Prospect Punch-Out: Unbeaten Heavyweights Richard Torrez Jr. & Brandon Moore Collide May 18 at Pechanga Arena San Diego LIVE on ESPN

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (April 9, 2024) —Heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jr., the U.S. Olympic silver medalist who has knocked out every man he’s faced, hopes to extend his streak of fallen foes. Torrez steps up against fellow unbeaten Brandon Moore on Saturday, May 18 at Pechanga Arena San Diego.

The eight-round televised opener joins a loaded bill headlined by the vacant WBO lightweight world title showdown between Mexican three-weight world champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk. The 12-round welterweight co-feature, a match of undefeated contenders, will see San Diego native Giovani Santillan fight Brian Norman Jr.

Navarrete-Berinchyk, Santillan-Norman and Torrez-Moore will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“Richard Torrez Jr. is one of the most explosive and powerful young heavyweights I’ve seen, and he’s in for a big test against Brandon Moore,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “These are two unbeaten, skilled big men and a great addition to an already loaded card at Pechanga Arena San Diego.”

Torrez (9-0, 9 KOs), from the Central Valley town of Tulare, California, has been a whirlwind during his two-plus years as a pro. He has five first-round knockouts on his ledger, including a first-round TKO over Don Haynesworth last month in Glendale, Arizona. The high school valedictorian who can complete a Rubik’s cube in minutes hopes to solve his most difficult professional puzzle. Moore (14-0, 8 KOs), a 6-foot-6 boxer-puncher from Lakeland, Florida, signed with Top Rank last year. He has since won a pair of eight-round shutouts, turning away Robert Simms last November and overcoming a hard-charging Helaman Olguin in March.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now via AXS.com.




May 18: Hometown Hero Giovani Santillan to Fight Brian Norman Jr. in Battle of Unbeaten Welterweights at Pechanga Arena San Diego LIVE on ESPN

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (April 3, 2024) — San Diego-born welterweight contender Giovani “Gallo De Oro” Santillan has an opponent for his homecoming. The WBO No. 1-ranked fighter at 147 pounds will take on fellow unbeaten Brian Norman Jr. in a 12-round showdown on Saturday, May 18 at Pechanga Arena.

Santillan-Norman will be the co-feature to the vacant WBO lightweight title tilt between Mexican three-division world champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk.

And, in the eight-round televised opener, heavyweight knockout artist Richard Torrez Jr. (9-0, 9 KOs) returns against an opponent to be named. Torrez fought last Friday on the Oscar Valdez-Liam Wilson/Seniesa Estrada-Yokasta Valle card in Glendale, Arizona, stopping Don Haynesworth in the opening round.

Navarrete-Berinchyk, Santillan-Norman and Torrez’s return will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets go on sale Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. PT via AXS.com.

“Brian Norman Jr. is a highly skilled young fighter,” Santillan said. “I get so much motivation from my city, and fighting at Pechanga Arena is always special. May 18 will be a great night, and I can’t wait to give my fans another victory.”

Norman said, “This is the big fight I have been waiting for. It’s time to show the world what I’m about.”

Santillan (32-0, 17 KOs) upset Alexis Rocha last October to earn the WBO No. 1 ranking. He returns to Pechanga Arena, the site of two of his greatest triumphs. In October 2021, Santillan notched a 10-round decision over Angel Ruiz on the Navarrete-Joet Gonzalez undercard. The following August, he turned away the game Julio Luna on the Navarrete-Eduardo Baez bill. He hopes to make it three for three in front of the hometown fans. Norman (25-0, 19 KOs), a former U.S. amateur star, is a six-year pro taking a sizable step up in class. He went 3-0 in 2023, capping off the year with a one-sided verdict over Quinton Randall on the Shakur Stevenson-Edwin De Los Santos card in Las Vegas. Norman made his 2024 debut in March, fighting to a no contest with Janelson Bocachica after Bocachica suffered a severe cut on his forehead.

In undercard action, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+:

  • Lightweight phenom Emiliano Fernando Vargas (9-0, 7 KOs) will see action in a six-rounder, Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia (12-0, 10 KOs) returns in an eight-rounder at lightweight, and Robert Garcia-trained junior welterweight Art Barrera Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs) looks to make it five straight in a four-rounder. Vargas, Garcia, and Barrera were all victorious on March 29 in Glendale, Arizona.
     
