Last night, Top Rank on ESPN (9:12 p.m. ET to 12:35 a.m. ET.) witnessed Vasiliy Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs), the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world (according to ESPN.com ranking), accomplish another career highlight. In front of a sold-out crowd, Lomachenko went on to defeat Jose Pedraza (25-2, 12 KOs), by unanimous decision, and unify two lightweight world titles in the main event of the Top Rank on ESPN card at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The overall event delivered a 1.4 metered market rating according to Nielsen, making it the second highest-rated boxing telecast in 2018 across all broadcast and cable networks, only behind Crawford-Benavidez on ESPN in October 2018.

The co-main event and special feature bout that opened the telecast also performed well for Top Rank on ESPN, scoring a 1.4 and 1.2 metered market ratings, respectively. Including the main event, these fights are three of the top five fights on cable in 2018. The co-main saw challenger Emanuel Navarrete (26-1, 22 KOs) defeat Isaac Dogboe (20-1, 14 KOs) to win, via unanimous decision, the WBO junior featherweight world title. But it was Top Rank’s rising star and 2016 Olympian, Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs), who astonished the crowd by putting on a show against Mason Menard (34-4, 24 KOs), knocking him out just 44 seconds into the opening round.

Main Things to Know
Last night’s entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast averaged a 1.4 metered market rating, making it the second highest-rated boxing telecast in 2018 across all broadcast and cable networks, behind Crawford vs Benavidez Jr. on ESPN in October 2018.
Lomachenko-Pedraza main event averaged a 1.5 metered market rating, making it the second highest-rated boxing match on cable in 2018, behind Crawford vs Benavidez Jr. on ESPN in October 2018.
Dogboe vs Navarrete and Lopez vs Menard averaged a 1.4 and 1.2 metered market rating, respectively. Including the main event, these fights are now three of the top five fights on cable in 2018.
Notably, the Lomachenko vs. Pedraza telecast (1.4 metered marketing rating) averaged an 8% higher rating than the Lomachenko/Rigondeaux telecast in December 2017, which averaged a 1.3 metered market rating. Both main events averaged a 1.5 metered market rating.

Vasyl Lomachenko won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza to retain the WBA and win the WBO Lightweight title at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Rounds were competitive over the course of the fight, with Lomachenko landing the more memorable shots throughout.  Pedraza did his best to slip and move while mixing in some offense in an effort to slow Lomachenko.  The Ukranian fighter, who is atop many pound for pound lists just had more in his arsenal.

In round eleven, Loamchenko opened up on Pedraza as he hurt him with a hard left him.  Lomachenko continued to land  hard and flush punches against Pedraza, who was barely punching back.  The result of that onslaught were two knockdowns that came seconds apart.  Lomachenko tried his best to close the show, but Pedraza was game and showed his veteran tactics to hear the final bell.

Lomachenko, 134.4 lbs of Akermann, UKR won by scores 119-107 and 117-109 twice   and is now 12-1.  Pedraza, 134.2 lbs of Cidra, PR is 25-2.

“It was my dream to unify titles,” Lomachenko said. “It was my next goal. I can now focus on my next chapter.

“He’s a veteran. He did a very good job, and I respect Pedraza and his team.”

Said Pedraza: “I am happy with my performance tonight. I went 12 rounds with the best fighter in the world. I knew what we were going up against. I thought it was a close fight until the knockdowns. At the end of the day, I am proud of what I did.”

Emanuel Navarrete won the WBO Super Bantamweight title via 12-round unanimous decision to dethrone Isaac Dogboe.

Although not pretty at times, Navarrete pushed the action as he featured body shots.  Dogboe retreated for most of the bout.  Dogboe suffered swelling over his right eye in round nine, and never got into a rhythm.

Navarrete, 122 lbs of Mexico City won by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113 to improve to 26-1.  Dogboe, 120.8 lbs of Accra, GHA is now 20-1.

“I thank Dogboe for this opportunity,” Navarrete said. “This world championship represents every day that I was working away from my family. This title represents sacrifice. I injured my right hand early in the fight, but I had the desire to be a champion and I did everything necessary to get the title, and I am very happy and proud to achieve this goal of being the world champion.”

Said Dogboe: “It was a great fight, and Emanuel Navarrete fought like a true Mexican warrior. Champions are supposed to keep going under any circumstance, but I just couldn’t get the victory. The best man won tonight.”

Top prospect Teofimo Lopez blew out Mason Menard in the 1st round of their scheduled ten-round lightweight fight for the USBA/NABA/NAF titles.

Lopez rocked Menard in the opening seconds of the bout, and then uncorked a perfect right to the jaw that had Menard plummet face-first on the canvas, and the fight was immediately stopped at 44 seconds

Lopez, 135 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 11-0 with nine knockouts.  Menard, 135 lbs of Rayne, LA is 34-4.

“I knew he was a tough fighter. I knew he could fight,” Lopez said. “I wanted to test him, and I took a chance early in the fight. I know he trained hard, and he didn’t want it to go that way. But this is ‘The Takeover.’ ‘The Takeover’ has begun.

“In 2019, I will be a world champion. That’s a guarantee.”

Brian Ceballo remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Daniel Calzada in a welterweight bout.

Ceballo, 147.8 lbs of New York won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 6-0.  Calzada, 147.5 lbs of Denver, CO is 16-20-3.

Alexander Besputin remained perfect by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Abreu in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Besputin dropped Abreu with a straight left.

Besputin, 146.6 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 100-88 on all cards, and is now 12-0.  Abreu, 146.8 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 21-5-1.

“He fought a very uncomfortable, dirty fight, but I dominated,” Besputin said. “I am ready for a world title fight next.”

Italian Olympian Guido Vianello made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Luke Lyons in a heavyweight bout.

In round one, Vianello dropped Lyons with a hard right hand.  In round two, Vianello dropped Lyons with a combination and the fight was waved off at 29 seconds.

Vianello, 236 lbs of Rome, ITA is 1-0 with one knockout.  Lyons, 239.8 lbs of Ashland, KY is 5-2.

“It was a dream come true to make my professional debut at Madison Square Garden,” Vianello said. “I hope I did Italy proud. I came here tonight to score a knockout, and I delivered.”

Josue Vargas stopped John Renteria in round five of a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

In round two, Vargas dropped Renteria with a left hand. In round four, he sent Renteria down with a right hook to the head.

Vargas, 142.6 lbs of Bronx, NY is 12-1 with eight knockouts. Renteria, 142.8 lbs of Panama City, PAN is 16-6-1.

In round five, Vargas finished off Renteria with a combination that put him on the canvas, and the bout was stopped at 31 seconds

Abdiel Ramirez stopped Michael Perez in the final round of their eight-round super lightweight bout

In round four, Perez dropped Ramirez with a hard uppercut.

Ramirez came back to hurt Perez in the final round with a right hand. He followed that up with two crushing uppercuts that dropped Perez, and the bout was stopped at 54 seconds.

Ramirez, 142.4 lbs of Ciudad Juarez, MEX is 24-3-1 with 22 knockouts. Perez. 142.4 lbs of Newark, NJ is 25-3-2.

Follow all the action as Vasyl Lomachenko and Jose Pedraza square off in a lightweight unification bout.  The action kicks off at 9 PM ET with a lightweight bout between Teofimo Lopez and Mason Menard.  Next up will the The WBO Super bantamweight title bout between Isaac Dogboe and Emanuel Navarrete.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1: Right from Pedraza..Crowd Screaming “LOMA..LOMA…LOMA”…Hard left from Lomachenko..

Round 2: Good straight left from Lomachenko..Jab..left….Pedraza gets in a right

Round 3 Jab from Pedraza…3 punch combination from Lomachenko..

Round 4 Left from Pedraza..Combination on inside..Right hook from Lomachenko..Good jab..left..hard ;left

Round 5 Lomachenko lands a left to the body…Body shot from Pedraza..Jab and 2 lefts from Lomachenko

Round 6 Right from Pedraza..Ripping combo from Lomachenko..Left…Pedraza gets in a right…Hard left from Lomachenko

Round 7 Lomachenko gets in a right..Left to body..Right inside…Straight left..Body shot that was answered by a combination from Pedraza

Round 8 Right to body from Pedraza..2 hard right hooks from Lomachenko….Left to body..3 punch combination..Inside right hook

Round 9  Right from Pedraza..Right to body..Combination on inside..Hard uppercut/left from Lomachenko

Round 10 Body shot from Pedraza..Another,,,Right hook..Uppercut/left combination….Left from Loamchenko

Round 11 Straight left from Lomachenko..Hard left hurts Pedraza..Lomahenko ripping shots…ALl over Pedraza..Body Shot…LEFT TO HEAD AND DOWN GOES PEDRAZA…ANOTHER LEFT AND DOWN GOES PEDRAZA AGAIN

Round 12 Right hook from Pedraza…Good Straight left..Right hook..

119-107; 117-109 TWICE FOR VASYL LOMACHENKO

Round 1 Left to body by Navarette..3 body shots from Dogboe..Jab..Left and right to body..Left as Navarrete came off ropes..Jab..Right from Navarrete..Right from Dogboe

Round 2 Navarrete trying to use long jab..Right to body from Dogboe..Counter uppercut..Jab from Navarrete..Left to body from Dogboe…Hard right from Navarrete…..Big body shot and left hook..Combinations has Dogboe on ropes..

