight.”

On the devastating knockout, Morrell said, “When I saw the opening, I took him out. When I hit him, I saw his legs wobble and I knew he was gone, completely out.”

“I’m ready for anyone at 168 pounds and now the world can see it,” continued Morrell. “I would love to fight Caleb Plant. I’m ready to fight Plant. He’s an excellent boxer, but I’m ready to go.”

Glanton Decisions Apochi in a war

In a 10-round cruiserweight war, Brandon Glanton won a 10-round split decision over Efe Apochi in a battle of undefeated fighters.

The two traded hard and thudding power shots from bell to bell. Each guy took the lead in various times of the bout. In round six, Glanton landed a hard left and right on the ropes that badly hurt Apochi for a knockdown. That proved to be the difference as Glanton took card by a 95-94 score. Apochi took a card 96-93.

Glanton was 187 of 654 punches; Apochi was 183 of 721.

Glanton is now 14-0. Apochi is 11-1.

“I knew it was a close fight because at the very end he didn’t hurt me, but I staggered,” said Glanton. “We always talk about balance in the gym, though. I got the split decision because balance is something that we constantly work on. He didn’t hurt me, that’s why I was able to keep fighting.

“Thank God the judges saw it the right way,” continued Glanton. “That knockdown is something we worked on in the gym. I hope the boxing world sees what my coach is doing. The small details, the intricate things, make the difference in a fight like this. All the little details that he schools me on is what he told me would be the difference in this fight, and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t.”

“What can I say?” asked Apochi. “I thought I won the fight. I used my jab, showed some heart, had some good movement in there, but I’m not the judges. I don’t know what they saw, but I thought that I did what I had to do. He’s a tough guy. I won’t take anything away from him. He took some tough shots and he was still there.”

On the possibility of a rematch, Glanton said, “If they want the rematch, then I’ll do it again. I think I’ve proven what I needed to prove, but it’s easier the second time.”

“Of course, I want a rematch with Glanton,” continued Apochi. “I want a rematch with him right now!”

All Rivera Decisions Juarez

All Rivera scored a 10-round majority decision over previously undefeated Omar Juarez in a junior welterweight bout.

It was an action packed fight that was fought at close quarters. Rivera won the fight on the strength of a 9th round knockdown as he won by scores of 95-93, 95-94 and 95-95.

Rivera, 142 1/2 lbs of Bobon, PHL is 22-5. Juarez, 142 1/2 lbs of Brownsville, TX is 11-1.

Rivera landed 123 of 428 punches; Juarez was 152 of 354.

“I was confident that I was going to get the decision,” said Rivera. “I was blocking a lot of the shots that Juárez was throwing. I was landing the more powerful punches. Juárez was doing good work in there, but we were landing the more effective shots. I feel like when I hurt him I maybe could have done a little more to get him out of there early and avoid the decision. But he’s a stronger fighter and I respect his talent.”

Juárez said, “I honestly thought that I did enough to get the win. I did get knocked down. There was one round where I stayed in there and took a couple hits, but I felt like I was the smarter fighter in there. I adjusted well and I thought I did well over all. Almost all of the greats have losses and I know I’m going to be great one day. I just have to fight through this adversity.”

On their professional experience levels, Rivera said, “I’ve been in the ring 27 times now professionally, and I think Juárez is still a kid who’s developing his skills. I’ve fought some of the best fighters around. I’ve won belts. So, I definitely think my experience played a difference tonight.”

“He was the better man today,” Juárez concluded. “I’m not going to take anything away from him. He’s a hard fighter. He’s from the Philippines, which has a lot of strong fighters. I respect him a lot, but I’ll be back.”

When asked about the knockdown, Rivera said, “We actually worked on that shot in camp. We also worked on the follow-up sequence. So, when it landed my corner wanted me to take it to the body to finish him, but he’s a tough fighter.

“I’m here for any 140-pound fighter that wants to step in there with me,” concluded Rivera.

Nathaniel Gallimore won a 10-round majority decision over previously undefeated Leon Lawson III in a junior middleweight bout.

Gallimore landed 78 of 356 punches; Lawson 66 of 302.

Gallimore, 153 1/4 lbs of Chicago, IL won by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95 and is now 22-5-1. Lawson, 153 1/4 lbs of Flint. MI is 14-1.

Atif Oberlton remained undefeated by stopping Jasper McCargo in round five of a scheduled eight-round light heavyweight bout.

In round four, Oberlton, landed a two lefts that were followed by a cleanup right hook that dropped McCargo.

In round five, it was a hard left hand to the body that dropped McCargo in the corner, and the fight was stopped at 44 seconds.