  • Bay Area lightweight prospect Charlie Sheehy (9-0, 5 KOs) takes on Manuel Jaimes (15-1-1, 11 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Sheehy is coming off February’s shutout decision over Abdel Sauceda, while James has won three in a row since the lone defeat of his career.
     
  • Junior lightweight prospect Jonathan Lopez (14-0, 10 KOs) looks to break the four-fight winning streak of Mexican veteran Edgar Ortega (14-2-2, 7 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Lopez, who is trained by Eddy Reynoso, went 5-0 in 2023 and defeated Eduardo Baez via 10-round decision last June. 
     
  • San Diego-born lightweight Jonny Mansour will make his highly anticipated pro debut in a four-rounder. Mansour was a top amateur, winning a National Golden Gloves crown in 2023 and capturing a 2020 National Championships silver medal.



Raymond Ford stops Kohlmatov in Final Seconds to Win Featherweight Title

Raymond Ford scored a dramatic 12th round stoppage over Otabek Kohlmatov to capture the WBA Featherweight title at The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

It was a terrific back and forth bout that saw each fighter score throughout the contest. Ford suffered a cut under his right eye. In round 12, behind on the scores, Ford landed a straight left that forced Kohlmatov across the ring. Kohlmatov was left wide open to eat under flushh left hand that forced referee Charlie Fitch to stop the bout at 2:53.

Ford, 125.9 lbs of Camden, NJ is 15-0-1 with eight knockouts. Kohlmatov, 125.8 lbs of Sirdaryo, UZB is 12-1.

Luis Alberto Lopez Stops Abe in 8; Defends IBF Featherweight Title

Luis Alberto Lopez made the third defense of the IBF Featherweight title with an eighth round stoppage over Reiya Abe.

Lopez dominated the action by coming forward and not letting Abe getting rhythm.

In round two, the right eye of Abe began to swell badly to the point where ringside doctors took a look at it.

In round eight, Lopez turned up the energy and landed a big punches in the middle of the ring which forced referee Mark Nelson to stop the bout at 39 seconds.

Lopez, 125.3 lbs of Mexicali, MEX is 30-2 with 17 knockouts. Abe, 125.8 lbs of Yamato, JAP is 25-4-1.

Brian Norman Jr. and Janelson Bocachica battled to a no-contest at the end of round three of their 10-round welterweight bout due to excessive bleeding from Bocachica.

In round one, Norman was cut over his right eye. Later in the round, Bocachica dropped Norman with a perfect right to the head. In round two, Bocachica was cut over his right eye and then a second cut in his hairline. The cuts were due to a headbutt and elbow and was too much for Bocachica and the fight was halted after round three.

Norman, 147.2 lbs of Atlanta is 25-0. Bocachica, 146.6 lbs of Detroit is 17-2-1.

Local favorite Bryce Mills won a six-round unanimous decision over Gerffred Ngaynt in a junior welterweight bout.

Mills, 138.7 lbs of Syracuse, NY won by scores of 60-54 twice and 58-56 and is now 15-1. Ngaynt, 138.7 lbs of Buffalo is 6-2.

Troy Isley remained undefeated with a thudding seventh round stoppage over Marcos Hernandez in an eight-round middleweight bout.

In round seven, Isley landed a big right hand that put Hernandez on the canvas. Hernandez got to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 1:30.

Isley, 159.3 lbs of Washington, DC is 12-0 with five knockouts. Hernandez, 160.6 lbs of Fresno, CA 16-7-2.

Floyd Diaz remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Edwin Diaz in a bantamweight fight.

Diaz, 118 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 11-0. Rodriguez, 117.8 lbs of Juana Diaz, PR is 12-8-2.

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Tarik Zaina in a junior welterweight bout.

In round seven, Polanco was credited with a knockdown after what looked like a push put Zaina on the canvas. In round eight, Polanco dropped Zaina with a uppercut.

Polanco, 142.7 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 79-71 twice and 78-72 and is now 12-0. Zaina, 142,4 lbs of Tangier, MOR is 13-1-1.

Nico Ali Walsh won a six-round unanimous decision over Charles Stanford in a middleweight bout.

Walsh, 156.9 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 10-1. Stanford, 155.1 lbs of Cincinnati is 7-6.

Brandon Moore remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Helaman Olguin in a heavyweight bout.