Round 3 Left to body from Navarrete..uppercut..Hard left..Left from Dogboe…1-2 from Navarrete

Round 4 Body work from Dogboe…Left to body..Jabs

Round 5  Right from Dogboe..good uppercut from Navarrete..another uppercut…Navarrete chasing Dogboe..missing a lot..Left from Dogboe

Round 6  Uppercut from Navarrete..Right..Left..4 punch combination..Body shot from Dogboe..uppercut..right

Round 7 Body work from Dogboe..Body work on inside…Combination from Navarrete..Good body shot from Dogboe..

Round 8 Hard body shots from Dogboe…left to body..Good right and left to body..2 lefts to the head…Long right from Navarrete..Left from Dogboe..Good left to the body

Round 9 Jab from Dogboe..Right to head–Navarrete slips to canvas,,Left from Dogboe….Good right

Round 10 Dogboe has swelling over right eye..Doctor checks it to begin the round..Left to body from Navarrete..Left drives Dogboe into ropes..Body work from Dogboe..Dogboe slips in corner..Body shot from Navarrete..Right from Dogboe..3 punch combination from Navarrete

Round 11 Left to body from Navarrete..Body shot with the uppercut…Digboe slips again..

Round 12 Right from Navarrete,,,Left..Right from Dogboe..Body shot from Navarrete..Digboe thrown to the canvas..

115-113 ; 116-112 TWICE FOR WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION EMANUEL NAVARRETE

Round 1 Right over top from Lopez…Hard right..HUGE RIGHT AND MENARD FALLS FACE FIRST…FIGHT OVER…TIME 44 SECONDS

• Vasiliy Lomachenko 134.4 lbs vs. Jose Pedraza 134.2 lbs
(Lomachenko’s WBA and Pedraza’s WBO Lightweight world titles – 12 Rounds)

• Isaac Dogboe 120.8 lbs vs. Emanuel Navarrete 122 lbs
(Dogboe’s WBO Junior Featherweight world title – 12 Rounds)

• Teofimo Lopez 135 lbs vs. Mason Menard 135 lbs
(NABF, NABA and USBA Lightweight titles- 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET)

• Guido Vianello 236 lbs vs. Luke Lyons 239.8 lbs
(Heavyweight – 6 Rounds)

• Alexander Besputin 146.6 lbs vs. Juan Carlos Abreu 146.8 lbs
(Besputin’s UBSA Welterweight tite – 10 Rounds)

•Josue Vargas 142.6 lbs vs. John Renteria 142.8 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Michael Perez 142.4 lbs vs. Abdiel Ramirez 142.4 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Brian Ceballo 147.8 lbs vs. Daniel Calzada 147.6 lbs
Swing Bout
(Welterweight – 6/4 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Lomachenko-Pedraza world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

NEW YORK CITY (Dec. 6, 2018) – WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and WBO lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza exchanged pleasantries on a brisk New York afternoon two days before their title unification tilt, Saturday evening at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

In the co-feature, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will make the second defense of his WBO junior featherweight world title against Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. Dogboe snatched the title from Jessie Magdaleno back in April and defended it Aug. 25 with a first-round knockout over Hidenori Otake.

In the televised opener, unbeaten lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez faces his toughest test to date in veteran Mason Menard.

And, in a special attraction (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET), 2016 Italian Olympian Guido Vianello will make his pro debut against Luke Lyons in a six-round heavyweight clash.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Madison Square Garden’s Chase Square.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

On his surgically repaired shoulder

“I had a very interesting camp. I had hard sparring sessions and good preparation for this fight. I used all of my punches, and I think it will be the same as before {the surgery}.”

On Pedraza as a challenge

“I can’t answer that now. I need to feel what he brings, and after that, I can compare.”

“His style is not very interesting and not comfortable for all boxers because he’s always on defense and waiting for a mistake. If you’ve seen my fights, it will be similar to the {Miguel} Marriaga fight. They have the same style.”

On fighters out there who are a challenge

“In my weight class and closer to my weight class, we don’t have a big superstar. Yes, we have big names at 147, but I can’t move up to 147 now because it’s too much {weight}, I think.”

On Manny Pacquiao

“I’m not disrespecting Pacquiao, but I don’t want to make my name bigger because I beat an old legend. I have my own road. There are a lot of good fighters to fight who are comparable to me. He’s old. I think his career is done. I don’t want to become a legend in boxing because of him.”

On his plans for 2019

“Seriously, I want a fight with Mikey Garcia. I think this fight will happen. Then, I don’t know.”

Jose Pedraza

“Since the moment I signed to fight {Ray} Beltran, I knew that the winner was going to fight Lomachenko. Mentally, I’ve been preparing, staying positive, staying focused, and also physically, I’m well prepared.”

“I had a great training camp for this fight. Lomachenko is a great fighter, a complete fighter, and I know that I will have to be at my best. I am prepared to put on a good fight.”

“Me {unifying} the titles on Saturday would mean a lot to {Puerto Rico}. It would be the first Christmas after what happened with Hurricane Maria. Definitely, me winning on Saturday would bring a lot of joy and blessings to the island.”

Isaac Dogboe

“We couldn’t have asked for a better 2018. Before entering into 2018, my uncle said to me, ‘All you have to do is dance into 2018. Be happy.’ And that’s exactly what we did. We started by knocking out Cesar Juarez, another fine Mexican fighter. And we moved on to Jessie Magdaleno, another tough world champion. He’s one of the best in my division. And after that, we defended it against Hidenori Otake, one of Japan’s toughest fighters. It’s been a blessing. Three knockouts out of three fights, and this will be four knockouts out of four fights in 2018. It’s always been a blessing.”

“Emanuel Navarrete is also one of Mexico’s finest fighters, as tough as they come. He reminds me of Israel Vazquez and Juan Manuel Marquez. These are great, great legendary fighters. When he talks about the fighting spirit of the Mexicans, you know he’s going to come and fight.”

Emanuel Navarrete

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to fight a great super bantamweight champion like Isaac Dogboe. What better way to become a world champion than to do it on a stage like Madison Square Garden.”

“Maybe people don’t know me, but I’ve had a great career in my country and I’m focused on taking advantage of this opportunity and bringing the title home to Mexico.”

Teofimo Lopez

“It’s my fourth time {fighting at Madison Square Garden}. Like always, I am here to put on a show and ‘The Takeover.’ That’s what I’ve always said, and come Saturday night, we’re here to take over the show.”

“2019, I will become world champion.”

“I know Mason Menard. He’s going to definitely come out there and fight, bring the fight. But they all try the same thing, and it’s not going to work. No matter what they do, no matter what they try, they’re in there with a real one.”

Guido Vianello

“When I started in boxing, my dream was to go to the Olympics and go to America for a fight in Madison Square Garden with Top Rank. So now the dream {has come true}. I am very excited and ready for this fight.”

“I am a mix between {Wladimir} Klitschko and Muhammad Ali. I move in the ring and I am aggressive. I want to box and fight.”

On training with Abel Sanchez

“I have the best training in the world. The training was very hard every day in Big Bear. We ran every morning. For this, I am very, very ready for the fight.”

ESPN, 9 p.m. ET

Vasiliy Lomachenko (WBA lightweight champion) vs. Jose Pedraza (WBO lightweight champion), 12 rounds, lightweight unification

Isaac Dogboe (champion) vs. Emanuel Navarrete (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO junior featherweight world title

Teofimo Lopez vs. Mason Menard,10 rounds, lightweight

ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET

Alexander Besputin vs. Juan Carlos Abreu, 10 rounds, Besputin’s USBA welterweight title

Guido Vianello vs. Luke Lyons, 6 rounds, heavyweight

Josue Vargas vs. John Renteria, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Michael Perez vs. Abdiel Ramirez, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Brian Ceballo vs. Daniel Calzada, 6/4 rounds, welterweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Lomachenko-Pedraza world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2018) – WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, WBO lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza, unbeaten WBO junior featherweight world champion Isaac Dogboe, unbeaten lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez, and Italian heavyweight prospect Guido Vianello took a break from their last-minute fight preparations to head over to Gleason’s Gym to speak to a group of youngsters from Give A Kid A Dream. The foundation provides mentorship opportunities to at-risk youth through boxing.

More than 30 children from the foundation were on hand as the fighters discussed the hard work required to become a world-class fighter. Each fighter demonstrated drills for the children, signed autographs, and gave a few lucky children in-the-ring tutorials.

Lomachenko and Pedraza also took a break to answer a few questions about Saturday’s showdown. This is what they had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

On training camp

“I had a really good camp. I am looking forward to getting back in the ring on Saturday. Madison Square Garden is my favorite place to fight. It is like another home for me. It is a very special place.”

On recovery from torn labrum suffered during Linares bout and fighting through pain

“I am 100 percent. I feel good. When the injury happened, I was mentally prepared to deal with it. I still had my feet. I still had another hand. I am very competitive. I feel like when you step in the ring, you need to finish the fight.”

On Pedraza as a fighter and what he’ll bring to the table

“Nobody knows yet. I’ve had a long rest. Now, I load a new program into my head. We’ll see what happens.”

On recovering and resting following the surgery

“It was good for me to rest. I have been boxing since I was a child. I had a lot of competition. It was my first rest and first big vacation in my life.”

Jose Pedraza

“The time is almost here. The desire to win is very high. I have visualized all the possible scenarios. I’ve seen myself winning, I’ve seen myself knocking him out, I’ve seen myself pulling out the victory coming from behind. The closer the fight approaches, the more I see myself with my hands held high and with the two titles on my shoulders. I already fulfilled my goal of becoming a world champion, and now I’m going after the goal of unifying titles.”