Oberlton, 175 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-0 with three knockouts. McCargo, 177 lbs of Richmond, VA is 4-2-2.

Travon Marshall won an entertaining four-round unanimous decision over Ruben Torres in a super welterweight contest.

In round two, Marshall dropped Torres with a left hook.

Marshall landed 70 of 210 punches; Torres was 48 of 219.

Marshall, 153 3/4 lbs of Landover, MD won by scores of 40-35 on all cards, and is now 2-0. Torres, 151 3/4 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 4-2.

HAYWARD, CA. (June 22, 2021) – Rising unbeaten super lightweight Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez shared insights into his training camp as he prepares to take on All Rivera in a 10-round attraction that kicks off FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

FOX PBC Fight night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. defending his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares.

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

The 21-year-old Juarez (11-0, 5 KOs) spent this training camp in California’s Bay Area, as he trained together with WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario Barrios at Virgil Hunter’s gym. Here is what Juarez had to say about that experience and more:

On his recent training camp:

“For most of this training camp, my trainer Rick Nunez and I spent our days up in the Bay Area working out alongside Mario Barrios and Virgil Hunter. It was quite different from training in San Antonio like we usually do because the weather is so different. Training in a colder climate took some getting used to, but we had a great camp and got some good southpaw sparring. Training alongside Barrios was also inspiring as I got to see what a world class training camp looks like. My weight is good and I’ll be ready to go on fight night.”

On his upcoming matchup with All Rivera:

“This will be my third fight in a row where my opponent has twice as many fights as me, so I know how dangerous this fight is. I’ve never wanted easy fights and I’m expecting Rivera to be at his best. These are the types of fights that will push me and make me a better fighter. I know he has a lot of power and that his experience will be a challenge. I have faith that I’ll be able to make the proper adjustments once I get in the ring with him. This is going to be another great step up fight for me and I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been working on.”

On fighting on FOX on Sunday:

“The exposure I’ve been getting while fighting on FOX has been unbelievable. Every young fighter always dreams of fighting on the big stage, and I’ve been blessed to be a staple on FOX or FS1 for most of my career. I’m very grateful to my management team for this opportunity and that all my fans back home in Brownsville, Texas will be able to tune in. This is primetime on Sunday so you know I’ll be coming out with my fists flying.”

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ABOUT MORRELL VS. CAZARES
Morrell vs. Cazares will see Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. defend his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares in a 12-round duel that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features cruiserweight knockout artist Efetobor Apochi taking on fellow unbeaten Brandon Glanton in the 10-round co-main event, and rising super lightweight contender Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez battling All Rivera in a 10-round attraction to kick off the telecast.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions @WarriorsBoxingProm, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

MINNEAPOLIS (June 4, 2021) – Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. will defend his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares in a 12-round duel that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features cruiserweight knockout artist Efetobor Apochi taking on fellow unbeaten Brandon Glanton in the 10-round co-main event, and rising super lightweight contender Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez battling All Rivera in a 10-round attraction to kick off the telecast.

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

“In his short pro career, David Morrell has already established himself as a force at 168 pounds and he will look to put on another standout performance June 27 on FOX,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Morrell will be motivated to impress as he returns in front of his adopted hometown crowd at The Armory. Standing in his way is a tough contender in Mario Cázares, who is no stranger to pulling off an upset, having beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in his last outing. Adding in an explosive cruiserweight bout between Efetobor Apochi and Brandon Glanton, plus the rising Omar Juárez against the rugged All Rivera, and June 27 is set to be a can’t miss return to The Armory in Minneapolis.”

Now based in and training out of Minneapolis, Morrell (4-0, 3 KOs) has shown off the prodigious talents that made him a standout in Cuba’s iconic amateur scene since arriving stateside in 2019. Before being recently elevated, the 23-year-old captured an interim title by dominating then unbeaten Lennox Allen in action on FOX in August 2020. Most recently, Morell delivered a third-round knockout over Mike Gavronski last December, in his first headlining appearance on FOX. Morrell will return to fight at the Armory in his adopted hometown for the second time, having previously stopped Yendriz Rodriguez in his pro debut at the venue in August 2019.

“As always, I am grateful to my whole team for the opportunity to step into the ring once again at The Armory in Minneapolis,” said Morrell. “This one is even more special to me, because it’s my first title defense in front of my new home crowd in Minneapolis. I’m excited to feel the energy of the fans again, and against a very good opponent. We’ve worked hard, now it’s time to have fun.”