Moore, 242 lbs of Lakeland, FL won by sores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 14-0. Olguin, 281.7 lbs of Salt Lake City, UT is 9-7-1.




Brian Norman Jr.-Janelson Bocachica Welterweight Battle Added to Otabek Kholmatov-Raymond Ford Undercard March 2 at Turning Stone Resort Casino

VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 24, 2024) — Following three impressive victories in 2023, welterweight standout Brian Norman Jr. is gearing up for a breakthrough year.

Norman will defend his WBO International title against Janelson Bocachica in a 10-rounder on Saturday, March 2 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Norman-Bocachica joins a stacked undercard that will be headlined by the vacant WBA featherweight world title showdown between Uzbek phenom Otabek Kholmatov and American contender Raymond Ford.

In the co-feature, Mexico’s Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez defends his IBF crown against Japanese upstart Reiya Abe.

Kholmatov-Ford, Lopez-Abe and undercard fights will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Norman (25-0, 19 KOs) made his pro debut in January 2018 and went 11-0 in his first year in the paid ranks. In 2021, he fought four times, including a first-round TKO against Roque Agustin Junco that December. After a year-long layoff, Norman regained his momentum in 2023 by tallying eight-round decisions against Rodrigo Coria in January and Jesus Perez in May before capturing his first regional title against Quinton Randall in November. Bocachica (17-2-1, 11 KOs) went 16-0 before handing Mark Reyes Jr. his first pro defeat in February 2021. Since then, he’s been involved in several close contests, including a narrow decision loss to Alberto Palmetta last November.

The undercard will showcase a variety of emerging talents from the Top Rank roster, as well as the return of a home region hero:

Undefeated U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (9-0, 1 KO) will see action in an eight-round featherweight clash against Colombia’s Brandon Valdes (15-4, 7 KOs). Ragan signed with Top Rank in August 2020 and fought four times as a pro before capturing the silver medal in Tokyo. He then continued his career in the paid ranks in 2022 by scoring four additional victories. The Cincinnati native toughed out a split decision victory against Jose Perez last October.

In a battle of undefeated junior welterweights, Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco (11-0, 7 KOs) will lock horns against Tarik Zaina (13-0-1, 8 KOs). Polanco conquered a trio of stiff tests last year, each with only one career loss. He decisioned Ricardo Quiroz in April and earned stoppages against Cesar Francis in July and Keith Hunter in December. Zaina aims to build off his biggest triumph yet, a unanimous decision win over Argentine contender Marcelino Lopez.

U.S. Olympian Troy Isley (11-0, 4 KOs) will face Marcos Hernandez (16-6-2, 3 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight bout. The 25-year-old looks to build off a successful 2023, including a unanimous decision verdict over Mexican veteran Vladimir Hernandez in November.

Heavyweight prospect Brandon Moore (13-0, 8 KOs) takes on Helaman Olguin (9-6-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Moore returns following his Top Rank debut in November, an eight-round decision over Robert Simms.

Floyd Diaz (10-0, 3 KOs) puts his unbeaten record on the line in an eight-round bantamweight tilt against the upset-minded Puerto Rican Edwin Rodriguez (12-7-2, 5 KOs). Diaz decisioned once-beaten Max Ornelas for a regional title in November.

Middleweight prospect NicoAli Walsh (9-1, 5 KOs) will make his 2024 debut in a six-rounder against an opponent to be named. The grandson of “The Greatest” starts his 2024 following a points triumph over Noel Lafargue last December in Conakry, Guinea.

Junior welterweight prospect Bryce Mills (14-1, 5 KOs), who hails from nearby Liverpool, New York, will square off against Gerffred Ngayot (6-1, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder.

# # #
About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the March 2 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Forbes Four-Star Award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for major boxing events that are broadcast around the world. Boxing hall-of-famers and legends of the sport have attended fights, promoted cards, or fought at Turning Stone over the last two decades, including Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miquel Cotto, Mike Tyson selected Turning Stone as the venue for his world debut as a promoter, and Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila Ali made her boxing debut at Turning Stone and attended a fight in 2022 when she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Turning Stone is the Official Resort Casino of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, an international event celebrating boxing legends and current superstars in the sport. Throughout the year, Turning Stone and the Boxing Hall of Fame attract thousands of boxing fans, Hall of Famers and sports media to the region for a series of boxing events at Turning Stone that culminate in June with the International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend. 