“The titles will return to Puerto Rico with me. I know that it will not be an easy fight. I will be facing one of the best fighters in the world. He has tremendous skills, but I know that I also have great skills and the necessary focus to come out with the victory. Puerto Rico deserves a moment of happiness. I’m going to do it for them, and my family.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Lomachenko-Pedraza world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza, Dogboe’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against Emanuel Navarrete, and Lopez versus Mason Menard will headline a special three-fight edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

All undercard bouts, including Vianello’s pro debut against Luke Lyons, will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

One of the biggest boxing events of the year airs live on ESPN Saturday, December 8 from The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The reigning WBA lightweight champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is set to take on WBO champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs) in a title unification main event airing live and exclusively on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9 p.m. ET, immediately following the live presentation of the 2018 Heisman Trophy Ceremony. Top Rank on ESPN will drop gloves just after 6 p.m. ET starting with the undercards on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN.

Two additional fights round out Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN with marquee appearances by rising stars Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe and Teofimo Lopez. ESPN+ will stream the undercards live headlined by Guido Vianello facing Luke Lyon (5-1-1, 2 KOs) starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Calling the fight for ESPN will be Joe Tessitore and Mark Kriegel, with former two-division world titleholder, Tim Bradley (analyst), reporter Bernardo Osuna and on-location studio contributors Stephen A. Smith, Kevin Connors, former pound-for-pound two-division world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, and ESPN Deportes’ coverage includes play-by-play from Robert Sierra and analyst Delvin Rodriguez.

ESPN’s official coverage of fight week kicked off Monday, December 3 with “Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko” – an encore presentation of Vasiliy Lomachenko’s last two fights — Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux (December 9, 2017) and Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Jorge Linares (May 12, 2018).

ESPN+ will also feature:
Countdown to Lomachenko vs. Pedraza, a four-part series that takes viewers behind the scenes as one of the world’s great pound-for-pound fighters attempts to unify lightweight world titles against WBO world champion Pedraza. Episodes include:
“Loma: Under the Knife” (available now) — rare footage of Lomachenko prepping for shoulder surgery, the surgery itself, how he injured it vs. Jorge Linares, and how his team handled his comeback.
Unifying The Belts (premieres today) — Lomachenko and Pedraza talk about their chances and ambitions to unify the lightweight title belts.
Fishing with Loma (premieres Wednesday, Dec 5) — Behind the scenes day fishing with Lomachenko and his team off the coast of California.
Training The Loma Way (premieres Thursday, Dec 6) — Inside Team Lomachenko’s unique training strategies, including unique outdoor and mental training.
The final press conference, which will stream live on Thursday, December 6 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael premieres Tuesday, the weekly ESPN+ original show will include a look ahead to Lomachenko vs. Pedraza with ESPN boxing guru Dan Rafael.
The weigh-in will stream live Friday, Dec 7 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Also airing on ESPN2.

News & Information, Digital and SportsCenter
Leading up to the fight, ESPN will preview the event on studio programming and online, including:
On air profiles of Lomachenko by Teddy Atlas and Pedraza by Mark Kriegel
Up-to-date on-scene coverage every step of the way from Rafael who will be with the fighters multiple days this week
News updates and a complete guide to the fight on ESPN.com and the ESPN app from Rafael out Friday, December 7
ESPN Fantasy game Streak for the Cash will offer fight predictions for the Co-Main and Main Event during the ESPN live event telecast Saturday, December 8

Top Rank on ESPN (All times Eastern) 2018
Date Time Event Platform
Mon, Dec 3 8:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPN2
Tue, Dec 4 12:00 a.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
11:30 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPN2
Thu, Dec 6 9:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
12:30 p.m. Lomachenko vs Pedraza Final Press Conference ESPN+
Fri, Dec 7 1:00 a.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPN2
1:30 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPN2, ESPN+
9:00 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
Sat, Dec 8

12:00 a.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
2:00 a.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
11:30 a.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
12:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
5:00 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
6:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Undercards ESPN+
9:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Main Event
Vasiliy Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) vs. Jose Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs)
Isaac Dogboe (20-0, 14 KOs) vs Emanuel Navarrete (25-1, 22 KOs)
Teofimo Lopez (10-0, 8 KOs) vs Mason Menard (34-3, 24 KOs) ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio
Sun, Dec 9 1 a.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN (Main Event) ESPN2
5 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN (Main Event) ESPN Deportes
8 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN (Main Event) ESPN2

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Oct. 24, 2018) – The ‘Sniper’ guarantees there will be a surprise on Dec. 8 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. WBO lightweight champion Jose ‘Sniper’ Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs) trained in front of the media of ‘The Island of Enchantment’ before departing for Las Vegas, where he will conclude training camp for his upcoming title unification bout against WBA champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs).

This is what Pedraza, a two-weight world champion, had to say during his media workout in Puerto Rico.

About his fight against Lomachenko

“Technically speaking, he has never faced a fighter like me.”

About fighting in New York

“I’m very excited for this fight and even more because the fight will be in New York where I will have the support of all the Puerto Ricans.”

On what fans can expect of him on December 8

“The fans can expect an even more focused and intelligent Jose Pedraza in the ring. On that night, I will show all my skills.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for Lomachenko-Pedraza are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

OXNARD, Calif. (Oct 23, 2018) – WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko was at home at the Boxing Laboratory as he prepared for his next challenge. Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs), who has won world titles in three weight classes in just 12 pro fights, will seek to unify titles for the first time as a pro when he takes on WBO champion Jose Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs), Dec. 8 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 9 p.m. ET).

Lomachenko worked out for the media Tuesday, showing off his assortment of training tricks. This is what the pound-for-pound great had to say.

On the Pedraza fight

“I had a long rest {following shoulder surgery}. I am looking forward to seeing how I feel and taking on a tough opponent like Pedraza. I haven’t had much time to watch his fights.”

On potentially unifying the titles

“I can’t wait. After this fight, a lot of doors will be open. Title unification fights are good for the sport of boxing.”

On future opponents

“I love challenges. That’s what motivates me. I want all the top fighters. I’m open to anyone.”

On the Jorge Linares fight

“It was the first time I was knocked down as a pro. After the knockdown, I came back and finished the fight. It was a tough fight, but I showed the heart of a champion.”

On whether he’ll remain at lightweight

“I believe I’ll stay at 135 and focus on 135 because when I fought against Linares, I felt like he was bigger than me. So I’ll stay at 135 because I think 135 is not my {ideal} weight category right now. After one or two years, it will be my {ideal} weight.”

On a Mikey Garcia fight

“I hope {it will happen}. We can see in the future because my next fight is against Pedraza. After Pedraza, we can talk about fighting Mikey.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for Lomachenko-Pedraza are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

NEW YORK CITY (Oct. 17, 2018) – The Royal Storm is in a New York state of mind.

Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will make the second defense of his WBO junior featherweight title against the hard-hitting Emanuel Navarrete as the co-feature to the previously announced Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza lightweight unification bout at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Lomachenko-Pedraza and Dogboe-Navarrete will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

“Put me among the best, and you’ll see the best of Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe,” Dogboe said. “We love the New York crowd. That’s what will motivate us and make us fight harder. Madison Square Garden is a legendary place. It’s a place where many fighters were made. Lomachenko and Pedraza are great fighters and being featured on a show with other great fighters is an honor. We are ready to roll. And to my fans, trust me, the ‘Royal Storm’ is coming to entertain!”

“Many boxers come and go like the common cold, but Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is here to stay,” said Paul Dogboe, Isaac’s father and trainer. “This is it. New York, here we come!”

“This is the opportunity I was waiting for. I have a lot of respect for Isaac Dogboe, but this title will be mine,” Navarrete said. “I feel very happy and motivated by this opportunity, even more, because of fighting in New York City. I know that from Dec. 8 forward, the name Emanuel Navarrete will be known all around the world. I’m sure this win will be mine.”

Dogboe (20-0, 14 KOs) has emerged in 2018 with a trio of victories that has him on the shortlist for Fighter of the Year honors. He opened his 2018 campaign Jan. 5 with a fifth-round TKO against Cesar Juarez to win the interim WBO world title. Dogboe dethroned world champion Jessie Magdaleno on April 28 in Philadelphia, recovering from a first-round knockdown to batter Magdaleno en route to an 11-round stoppage. In his first title defense, Aug. 25 in Glendale, Ariz., Dogboe knocked out the normally durable Hidenori Otake in the opening round.

Navarrete (25-1, 22 KOs), a 23-year-old from Mexico City, is one of the 122-pound division’s heaviest hitters. He has won 20 consecutive bouts since a four-round decision loss and is riding an eight-fight knockout streak. In his last bout, June 2 in Monterrey, Mexico, he knocked out Jose Sanmartin in the 12th round of a brutal battle.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,@ESPN.

Use the hashtags #LomaPedraza and #DogboeNavarrete to join the conversation on social media.

NEW YORK CITY (Oct. 9, 2018) — WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko has made his second home in New York City.

The man considered by many boxing experts to be the world’s best fighter will top the bill at a Madison Square Garden venue for the fourth time as a pro when he takes on WBO champion Jose Pedraza in a unification bout Dec. 8 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for Lomachenko-Pedraza go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 12 p.m. ET. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

This will be Lomachenko’s third consecutive bout at a Madison Square Garden venue. He last fought May 12 at Madison Square Garden, knocking out Jorge Linares in the 10th round in front of 10,429 fans.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,@ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

NEW YORK CITY (Sept. 25, 2018) – Vasiliy Lomachenko is ready to take another bite out of the Big Apple. Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound superstar and WBA lightweight world champion, will look to unify world titles for the first time as a professional when he clashes with WBO champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. This marks Lomachenko’s fourth main event appearance at a Madison Square Garden venue.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

Promoted by Top Rank, ticket and undercard information for this world championship event will be announced soon.