Cázares (12-0, 5 KOs) delivered a career-best victory in his last outing, earning a technical decision over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., as all three judges had him ahead on the cards when the fight was halted in round six. The 30-year-old turned pro in 2015 and added three victories to his ledger in 2019 before triumphing over Chavez in September 2020. Fighting out of his native Baja California, Mexico, Cázares will make his U.S. debut on June 27.

“This fight is very important for my career,” said Cázares. “This kind of championship fight is what I’ve been working for. I definitely respect Cuban boxing and the style of Morrell. He’s someone with a lot of experience in the amateur field who is now showing it in professional boxing. But I love being the underdog and coming into my opponent’s hometown. The fans in Minneapolis and watching on FOX and FOX Deportes are going to be in for a surprise on June 27.”

A native of Nigeria who trains with renowned coach Ronnie Shields in Texas, Apochi (11-0, 11 KOs) has knocked out all of his opponents since turning pro in 2016. The 33-year-old most recently blasted out a fellow unbeaten in April, as he dropped Deon Nicholson multiple times en route to a third-round stoppage. Apochi has racked up five victories since the start of 2019, including impressive knockouts of Earl Newman and Joe Jones.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring,” said Apochi. “I came to America for only one reason: boxing. I’m always happy to do the job, whether it’s training, sparring or any other activity related to boxing. I have a lot of things that I’m excited to show, because I haven’t shown everything yet. Glanton called me out because he thinks he’s the real deal. I can’t wait to make a fool of him. I’m going to bring the drama, the action and the war. I’m ready to prove myself again and again. No cruiserweight can go the distance with me. It’s impossible. Glanton is getting knocked out.”

The 29-year-old Glanton (13-0, 11 KOs) will face his toughest pro competition to date in the hard-hitting Apochi. Born in Atlanta and now residing in Riverside, California, Glanton picked up a pair of stoppage wins in 2020 ahead of his 2021 debut June 27. After an impressive amateur career that included a fourth place finish at the 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials, Glanton turned pro in 2017 and finished his first eight pro fights inside the distance.

“I’m happy to have gotten this opportunity, it’s been a long time coming,” said Glanton. “We always prepare hard in camp to go up against the best opposition there is to offer. The only thing that changes is the victim standing across the ring from me. On June 27, you can expect to see the best version of myself. As for my opponent, you can only pray for him.”

Juárez (11-0, 5 KOs) continued his rise up the 140-pound division in April as he won his first 10-round fight, easily outpointing Elias Araujo on his way to a unanimous decision, kicking off his 2021 campaign following four victories in 2020. Juárez has been lauded as much for his work outside the ring as he has for what he’s accomplished in it. After graduating high school in his native Brownsville, Texas, the 21-year-old dedicated himself to giving back to the state’s youth through motivational speaking and received recognition from the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives for his efforts.

“I’m so grateful for another opportunity to showcase my talent to everyone tuning in on FOX,” said Juárez. “This is another step up fight for me. Rivera has twice as many fights as me, so I know he will be dangerous because of that experience. I just feel I’m on another level and I want to prove to everyone that I’m worthy of being looked at as a world-class fighter. I’ve taken my training to the next level and I’m getting better with each fight. My confidence is at an all-time high and I can’t wait to throw down on June 27.”

Fighting out of Santa Rosa, Philippines, Rivera (21-5, 18 KOs) returns to action after dropping a decision to two-division champion Rances Barthelemy in January on FOX. The 28-year-old has won four of his last six contests, including a 12-round decision victory over Rodel Wenceslao in 2020. Rivera will fight in the U.S. for the third time as a pro on June 27, having also faced talented prospect Malik Hawkins. He has shown the ability to bounce back from adversity before, having put together a 10-fight winning streak following a loss in his pro debut in 2011.

“I’m ready for my return to the ring,” said Rivera. “This time, there will be no excuses. Everything I do from this point on is my journey to greatness. Omar Juárez better be ready for war, because I’m going to give him everything he can handle.”

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions @WarriorsBoxingProm, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Caleb Plant made another case for a major fight as he won an easy 12-round unanimous decision over former champion Caleb Plant to retain the IBF Super Middleweight title at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Plant dominated with his jab and working hooks behind it. Plant went up and down by landing body and head shots with Truax getting in an occasional right hand. Those were very few and very far between as Plant outlanded Truax 179-47.

In round four, Truax began to leak blood from his nose.

Plant, 167.6 lbs of Las Vegas won by shutout scores of 120-108 scores and is now 21-0. Truax, 167.8 lbs of Saint Michael, MN is 31-5-2.