Turning Stone features world-class amenities including NY Rec & Social Club, featuring TS Sports, a state-of-the-art sports book and elevated sports lounge, five hotels, more than 20 signature dining options, two spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, multiple entertainment venues, five golf courses, and several bars and lounges offering live entertainment every weekend.  




Stevenson Decisions De Los Santos to Win Lightweight Belt

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.




Janibek ALimkhanuly Destroys Butler in 2

Janibek Alimkhanuly retained the WBO Middleweight title with a second round obliteration of Steven Butler at The Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.

In round two, Alimkhanuly dropped Butler with a devastating left uppercut that was followed by a huge left. When Butler got up, he was on unsteady legs. Alimkhanuly jumped on Butler and sent him to the canvas for second time with a big flurry of punches. Alimkhanuly continued to pound a wounded Butler and put him flat ion his back and the fight was stopped at 2:35.

Alimkhanuly, 159.2 lbs of Kazakhstan is now 14-0 with nine knockouts. Butler, 159.6 lbs of Montreal 32-4-1.

Alimkhanuly said, “Championsl. Boxing superstars! Where are you? I am waiting. Let’s fight. I am the most avoided boxer. I am the middleweight king. Let’s go. Let’s fight. I am ready for anybody. Anytime. Anywhere.”

Jason Moloney Decisions Astrolabio to Win Bantamweight Title

Jason Moloney won the vacant WBA Bantamweight title with a 12-round majority decision over Vincent Astrolabio

Moloney was cut around the left eye in round seven.

Moloney landed 143 of 463 punches. Atrolabio was 109 of 596.

Moloney, 117.8 lbs of Melbourne, AUS won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 and is now 26-2. Astrolabio, 117.2 lbs of General Santos City, PHL is 18-4.

Moloney won the title on his third attempt.

Moloney said, “I thought I won it going away, but all that matters is the victory. And now I have this belt for the rest of my life.

“I broke my hand in the third or fourth round. It hurt every time I threw it. But I knew this was my last chance to make my dream come true.

“This is half the job done for Team Moloney. Next week, [twin brother] Andrew will join me as champion of the world.”

Gabriel Flores Jr. destroyed Derrick Murray by scoring an opening-round, one-punch stoppage in a eight-round lightweight bout.

Flores landed a perfect check left hook to the chin that sent Murray crushing down to the canvas with the back of his head hitting the canvas and the fight was stopped at 30 seconds.

Flores, 134.4 lbs of Stockton, CA is now 22-2 with eight knockouts. Murray, 134.4 lbs of Saint Louis, MO is 17-9-1.

Former world title challenger Ruben Villa IV stopped Maicol Lopez Viillagrano in round five of their eight-round featherweight bout.

In round four, Villa dropped Villagrano with a left uppercut that was followed by a straight left to the chin. In round five, Villa landed several big lefts that forced a referee stoppage at 1:55.

Villa, 126.4 lbs of Salinas, CA is 20-1 with seven knockouts. Villagrano, 126.6 lbs of Mexicali, MEX is 16-5.

Javier Martinez and Joeshon Jones fought to an eight-round split draw in a battle of undefeated middleweights.

Martinez won a card 77-75; Jones took a card 79-73 and a third card was even at 76-76.

Martinez, 160.2 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is 8-0-1. Jonez, 161.2 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 7-0-1.

Amado Fernando Vargas won a four-round unanimous decision over Bernando Marzano in a junior lightweight bout.

In round one, Vargas dropped Manzano with a hard left.

Vargas, 129.4 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is ow 7-0. Marzano, 129.6 lbs of Mexico City is 2-5.

Brian Norman Jr. remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Jesus Perez in a welterweight fight.

Norman, 148 lbs of Atlanta, GA won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75 twice and is now 24-0. Perez, 147 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 24-5.




Ajagba Decisions Shaw

Efe Ajagba won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Stephan Shaw at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Ajagba landed 111 of 430 punches. Shaw was 78 of 341.

Ajagba, 235 1/4 lbs of Ugledi, NIG won by scores of 96-94 on all cards and is now 17-1. Shaw, 239/5 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 18-1.

“I went back to the corner and they told me to let my hands go, keep throwing punches, my jab. I controlled the fight, so that’s how I won the fight,” Ajagba said. “He tried to land the big shots. I watched him to see what he was going to do. He kept throwing the jab, using the jab more.”