“Boxing fans are excited that Vasiliy Lomachenko will be back in action on Dec. 8,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “He knows that in WBO champion Jose Pedraza, he faces a tough opponent with a style that may give him a lot of trouble.”

“I am ready to fight an excellent opponent like Jose Pedraza,” Lomachenko said. “My goal has always been to unify the titles, and Pedraza is standing in my way. There is something special about fighting in New York City and at Madison Square Garden. The fans in New York City are true boxing fans, and I can’t wait to put on another spectacular performance for them.”

“I am grateful to have this opportunity, since I didn’t get the chance to unify titles when I was champion in the junior lightweight division,” Pedraza said. “In this division, I will achieve my goal, and I will do it against one of the best boxers in the world. There will be a surprise on Dec. 8!”

“We are thrilled to bring fans one of the year’s marquee boxing events to ESPN,” said ESPN’s Burke Magnus, executive vice president, programming and scheduling. “Currently ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Lomachenko is who fans want to watch. His historic victory last year on this night was a tremendous success, and we look forward to showcasing the world’s best once again.”

Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is widely considered to be the greatest amateur boxer in history, as he posted a 396-1 record with Olympic gold medals for his native Ukraine in 2008 and 2012. In the pro ranks, he has continued to etch his name in the history books. Lomachenko tied a boxing record by winning a world title in his third pro bout on June 21, 2014, a clear points win against Gary Russell Jr. to claim the vacant WBO featherweight title. He made three defenses of that title before moving up to 130 pounds. In his debut at 130 pounds, Lomachenko knocked out Roman Martinez with an uppercut-hook combination to win the WBO junior lightweight world title. Following the Martinez bout, Lomachenko began an unprecedented streak of four consecutive opponents – Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux – retiring on their stools. The Rigondeaux bout, which took place last December at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, was the first time in boxing history that a pair of two-time Olympic gold medalists fought as professionals. After six rounds, Rigondeaux quit on his stool.

With nothing left to prove at 130 pounds, Lomachenko moved up to lightweight and challenged WBA champion Jorge Linares. On May 12 at Madison Square Garden, Lomachenko suffered a labral tear of his right shoulder in the second round and was knocked down with a right hand in the sixth, only to come back and stop Linares with a left hand to the body in the 10th round. The Linares victory signified another milestone for Lomachenko. In becoming a three-weight world champion in 12 professional fights, he broke the previous record set by Jeff Fenech (20 fights) in 1988. Lomachenko has knocked out eight consecutive opponents dating back to his fourth professional bout in 2014.

Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, has climbed back to the top of the sport following a January 2017 TKO loss to Gervonta Davis that saw him relinquish his IBF junior lightweight world title. He returned 14 months later as a lightweight on March 17, shutting out Jose Luis Rodriguez over eight rounds at the Hulu Theater at Madison Garden. After a hard-fought 10-round unanimous decision against Antonio Moran on June 9, Pedraza traveled to Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 25 to face WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran. He scored an 11th-round knockdown to seal the unanimous decision victory, becoming only the second male Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles at 130 and 135 pounds.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,@ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

Follow all the action as Ray Beltan defends the WBO Lightweight title against Jose Pedraza.  The action begins at 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT with the WBO Super Bantamweight title bout between Isaac Dogboe and Hidenori Otake.  Also featured will be a women’s bout between Mikaela Mayer and Edina Kiss.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY 

Round 1 

Round 2 Right from Pedraza…Uppercut..Beltran gets in a left to the body..Cut around the left eye of Beltran..Right from Pedraza..Straight left..Body..Good right from Beltran…Pedraza out-lands Beltran 24-13 in round

Round 3 Body shot from Beltran…Jab from Pedraza..2 more..Left drives Beltran back

Round 4 Beltran lands a left to the body..Pedraza lands a right hook..Right from Beltran..Combination

Round 5 Beltran lands a left hook..Jab…2 chopping rights from Pedraza..

Round 6  Uppercut from Beltran..Beltran out-landed Pedraza 17-8 in round

Round 7  Little swelling under left eye of Pedraza…Lunging left hook from Beltran

Round 8  Beltran lands a right..Hard straight right..Good right hook from Pedraza..Left..2 punches from Beltran..

Round 9 Jab from Pedraza..

Round 10 Uppercut from Pedraza..Right from Beltran..

Round 11 Jab from Pedraza….UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES BELTRAN..

Round 12 Huge combination from Pedraza at the end of the round that battered the head of Beltran

Beltran landed 137-515      Pedraza landed 160-556

117-110 twice and 115-112 FOR JOSE PEDRAZA

Round 1 Mayer lands a jab…RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES KISS..Right to the head..Right..

Round 2 Mayer jabbing…

Round 3 Right from Mayer..Jab..4 body shots….KISS QUITS ON STOOL

Round 1 Dogboe lands a body shot,..Uppercut and left hook..Left hook lands solid..HUGE LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES OTAKE…BIG RIGHT AND OTAKE’S GLOVE TOUCHES THE CANVAS…Big left..and another,,,HUGE COMBINATION AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

GLENDALE, Ariz. –Ray Beltran is known for going the distance. Any distance. But this time it was too long. Two rounds too long.

Jose Pedraza ended Beltran’s short reign as the World Boxing Organization’s lightweight champion, scoring a knockdown Saturday night with a left uppercut in the 11^th round and a blitz of undefended punches in an emphatic finish to the bout in the 12^th.

On the scorecards, there was never a doubt. Pedraza was 117-110, 115-112, 117-110 winner over Beltran, the favorite of a lively Gila River Arena crowd of nearly 5,000.

“We did everything that we needed to do to win this fight,’’ said Pedraza (25-2, 12 KOs), a switch-hitting Puerto Rican who cut Beltran (35-8-1, 21 KOs) above the left eye in an early round and endured his brawling power in the later round. “We followed the game plan perfectly. I knew how tough this fight was going to be and at moments it got very difficult, but thanks to the focus and the guidance from my corner, we were able to win round by round and get the win.”

For Pedraza, the victory means a probable date on December 1 against pound-for-pound contender Vasiliy Lomachenko, who has been on the mend from shoulder surgery.

“Now I can talk about the future,’’ Pedraza said.  “I want to unify the division. I want to battle against all the champions. I want the big names. Bring Lomachenko! I have the perfect style to beat him.”

He might, he just might, said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

“He beat a very, very tough guy with a very, very cerebral fight,’’ Arum said. “He believes he has the style to beat Lomachenko.’’

For the 37-year-old Beltran, the future was not so certain. However, Arum said the Phoenix lightweight intends to keep on fighting. Anything else would have been surprise. Beltran, a Mexican, has never been the retiring type, not in his career or his ongoing quest of green card.

“As far as the future, it’s too early to tell,’’ said Beltran, who entered the ring with Phoenix Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal. “This fight, I think was tough and very close.

“The knockdown was the difference.’’

Dogboe delivers royal statement, scores first-round stoppage

There’s royalty in the blood and power in the hands.

Phoenix super-bantamweight Carlos Castro has a new deal and the same record. He was unbeaten when he signed with Top Rank. Castro (21-0, 9 KOs) is still unbeaten, winning the deal’s debut — a unanimous decision Mexican Diuhl Olguin (12-12-2, ( KOS) in front of a hometown crowd at Gila River on a card featuring Beltran-Pedraza.

Lozado struggles to a dull draw

Mexican lightweight Antonio Lozada Jr (40-2-1, 34 KOs) couldn’t sustain much of anything long enough over eight rounds in and-up down bout fight with Hector Ambriz (12-7-2, also of Mexico. It was dull. It was also a draw. It’s not clear what’s next for Lozada. Top Ranks hopes to put him in against Teofimo Lopez.

Phoenix featherweight De Vaca wins gutsy decision

Phoenix featherweight Francisco De Vaca (19-0, 6 KOs) had less power, but more resiliency than Mexican Jesus Serrano (17-7-2, 12 KOs) in crowd-pleasing featherweight brawl. De Vaca, who had ex-Oscar De La Hoya trainer Pedro Alcazar in his corner, prevailed, winning a decision that was gritty as it was unanimous.

AZ bantamweight Macias strikes with huge KO punch

It didn’t take long for some Arizona punch to be added to the mix. Breenan Macias (3-0, 2 KOs), a Goodyear, AZ, bantamweight trained by Robert Garcia, delivered it, a right hand that landed, 10 proof, in the final second of the third round.. Philip Adyaka (7-12, 4 KOs), of St Paul, Minn, never recovered. He was dazed and done, officially stopped at 3:00 of the third.

Trevor McCumby wins TKO
Phoenix light-heavyweight Trevor McCumby (24-0-0-1, 18 KOs)continued the AZ theme, overwhelming Jessie Nicklow with punches that fell like rain out of micro-burst storm. With a defenseless NIcklow (27-9-3, 9 KOs), Baltimore, slumping in a neutral corner, the referee stopped it at 40 seconds of the third round.

Beltran-Pedraza card heats up AZ with first bell

An empty, cool arena was a refuge from the desert’s soaring temperatures, but it was no escape for junior-welterweight Sagadat Rakhmankul and Christian Aquirre, who began to heat things up at Gila River Saturday afternoon in the first fight on a card featuring Ray Beltran and Jose Pedraza.