“I felt great. I dominated every round. I hardly got touched. He wasn’t giving me much either,’’ Plant said. “I felt like, early on, he was just looking to survive and move away. Then a third of the way into the fight, I hurt my hand. It’s kind of swollen. I felt something similar before. I’ve got to sit down and get it checked out but we’ll see. I don’t think it will hinder any upcoming fights.
 
“A champion can adjust to anything. It’s about staying focused, staying disciplined and sticking to the game plan. Maybe the injury hindered me here and there but I felt I used it well – I got a dominant victory, a shutout on all three cards.”

“I wanted the stoppage. I’m a little disappointed that my hand got hurt early in the fight. But I feel like I put on a good performance,’’ Plant said. “I feel like I’m the best super middleweight champion in the world. I want to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion. I’m ready for whoever, whenever. You line ‘em up and I’ll knock ‘em down.”

“I’m a little disappointed. I wanted to put pressure on him and make it a dogfight, but he was elusive. He was able to escape out the back door. I wasn’t able to put a glove on him,” Truax said. “I knew he was going to be quick, but he was a little more elusive than I expected. It wasn’t a fast paced fight and credit to him for that. I wanted it to be a fast paced fight and put pressure on him, but he controlled the pace and he was very elusive.
 
“I was never buzzed or hurt. I felt like my conditioning was very good the whole fight. He just jabbed the heck out of me. I’m going to go home and talk to my family and see what the next step is. I still feel like I have something to offer the game.”

Coffie Starches Rock in 3

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Michael Coffie took out Darmani Rock in round three of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Coffie landed a crushing left uppercut to send Rock down early in round three. Later in the round, it was a left hook that put Rock down and out at 59 seconds.

Coffie, 270.2 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0 with nine knockouts. Rock, 261 lbs of Philadelphia is 17-1.

“He had quick hands we knew that, but timing beats speed,” Coffie said. “They said he shuffles his feet and drops his hands. They told me to wait for him to shuffle his feet and then drop that left hand on him.”
 
“I don’t want to sound like I’m jumping the gun or anything like that or downplaying the need for experience. But I don’t think I’m that far off. I think I have power, movement, and I think just my style of fighting that can really contend with anybody.”

Joey Spencer remained undefeated with a 1st round stoppage over Isiah Seldon in a middleweight bout.

In round one, Spencer dropped Seldon with a hard right. Upon the fight being resumed, Seldon was deducted two points for hitting behind the head. Seconds later, Spencer dropped Seldon with a hard right and the fight was stopped at 2:15

Spencer, 158 lbs of Union City, MI is 12-0 with nine knockouts. Spencer, 156.6 lbs of Somers Point, NJ is 14-4-1.

“I just knew that I was going to put hands on him, and that’s how I was going to retaliate. I definitely put in the back of my mind that maybe I’d punish him a little further if I would have gotten a chance. But I didn’t. The ref stopped him, and that’s the way it ended,’’ Spencer said. “My man strength is coming. I’m only 20. I turn 21 in March. I’m getting stronger and stronger. I’m getting a lot more confident because people aren’t able to take my punches in the same way.”

Barthelemy Decisions Rivera

Former world champion Rances Barthelemy won a 10-round unanimous decision over All Rivera in a super lightweight bout.

In round two, Rivera was cut on his right eyelid from an accidental headbutt. In round three, Rivera was cut around his left eye.

Barthelemy landed 179 of 548 punches; Rivera was 62 of 367.

Barthelemy, 142.8 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 97-93, 99-91 and 100-90 and is now 28-1-1. Rivera, 143.2 lbs of Santa Rosa City, PHL is 21-5.

“After almost two years of being out of the ring, it was hard making sure we stuck to the game plan to make sure we didn’t get anxious or desperate,” Barthelemy said. “I felt we controlled the fight from start to finish and that’s exactly what we wanted to do. I’m looking at Alberto Puello next, going after that 140 WBA belt and hoping that sets us up for bigger opportunities before the end of the year.” 

Oberlton stops Sharp in 3

Atif Oberlton stopped Nathan Sharp in round three of a scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout.

In round three, Oberlton landed hard body shots until Sharp wilted, and the fight was stopped at 48 seconds.

Oberlton, 177.4 lbs of Philadelphia, was a National Golden Gloves champion, and was making his pro debut. Sharp, 177.6 lbs of Merced, CA is 4-3.

Brandon Lynch and Marcos Hernandez battled to an eight-round draw in a middleweight bout.

Lynch landed 99 of 361 punches; Hernandez was 75 of 525

Lynch won a card 77-75; Hernandez took a card 78-74 and one card was even at 76-76.

Lynch, 158.2 lbs of Los Angeles is 10-1-1. Hernandez, 160 lbs of Fresno, CA is 14-4-2.