Rice Stops Vianello Due To Cut

Jonnie Rice stopped previously undefeated Guido Vianello in round seven due to a cut over the left eye.

In round six, Vianello was cut on the left eyelid. The cut was worse as the fight moved to the seventh round and the fight was stopped.

Originally referee Benjy Esteves ruled it a headbutt, but replays clearly showed it was a right that caused the cut. After checking with the TV monitors, the fight was ruled a stoppage win for Ri

Rice, 274 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas, is 16-6-1 with 11 knockouts. Vianello, 239 lbs of Rome, Italy is 10-1-1.

“I did it again… another undefeated fighter,” Rice said. “I’m not here to call anyone out right now. I’m going to enjoy this victory and then see what’s next.”

Abraham Nova won a action-filled 10-round unanimous decision over Adam Lopez in a junior lightweight fight.

In round five, Nova dropped Lopez with a right that was followed by a left to the jaw that landed during an exchange.

At the beginning of round six, Nova landed a hard right hand that hurt Lopez. Lopez was grabbing onto Nova but fell to the canvas fo a knockdown.

In round 10, both guys brawled and landed some hard punches. Both were able to stay on their feet in the crowd pleasing affair.

Nova landed 111 of 462 punches; Lopez was 112 of 415.

Nova, 129 lbs of Albany, NY won by scores of 98-90 twice and 97-91 and is now 22-1. Lopez, 129 lbs of Glendale, CA is 16-4.

Haven Brady Jr. remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Ruben Cervera in a lightweight bout.

In round one, Brady was cut in his mouth.

Brady landed 108 of 397 punches. Cervera was 56 of 323.

Brady, 132 3/4 lbs of Albany, GA won by scores of 80-72, 79-3 and 78-4 and is now 9-0. Cervera, 130 1/4 lbs of Santa Maria, CA is 13-4.

Bryce Mills won a six-round unanimous decision over Margarito Hernandez in a welterweight contest.

In round one, Hernandez started bleeding from his left eye.

In round four, he was bleeding under his left eye.

Mills, 143 lbs of Syracuse, NY won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 11-1. Hernandez, 144 1/4 lbs of Yakima, WA is 3-4-1.

Brian Norman Jr. remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Rodrigo Coria in a welterweight bout.

In round eight, Norman dropped Coria with a left hook.

Norman, 149 lbs of Atlanta, GA won by scores of 79-2 and 77-74 twice and is now 23-0. Coria, 148 1/4 lbs of Cordoba, ARG is now 10-5.

Bruce Carrington remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Antonio Lopez in a featherweight bout.

Carrington, 128 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 6-0. Lopez, 127.5 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 17-13-1.

Dante Benjamin Jr. stopped Emmanuel Austin in the opining round of their six-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Benjamin landed a left-right and left to the head that put Austin down. Benjamin finished off Austin as he landed a big flurry of power punches that was highlighted by a booming right hand, and referee Mark Nelson stopped the bout at 2:50

Benjamin, 174 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 5-0 with tree knockouts. Austin, 175 lbs of Panama City, FL is 6-1.




Reyes Boxing Promotions’ Rodrigo Coria challenges unbeaten Brian Norman Jr. on ESPN card

Salem, MA (January 12, 2023) – Welterweight Rodrigo “El Zurdo” Coria will face undefeated knockout artist Brian “The Assassin II” Norman Jr. Saturday, January 14 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY.

Fighting out of Argentina, the 5’10 southpaw is 10-4 with 2 wins by knockout. In his last three bouts, Coria defeated Jose Alberto Vargas (7-0) and Adrian Marcelo (16-2) then dropped a controversial decision against Peter Dobson (15-0).

Hailing from Conyers, GA, Norman’s 22-0 with 19 victories coming by KO. For Norman, whose been out of the ring since December 2021, Coria represents a step up in competition.

“This is a great opportunity for Rodrigo to showcase his skills on a big platform,” said Coria’s promoter Mike Reyes of Reyes Boxing Promotions. “Norman’s a big puncher with a great record but Rodrigo’s extremely motivated for this fight and plans to hand him his first loss on Saturday night!”

Coria-Norman is scheduled for eight rounds and takes place on a big Top Rank card. The action begins at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN+ and shifts over to ESPN & ESPN Deportes at 10 PM.

For more information on Reyes Boxing Promotions, visit Reyesboxingclub.com.