Rakhmankul (3-0, 1 KO), a Kazak managed by Vasiliy Lomachenko manager Egis Klimas, landed repeated uppercuts against the wild swinging Aguirre (7-3, 3 KOs) of West, Valley, Utah. In the Rakhmankul got bloodied and a unanimous decision over Aquirre, who somehow remained upright in spite of a swing-for-the-fences style that left him spinning like a top.

By Norm Frauenheim-

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Jose Pedraza looks at Ray Beltran and sees something he recognizes. Call it opportunity. There aren’t many. After nearly two decades, Beltran finally gets his chance to hear himself introduced as the defending champion.

Pedraza has experienced that moment. But it was fleeting. The belt was gone, almost faster than the celebration. But the lesson remains. This time, Pedraza hopes to take a title that will stick around for a while, too.

“I feel very fortunate,” said Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs), who will attempt to take the World Boxing Organization’s lightweight title from Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) tonight on ESPN at Gila River Arena. “This is a great opportunity and I am going to take full advantage of it. Everything happens at the right time.”

Both fighters made weight Friday. Pedraza was ta 134.4 pounds; Beltran at 134.6

Pedraza, a former junior-lightweight champion, created a mild buzz this week with an impressive public workout at Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal’s 9th Street Gym in downtown Phoenix. He looked agile, athletic and mobile enough to give the 37-year-old Beltran some trouble, especially if the bout goes into the later rounds. Above all, Pedraza has the advantage of youth. He’s 29.

“Another world title would mean a lot to me because not everybody gets the opportunity to be a two-time champion,” said Pedraza, a Puerto Rican who won’t be the favorite of Mexican and Mexican-American fans expected to be in the crowd for Beltran.

Pedraza has won two fights since his lone loss by stoppage to Gervonta Davis in January, 2017. Since then, he’s won two fights and watched his home island struggle to come back from Hurricane Maria.

“For the island, a victory would mean a lot too because we need happiness and positive vibes,’’ he said. “After the first loss, I kept training but the opportunities didn’t come and then Hurricane Maria happened, so that stalled things even more. So, we had to wait to get back in the ring.”

Early signs indicate he can’t wait to step back through those ropes. For the experienced Beltran, that probably means aggressiveness early in an attempt at stoppage before perhaps the eighth. If the bout goes into the final four rounds, Pedraza’s younger legs might carry him to a scorecard victory.

The ESPN telecast includes WBO super-bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe (19-0, 12 KOs) against Hidenori Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs) of Japan. At Friday’s weigh-in Dogboe was 121.0 pounds; Otake 121.4. The ESPN telecast is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET).

The undercard will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT. It can be seen on ESPN+.

• Ray Beltran 134.6 lbs vs. José Pedraza 134.4 lbs
(WBO Lightweight title – 12 Rounds)

• Isaac Dogboe 121 lbs vs. Hidenori Otake 121.4 lbs
(WBO Junior Featherweight title – 12 Rounds)

• Mikaela Mayer 129.4 lbs vs. Edina Kiss 128.6 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 6 Rounds)

• Arnold Barboza Jr. 141.6 lbs vs. Luis Solis 142 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 10 Rounds)

• Antonio Lozada Jr. 137 lbs vs. Hector Ambriz 136.6 lbs
(Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

• Francisco De Vaca 124.4 lbs vs. Jesus Serrano 126.8 lbs
(Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

• Carlos Castro 121.4 lbs vs. Diuhl Olguin 121.2 lbs
(Super Bantamweight – 8 Rounds)

• Robson Conceicao 129.8 lbs vs. Edgar Cantu 129 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

• Trevor McCumby 172.4 lbs vs. Jessie Nicklow 169.8 lbs
(Light Heavyweight – 8 Rounds)

• Sagadat Rakhmankul 150 lbs vs. Christian Aguirre 151.2 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 6 Rounds)

• Breenan Macias 116.6 lbs vs. Philip Adyaka 118.4 lbs
(Bantamweight – 4 Rounds)

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 23, 2018) – The stakes are high for WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran and challenger José “Sniper” Pedraza, with the winner expected to fight WBA lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko later this year. Beltran and Pedraza met at the final press conference for the next edition of “Top Rank on ESPN”, which will take place Saturday evening at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona (10:30 ET/7:30 PST).

In the co-feature, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will make the first defense of his WBO junior featherweight title against Japanese challenger Hidenori Otake. And, in a six-round super featherweight special attraction, 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer will make her long-awaited ESPN network debut against former world title challenger Edina Kiss.

Here is what they had to say.

Ray Beltran

“Now I have the belt and people see me as a champion. But before that, I already felt like a champion. It’s good to get recognition from the boxing world, but like I said before, I don’t feel different. Things have changed around me, but I’m still the same guy. I’m a contender. I’m the underdog. Once you get the world title, there are new challenges. You’re always looking for the best challenges out there, and now I have a very important fight against a very difficult and tough opponent. In my mind, I don’t get overconfident. I get confident, but not overconfident.”

“In 1996, I came to the United States illegally. I did it, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Thanks to that, I’m making my dream come true. I want to dedicate this fight to all of the immigrants all over the world, especially to my Mexican people. I represent them with so much pride. Just to show the world that we don’t come to commit no crime. We come here to get a better future for our family. I represent that. I represent the truth.”

José Pedraza

“It means a lot to me. This is the second opportunity I’m getting for a world title. I really want to win this world title because I want to bring happiness to Puerto Rico after what happened with Hurricane Maria.”

“It will be a lot of emotion and happiness for me when they say, ‘and the new champion’. but I don’t like to get ahead of myself. One step at a time, but if I win the title, it’s going to mean a lot to Puerto Rico. It’s going to bring happiness to my people.”

Isaac Dogboe

“First and foremost, I give all the glory to the almighty God for bringing me here safely and making me who I am today. Otake is a great guy, and I can’t wait to get back on ESPN. It’s a big platform for myself and also a great platform to showcase my talent once again. I want to say thank you to Bob Arum and Top Rank promotions and all the staff for putting this show together. It’s great. It is always a huge platform. Like I said, Otake is a great guy. Physically, he’s strong. This is his second world title challenge, his second opportunity, and we know he’s going to come out fighting. He’s going to come out guns blazing. But, you know, like we always say, we don’t have to get ready, we’re always prepared. Everything he brings to the table, we have an answer for it. Come Saturday night, you don’t have to stay at home. Everyone has to come down to the Gila River Arena. It’s going to be fireworks because there’s no way that something we worked so hard for is going to slip through our hands. He says he’s going to be fighting for his soul. I have no need for his soul because I did not create him. I just want to knock him out on Saturday night and retain my title.”

“Hidenori is very tough, and he’s a credit to Japan. He’s one of the guys who’s making Japan boxing rise. At this moment, he’s a stumbling block that’s in my way to get to a unification fight. We are looking to go out there Saturday night and put on a masterclass performance and look forward to unify the division, God willing. With Top Rank and Bob Arum, we can hopefully fight at the end of the year or early next year in a unification fight. Hard work never stops. Right now, our main target is to take care of Hidenori Otake.”

Hidenori Otake

“First of all, I am so very happy to be here. I want to thank Bob Arum and everyone at Top Rank for giving me this amazing opportunity. As you may know, in my first world title match in England {against Scott Quigg}, I lost. As happy as I am, taking that into consideration, I have trained very hard to make the most of this opportunity.”

Mikaela Mayer

“It’s been an amazing year. I didn’t really know what to expect going into the pros. I wanted to fight often. I knew coming out of the amateurs {where} I was fighting regularly that the worst thing that could happen would be not getting fights as a pro. I think Top Rank has moved me really well. I’m extremely happy. Seven fights in one year is amazing, more than we expected to have. That’s great, and this is a huge opportunity, not just for my career, but for women’s boxing. It’s time that women get put on the big stage, so thank you Top Rank for believing in me and trusting in women’s boxing. I’m ready to put on a good show.”

On getting the KO: “I want knockouts because I want people to be excited to see my fights. Not only that, but I know I have the power to stop these girls. Me and my team have been working really hard on the small changes from the amateurs to the pros. They’re small, but very important. A big one is me sitting down on my punches and not pulling out. I plan on taking it to her. I’m tall and I’m lean, but coach Al {Mitchell} is going to get me fighting on the inside. I plan on backing her up.”

ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET
Ray Beltran (champion) vs. José Pedraza (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO lightweight title

Mikaela Mayer vs. Edina Kiss, 6 rounds, super featherweight

Isaac Dogboe (champion) vs. Hidenori Otake (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO junior featherweight title

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET
Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Luis Solis, 10 rounds, super lightweight

Antonio Lozada Jr. vs. Hector Ambriz, 10/8 rounds, lightweight

Francisco De Vaca vs. Jesus Serrano, 10/8 rounds, featherweight

Robson Conceicao vs. Edgar Cantu, 8 rounds, super featherweight

Trevor McCumby vs. Jessie Nicklow, 8/6 rounds, light heavyweight

Carlos Castro vs. Diuhl Olguin, 10/8 rounds, super bantamweight

Sagadat Rakhmankulov vs. Christian Aguirre, 8/6 rounds, super welterweight

Breenan Macias vs. Philip Adyaka, 4 rounds, bantamweight

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

PHOENIX (Aug. 22, 2018) – Ray Beltran is returning home to defend his title, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe is looking to bring some lightning and thunder to the desert, and Mikaela Mayer is ready for her ESPN network debut.

Beltran will defend the WBO lightweight title against former 130-pound champion José Pedraza, Dogboe will make the first defense of his WBO 122-pound world title against Hidenori Otake, and Mayer will face off against Edina Kiss in a six-round special attraction.

Beltran-Pedraza, Dogboe-Otake, and Mayer-Kiss will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The entire undercard will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m ET.

The ESPN+ broadcast will include appearances by a trio of Phoenix natives: super bantamweight contender Carlos Castro (20-0, 9 KOs) against Diuhl Olguin, Trevor McCumby (23-0, 18 KOs) versus Jessie Nicklow (27-7-3, 9 KOs) in a light heavyweight fight, and Francisco “Panchito” De Vaca (18-0, 6 KOs) taking on Jesus Serrano (17-6-2, 12 KOs) in a featherweight bout. 2016 Brazilian gold medalist Robson Conceicao (8-0, 5 KOs) will be action in a super featherweight bout against Edgar Cantu (7-4-2, 1 KO), Felix Verdejo conquerer Antonio Lozada Jr. (40-2, 34 KOs) will duke it out against Hector Ambriz (12-7-1, 6 KOs) at lightweight, and unbeaten 140-pound contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (18-0, 6 KOs) will face Luis Solis (23-9-4, 20 KOs).

On Wednesday, many of the fighters from Saturday’s 11-fight card worked out for the media at Michael Carbajal’s 9th Street Gym. This is what they had to say.

Ray Beltran

On life as a world champion: “Things have changed a little bit, the way people talk to me and act around me. For me, I still feel like I’m a contender. I’m still the underdog.”

“I think fighting Jose Pedraza and defending my world title near my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, is a dream come true. Defending my title against a Puerto Rican, with the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, there’s nothing better than that.”

On fighting in Arizona: “You know how I am. I try to fight and put on a good show and try to make my fans happy. It’s going to be a great fight!”

José Pedraza

On the significance of becoming a two-weight world champion: “It would mean a lot to me because not everyone gets the opportunity to become a world champion. Even fewer boxers become two-division world champions. I am going to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

On staying active in 2018 with three fights: “I like to be more active. I can see the difference. I am more focused. I see that now I’m more mature as a fighter.”

On fighting pressure fighters like Beltran: “A pressure fighter is a perfect style for me because I am more of a boxer. The pressure Beltran puts on a fighter is different because he knows how to cut the ring off very well. He’s going to be tough, but I know we’re going to be victorious.”

Isaac Dogboe

On life as a world champion: “I give praise to the man upstairs, God of creation. We thank him for everything that has happened to Team Dogboe. Being a world champion is great.”

On the reception he received in his native Ghana after winning the title: “The whole nation came out to meet me at the airport. It was amazing.”

On joining the rich history of Ghanaian world champions: “I am very humbled. Boxing in Ghana isn’t as regarded as it is over here. We’ve been able to revive boxing over there. They are loving it. We are changing the perspective of the sport. It is great.”

On Hidenori Otake: “Otake is very strong, physically strong. He has a great record. You can’t underestimate Otake. We’re not underestimating him at all. He’s someone we have our eyes on, and we’re making sure, come Saturday, we are going to take him out.”

On the lack of trash talk compared to before the Jessie Magdaleno fight: “Otake is a gentleman. He’s so humble, and when two humble warriors come together, it’s mutual respect. And that’s how we’re taking it.”

Hidenori Otake

On Isaac Dogboe: “He is a good pressure fighter and a strong fighter. I’m going to use his pressure and his power against him.”

On the recent success of Japanese fighters: “Japanese boxers have been fighting very well recently, and I am looking to do the same. It’s great for Japanese boxing when we come to America and do very well.”

Mikaela Mayer

On one year as a pro: “It’s flown by. It doesn’t feel like a year, for sure. It’s been so busy. Top Rank has been keeping me busy. It’s my seventh fight in a year, pretty much unheard of for women’s boxing. I feel great.”

On making her ESPN debut: “ESPN+ was definitely an opportunity for people to see me fight and mature, so that was cool, but I’ve been waiting for my first televised fight. I think it’s happening at the perfect time. I’ve learned a lot this past year. I’m ready to showcase my skills in front of the world.”

“I’m representing, not just myself, but women’s boxing. I want to show people that we have what it takes to fight on the big stage.”

Trevor McCumby

On returning following a nearly two-year layoff: “I’m ready to put on a great show. I’m so excited. It has been almost two years. I missed this sport a lot, and I’m ready to come back even stronger and show people my skills and all of the assets I have. My skills, my strength, my power. People are going to be really impressed.”

On fighting near his hometown: “I love Arizona. I’m probably going to live here the rest of my life. It’s going to be awesome. I have a lot of fans here, and they’re all going to be screaming for me. At the end of the day, though, it’s just another fight.

Carlos Castro

“I have been training hard, and I will have my entire community here to support me. Signing with Top Rank motivates me to prove myself and to steal the show on Saturday.”

Francisco De Vaca

“I’m going to be on ESPN+. I’m ready to give a great performance for everyone who is watching. If the fans haven’t watched me yet, they need to stay tuned. They will see a new and improved ‘Panchito’ De Vaca.”

About ESPN+

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time..films30 for 30 , original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning exclusive ESPN+ offers fans two The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN.ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from

CIDRA, P.R. (Aug 8, 2018) – José “Sniper” Pedraza already knows how it feels to have a world title in his hands. Now, the former world champion guarantees he will experience that sensation again on Aug. 25 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

On that night, Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs) will challenge WBO lightweight champion Ray Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) in the main event of an ESPN-televised card.

Pedraza, who will depart for Las Vegas on Saturday to finish training camp, worked out for the Puerto Rican media Wednesday afternoon. This is what he had to say.

About his world title fight: “I feel very motivated, and I know I will have a great fight against Ray Beltran. He is a strong fighter who always leaves everything in the ring and battled for a long time until becoming a world champion. I know that this will be a classic war between Mexico and Puerto Rico.”

On what fans can expect from him on Aug. 25: “Fans can expect great boxing skills and a great victory from myself. I am focused on my career and on this fight. On Aug. 25, Puerto Rico will have a new world champion.”

###

Beltran-Pedraza, the Isaac Dogboe-Hidenori Otake WBO junior featherweight title bout, and Mikaela Mayer vs. Edina Kiss will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 8, 2018) — Mikaela Mayer turned pro last year intent on helping shine the spotlight on female boxing. Mayer, a Los Angeles native and 2016 U.S. Olympian, will get that opportunity Aug. 25 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, when she takes on Edina Kiss in a six-round super featherweight bout, live on ESPN. Mayer vs. Kiss will be part of a special world championship event featuring Ray Beltran’s WBO lightweight title defense against Jose Pedraza and Isaac Dogboe’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against Hidenori Otake.

Beltran-Pedraza, Dogboe-Otake, and Mayer-Kiss will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship event, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at gilariverarena.com.

“Fighting live on ESPN is a dream come true and something I have been looking forward to since I made the decision to leave the amateur ranks and turn pro with Top Rank,” Mayer said. “I gave up my dream of an Olympic gold medal to step onto a bigger stage and to help take women’s boxing to the next level. Now, after years of fighting out of the limelight, I get to showcase my skills on the greatest sports network in the world.”

Mayer (6-0, 3 KOs) has become one of the most recognizable figures in female boxing after making her pro debut in August 2017. Mayer, who currently lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be making her fourth ring appearance of 2018. Kiss (14-7, 8 KOs), a one-time world title challenger from Budapest, Hungary, represents Mayer’s stiffest professional test to date. Mayer last fought June 30 in Oklahoma City, where she used a steady jab to outpoint the previously undefeated Sheena Kaine over six rounds. Mayer also fought May 12 at Madison Square Garden on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jorge Linares undercard, shutting out the game Baby Nansen over six rounds. She started her 2018 campaign with a 35-second knockout against Maria Semertzoglou on March 10 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Now, after a half-dozen pro bouts fighting on cards alongside some of the sport’s best fighters, Mayer is ready for her ESPN close-up.

The ESPN+ broadcast will feature 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao (8-0, 5 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout against Edgar Cantu (7-4-2, 1 KO) and a pair of Phoenix natives, junior featherweight contender Carlos Castro (20-0, 9 KOs) and light heavyweight Trevor McCumby (23-0, 18 KOs). Castro will face Diuhl Olguin (13-10-3, 9 KOs), while McCumby will take on Jessie Nicklow (27-7-3, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

In other undercard action:

Antonio Lozada Jr. (40-2, 34 KOs), who knocked out Felix Verdejo on March 17 in New York City, will look to continue his winning ways against Arturo Santos Reyes (19-10, 5 KOs) in a lightweight bout.

Unbeaten 140-pound contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (18-0, 6 KOs), coming off a 10-round unanimous decision against Mike Reed on March 10 in Carson, California, will make his return against Luis Solis (23-9-4, 20 KOs).

Super welterweight prospect Sagadat Rakhmankulov (2-0, 1 KO), a former Kazakh amateur star who is managed by Egis Klimas, will face Christian Aguirre (7-2, 3 KOs).

Breenan Macias (2-0, 1 KO), from Goodyear, Arizona, will face Philip Adyaka (7-11, 4 KOs) in a four-round bantamweight bout.
For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes
Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

(Aug. 6, 2018) — Ray Beltran scratched and clawed and spent nearly 19 years as a pro boxer before earning his first world title. He outpointed Paulus Moses on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nevada, to win the vacant WBO lightweight title, a lifelong dream finally fulfilled. A native of Los Mochis, Mexico, Beltran is now a proud resident of Phoenix, a short drive from where he will make his first title defense.

Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) will defend his title against former 130-pound world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza as the headliner of an ESPN-televised card, Aug. 25 at the Gila River Area in Glendale, Arizona.

Beltran returned home Saturday for a full slate of media activities, including an open workout at Gent’s Boxing Club in Glendale and as a guest broadcaster for the second inning of the Arizona Diamondbacks Alumni Game.

This is what he had to say.

On his future: “Hopefully, we have another big fight coming up against {Vasiliy} Lomachenko. I’m pretty happy when I fight the best. I’ve had no easy fights in my boxing career. We made our own way. We made our own name. We got a contract with Top Rank after 20-something fights. Nobody created our record. I have a lot of knockouts, but I have more power than it looks like on {my record}. All the losses that I have, four or five were robberies. I’m ready. Right now, I’m focused on Pedraza, but we dream big.”

On fighting for Phoenix and Mexico: “I feel like my heart is in half. I feel like a Phoenix fighter, but I’m also a Mexican fighter from my hometown. I can’t believe what I’ve come from. I come from nothing. I come from a place where nobody is supposed to make it. I think it’s important that the people where I came from know about it, so they get the message — whatever you want to do in life, if you work hard, you can make a change.”

On his opponent: “Pedraza is a former world champion. I believe he’s going to bring some heat. He’s going to come and fight hard to take the belt away from me. He bobs and moves around the ring a lot. He’s got good footwork, but we’ve been working at Wild Card with all different types of styles.”

# # # # # #

Beltran-Pedraza and the Isaac Dogboe-Hidenori Otake WBO junior featherweight title bout will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza and #DogboeOtake to join the conversation on social media.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (July 23, 2018) — Ray Beltran and Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will head to the desert on Aug. 25 for their first title defenses.

In the main event at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Beltran, who resides in nearby Phoenix, will defend the WBO lightweight title against Jose “Sniper” Pedraza, a former junior lightweight world champion looking to bring another world title home to Puerto Rico. And, in the all-action co-feature, Dogboe will defend the WBO junior featherweight title against Hidenori Otake.

Beltran-Pedraza and Dogboe-Otake will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, go on sale Thursday, July 26 at 10 a.m PST. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

“I’m living the dream. It feels great to be a world champion. I am very motivated to defend my title, and it’s very special to me because I’m fighting in my adopted home,” Beltran said. “Pedraza is a very skillful fighter and is going to bring his best to take the belt from us, but I’m not just fighting for the belt, I’m also fighting to keep it in Phoenix and my birthplace of Los Mochis, Mexico. This belt represents my family’s future, and it’s going nowhere.”

“This is a great opportunity and a great challenge. Beltran is a veteran and is finally a world champion after trying for so long,” Pedraza said. “I think for that reason it’s going to be a great fight because he will not want to lose the title. I’m 100 percent prepared for war.”

“I’m making my first defense against Otake, a Japanese warrior. It’s going to be fireworks,” Dogboe said. “I’m not stepping back. We’re on a quest to make this division exciting and great again. We’re shaking up the division. Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe, you all know I bring lightning and thunder!”

“I would like to express my appreciation to everyone who made this fight possible.
I am truly grateful for this opportunity,” Otake said. “In capturing the world title for my first time on Aug. 25, I’d like to show everyone that age does not matter. Since comments can reveal strategy, I can’t say anymore.”

Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) is a story of perseverance who finally broke through as a world champion five month shy of his 36th birthday. In his last bout, an ESPN-televised contest against Paulus Moses on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nevada, Beltran dug deep to win the vacant WBO lightweight title by unanimous decision. The scores — 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 — did not reflect the back-and-forth nature of the bout. Once Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner, Beltran had three previous cracks at a world title, most notably a 2013 draw against Ricky Burns that most ringside observers felt should have been a clear Beltran victory. The following year, he lost a wide unanimous decision to pound-for-pound elite Terence Crawford, who had beaten Burns to win the WBO lightweight crown. Beltran, a Phoenix resident who is originally from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, will be fighting in his adopted home state for the first time since 2005.

Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto, is on a mission to become a two-weight world champion. A former IBF junior lightweight world champion who made two successful defenses of his title, he lost his belt via seventh-round TKO to Gervonta Davis in January 2017. Following a 14-month layoff, he moved up to the lightweight division and signed a promotional contract with Top Rank. Pedraza is 2-0 as a lightweight in 2018, winning an eight-round unanimous decision against Jose Luis Rodriguez on March 17 and a 10-round unanimous decision against Antonio Moran on June 9 as the co-feature to the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn welterweight title bout in Las Vegas.

Dogboe (19-0, 13 KOs) established himself as one of boxing’s best young champions in 2018 with a pair of signature victories. He knocked out Cesar Juarez in the fifth round on Jan. 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana, to win the interim WBO junior featherweight title. On April 28 in Philadelphia, Dogboe won the title in dramatic fashion, surviving a first-round knockdown to stop Jessie Magdaleno in the 11th round in a Fight of the Year contender. A 2012 Olympian, Dogboe had a rapid rise through the pro ranks, winning the WBO Oriental and WBO Africa featherweight titles en route to junior featherweight title contention. Boxing is in the Dogboe lineage as his father/trainer, Paul Dogboe, once served as a boxing coach and a physical instructor in the British Army.

Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs), from Tokyo, has been a professional for more than 12 years and is riding a nine-bout winning streak dating back to Nov. 22, 2014. On that day, he challenged Scott Quigg for the WBA super bantamweight title, dropping a unanimous decision. He won the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title on March 17, 2017 with a unanimous decision against Jelbirt Gomera. Otake defended the OBPF title three times, most recently scoring a 10th-round TKO over Brian Lobetania in Tokyo on March 13.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza and #DogboeOtake to join the conversation on social media.

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About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA TOUR golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

Follow all the action live as Jeff Horn defends the WBO Welterweight Title against 3-division world champion Terence Crawford.  The action kicks off at 9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT /11:30 AM in Brisbane with a lightweight battle between Jose Pedraza and Antonio Moran.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Left from Crawford…Right by Horn..Right hook from Crawford..Good exchange..Crawford lands a combination

Round 2 Left to body from Crawford..Straight left..Left from Horn

Round 3 Right Hook from Crawford..Exchange in middle of ring..Double jab..Right from Horn…Left from Crawford,,Hard left..Jab..Left..Jab…good left and a combination..Blood over right eye of Horn

Round 4 Left by Crawford

Round 5 Combinations from Crawford…Horn trying but not getting much done

Round 6 3 punch combination..Uppercut with the left hand.Good body shot..Hard body shot

Round 7 Double right from Horn..Inside left from Crawford..Lead left..Left to body..Left uppercut

Round 8  Crawford lands a left to the body..left hook..Left..3 huge shots wobbles Horn..Huge shots Rocks Horn at the bell

Round 9 Left from Crawford…left..big RIGHT AND A BIG LEFT AND DOWN GOES HORN...2 BIG LEFTS..HORN GOING BACK TO THE ROPES AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Left from Pedraza..Right drives Moran off balance..Moran lands a body shot..Combination..Left..Right from Pedraza..

Round 2  Blood from the bridge of nose from Moran..Uppercut from Pedraza..Moran landing combinations..Good exchange

Round 3 Pedraza lands a right

Round 4 Over hand right from Pedraza..Moran lands a right over the top..Hard right..Body shot..Nice left from Pedraza

Round 5 Lead right from Pedraza..jab and right

Round 6 Right from Pedraza…

Round 7 Right from Moran..Right..Hard body shot and combination from Pedraza..Jab from Moran..Pedraza landsa left to the body

Round 8 Body shot from Pedraza..Right..Hard left..Double drives Moran back

Round 9 Pedraza lands a short left on inside..uppercut..Sweeping left

Round 10 

96-94 ON ALL CARDS FOR JOSE PEDRAZA

GUAYNABO, P.R. (May 30, 2018) – The “Sniper” has its sights set on another world title. Former world champion José “Sniper” Pedraza longs for the opportunity to be crowned as champion in a new weight category, but before that, on June 9 he will have to pass a tough test.

Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, who made his debut at 135 pounds March 17, is preparing to battle for the WBO Latino lightweight title against the Mexican warrior Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in the co-main event of the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn world championship event, June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“I feel very happy and excited about this great opportunity. Now I will make the most of it and see what other good opportunities come our way,” said Pedraza. “What is happening right now with my career is exactly what we were expecting and that was the reason that we signed with Top Rank. We want to fight in great stages like this card that will be headlined by Terence Crawford.”

Pedraza, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion, returned from a 14-month layoff on March 17 to earn a unanimous decision victory over Jose Luis “La Boa” Rodriguez. If he is successful against Moran, Pedraza would come even closer to a potential world title fight.

“I’m ready to fight for a world title. I know what I have to do,” Pedraza said. “I was a world champion. So I take things calmly, but at the same time I’m picking up the pace.”

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Moran will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), are on sale now and can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: @trboxing, @ESPN,@ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn and #PedrazaMoran to join the conversation on social media.

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About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, in partnership with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

Former world champion Jose Pedraza and undefeated featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson have been added to the June 9th Terence Crawford – Jeff Horn card in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Pedraza will face Antonio Moran in a 10-round, lightweight fight.

“I am excited because this will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which everyone knows is the fight capital of the world. I am determined to give a great performance,” Pedraza said. “I know Moran is a good fighter and coming to upset my plans, but I have worked very hard to make sure that does not happen. I expect to be victorious on June 9 and will continue to show I am a force at lightweight.”

Stevenson will face Aelio Mesquita (16-1, 14 KOs), 26, of Brazil, in an eight-round bout.

“I’ve gotten the chance to fight at Madison Square, and now I’m ready for my Las Vegas debut at the MGM Grand on June 9,” Stevenson said. “There have been so many historic fights in that arena, and now it’s my turn. It’s always fun to fight on Terence’s undercards. The Crawford family has adopted me, so I’m going to put on a great performance for them and everyone watching at MGM and on ESPN+.”

Felix Verdejo and Jose Pedraza have been added in separate bout to the March 17th event at The Theater at madison Square Garden, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Verdejo (23-0, 15 KOs), a 2012 Olympian and the 2014 ESPN.com prospect of the year, will face Antonio Lozada Jr. (38-2, 32 KOs).

“I’m very happy to return to New York with the task of showing the world that I’m back to retake what is mine,” said Verdejo, 24, whose miserable 2017 included various injuries that knocked him out of a mandatory world title shot against then-lightweight titleholder Terry Flanagan. “I was hardened by the tough times we went through after Hurricane Maria, but like my people, I will rise again stronger than ever. March 17 will be the first step in that direction.”

Pedraza (22-1, 12 KOs), 28, a 2008 Olympian and former junior lightweight world titlist, will face Jose Luis Rodriguez (23-11-1, 13 KOs).

“I feel very happy to be fighting for a promotional company like Top Rank. They want to take my career to the next level, and part of that is fighting in venues like Madison Square Garden,” Pedraza said. “I’m going to give it my all so fans will enjoy my return to the ring. With Top Rank in my corner, I will become world champion once again, and I know that I have the potential to become a superstar.”

Former junior lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza has signed with Top Rank, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com’

“He’s a good fighter and people that we are close to advised us that he was available, that (promoter) Lou DiBella’s contract was running out and we decided to step in and sign him,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum said. “He’s a good, competent fighter and he has a lot of skills. He had one bad fight. He’s looked pretty good in all of his other fights.”

“He had one terrible performance but his body of work is good,” Arum said. “There were other circumstance which we were told about and a lot of distractions going into that fight. He was fighting with Lou at the time and upset about his purse and that kind of stuff, so we chose to believe that his fight (against Davis) was not much of a commentary on his full body of work.”

“I feel very happy signing with such a great promotional company as Top Rank. I want to thank Bob Arum for giving me the opportunity of joining the Top Rank family, and for acknowledging that I have the ability and the potential to become a world champion once again,” Pedraza said. Pedraza (22-1, 12 KOs), 28, known as “The Sniper,” was a 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian though he did not turn pro until 2011.

“After a year of inactivity and a lot of struggles, it feels great to achieve something this big, because I know that good things are coming,” Pedraza said. “Signing with Top Rank means a lot to me because a lot of great Puerto Rican champions have fought under the Top Rank banner. I will be one more. I will become world champion once again, and I will be a champion for this great promotional company. The scope of ‘The Sniper’ is ready!”

New York, N.Y. (October 30, 2017)–Victory Sports & Entertainment is pleased to announce the signing of former IBF World Junior Lightweight Champion Jose Pedraza to a multi-year managerial contract.

Pedraza of Cidra, Puerto Rico has a record of 22-1 with 12 knockouts. Pedraza says, “I am very happy to sign with Victory Sports and look forward to the next chapter of my career. They represent a number of up and coming fighters and also work with elite fighters like Badou Jack so I feel that Victory is the right team to lead me back to a world championship.”

At 28 years-old, Pedraza is a six-year professional and one of the most highly decorated amateurs to come out of Puerto Rico. An Olympian in 2008, Pedraza also won medals in numerous international competitions including silver in the 2009 World Amateur Championships in Milan and gold at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. After turning pro in 2011, Pedraza won his first 19 fights before capturing the IBF Junior Lightweight Championship in only his 20th fight, capturing the belt with a 12-round unanimous decision over Andrey Klimov. After defending his belt twice, Pedraza lost his belt earlier this year in an upset to Gervonta Davis, and is now looking to rebound. “My lack of activity and struggling to make weight at 130lbs definitely affected my performance in my last fight,” says Pedraza, “but I am working hard and looking forward to coming back soon. I think the Lightweight division is where I will make my mark and am excited to get back in the ring.”

President of Victory Sports Rick Torres feels that Pedraza is ready to make a statement at Lightweight, “Jose Pedraza is bar none the best fighter in Puerto Rico and we are extremely proud to welcome him to the Victory Sports family. We feel that Jose can be a force at Lightweight. There are a number of attractive fights in the division, from Jorge Linares to Mickey Garcia, all of which would make great fights for boxing fans.”

“Jose is a tremendous fighter who, at twenty-eight, is still in his physical prime,” explained Victory Sports COO Mike Leanardi. “We are looking to get him back in the ring as soon as possible. Then, after a tune-up fight or two, there is no reason Jose won’t be ready to take on the best in the world,” Leanardi continued.

Pedraza joins Victory’s growing stable of fighters including undefeated world ranked contenders Sonny Fredrickson and Tyler McCreary.

Founded by noted sports attorney Rick Torres and boxing trainer Mike Leanardi, Victory Sports & Entertainment is an athlete management company with offices in New York and Las Vegas.

Badou Jack and James DeGale fought to a thrilling draw in front of 10, 128 enthusiastic fans at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in a IBF/WBC Super Middleweight unification bout.

DeGale dropped Jack in the 1st round from a pushing straight left hand.  DeGale out boxed Jack over the 1st half of the fight as he landed quick combinations, where Jack was loading up and landing an occasional big shot on the ropes.  The effects of those punches started to show on DeGale as his face started to mark up around the 8th round.

Behind on the cards, Jack went after DeGale and landed a huge counter right hand that sent DeGale to the canvas.  DeGale was clearly hurt and it was in doubt the he would see the final bell.  Jack landed a huge combination that hurt a now very bloody DeGale.  DeGale did wise to hold on and even land a big left at the bell.

When the scores were read, it became clear that Jack needed that late knockdown as DeGale took a card 114-112, while 2 cards were even at 113-113.

Jack, 167.2 lbs of Stockholm, SWE is 20-1-3.  DeGale, 166.5 lbs of Harlesdon, UK is 23-1-1.

BADOU JACK

“He was doing a lot of running, he was throwing a lot of shit at my guard.  I thought I won the fight. I finished stronger.  His knockdown was a flash knockdown. I won the fight.

“Let’s do it again at light heavyweight. It’s time to move to light heavyweight. 

JAMES DEGALE

“I’ve got huge respect for this man, but I thought I won that.  I landed the cleanest shots.  

“Let’s do it again.  Let’s do it again in London. 

“He hit me (in the 12^th), but I was more off balance.  I respect him.  He’s a good, round fighter.  Let’s go again.”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

“Badou Jack has got too big for 168 pounds.  We had plans after this fight to move up to light heavyweight. This is the second time in a row Badou has gotten a bad decision.  James DeGale is a hell of a fighter, but tonight he didn’t win.  At the end of the day, I don’t know what the judges are looking at.”

Gervonta Davis won the IBF Junior Lightweight championship with a 7th round stoppage over Jose Pedraza.

Davis came out landing quick and hard shots.  He mixed up between single and hard combinations that had Pedraza’s nose bleeding by the 3rd round.

Pedraza made a brief comeback in round 4 s he landed a heavy combination to the head.  That was short lived as Davis started to turn back the tide in round five.  In round six, he started landing more heavy shots to the point that Pedraza was thoroughly examined by ringside doctors before the 7th frame.  It did not last long after that as a hard body shot doubled over Pedraza, which left him oipen for a wicked uppercut that was followed by a left that dumped the champion on his backside.  Pedraza gamely got to his feet, but the bout was stopped at 2:36.

Davis, 129 lbs of Baltimore, MD is now 17-0 with 16 knockouts.  Pedraza, 129.5 lbs of Caguas, PR is 22-1.\

Amanda Serrano won a 10-round unanimous decision over Yazmin Rivas to retain the WBO Junior Featherweight championship.

Serrano, 1208 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 97-93, 98-92  and 99-91  and is now 31-1-1.  Rivas, 121.5 lb so Torreon, MX is 35-10-1.

Immanuwel Aleem scored a stunning 6th round stoppage over Ievgen Khytrov in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.

Aleem dropped Khytrov in round’s three and six with powerful left hooks, and then finished him off with hard flurry on the ropes.

Aleem, 158.5 lbs of Richmond, VA is 17-0-1 with 10 knockouts.  Khytrov, 159.5 lbs of Brooklyn is 14-1.

Thomas Dulorme stopped Brian Jones in the 6th round of their scheduled 8-round welterweight bout.

Dulorme, 145.8 lbs of Carolina, PR is now 24-2 with 16 knockouts.  Jones, 144.5 lbs of Los Angeles is now 13-7.

Adam Kownacki stopped Joshua Tufte in the 2nd round of their scheduled 8-round heavyweight bout.

Kownacki, 257.8 lbs of New York, NU is 15-0 with 12 knockouts.  Tufte, 265.8 lbs of Kernerville, NC is 19-2.

Noel Murphy remained perfect with a 6-round unanimous decision over Maxito Sainvil in a welterweight bout.

Murphy, 146.4 lbs of Woodlawn. NY won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 8-0.  Sainvil, 148.8 lbs of Nyack, NY is 4-1-1.

Kenny Robles made a successful pro debut with a 4-round unanimous decision over Latorie Woodberry in a welterweight bout.

Robles, 144 lbs of Staten Island, NY won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice and is now 1-0.  Woodberry, 141.6 lbs of Roanoke, VA 1-3-1.