NEW YORK–The weigh-in fight was more competitive then the actual fight. Jose Zepeda annihilated Josue Vargas in the opening frame of their junior welterweight fight at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Zepeda landed a short left to the head that froze Vragas, who immediately fell face first on the canvas. Vargas tried to get up and then crashed into the bottom rope. Vargas did eventually get to his feet but then ate a devastating barrage in the corner and the fight was stopped at 1:45.

Zepeda, 139.6 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 35-2 with 30 knockouts. Vragas, 139 lbs of Bronx, NY is 19-2.

JOSE ZEPEDA

“I was ready. I was 100 percent ready, and I told him in the press conference there’s levels to this. He was the one who wanted to fight me. I just accepted the fight, and it showed today that boxing is not a game in there. There’s levels to this.”

“I told him, and he probably knew I hit hard. I don’t think he recovered after that shot.”

“After the way he went down, I didn’t think {he’d recover}. He probably was going to head up, but he was going to be wobbly on his feet, and that’s what happened and I was able to finish him.”

“I’m 32 years old, and I’m in my prime. I want the WBC world title and all the belts, to be honest. I’m ready for it. I showed today I’m ready for the WBC world title.”

VARGAS

“He caught me with a good left hand, and I tried to recover, but I think I got up too fast. That’s what happened. Overall, I’m OK. I’m good. I’m healthy. We’re not stopping from here. It’s on to the next.”

“I learned from my disqualification loss, and now I learned from my second loss.”

“It’s part of the sport. The greatest athletes in boxing have losses. I’m not ashamed of myself. I’ll be back stronger, for sure.”

Sultan Knocks down Caraballo 4 times; Decisions Caraballo

Jonas Sulton pulled off an upset victory as he dropped previously perfect Carlos Caraballo and won a 10-round unanimous decision in a bantamweight fight.

In round two, Sultan dropped Caraballo with a flurry to the head. In round three, Sultan sent Caraballo to the deck again with a left right to the face. In round four, Caraballo came back to rock Sultan several times.

Sultan came back in round six as he sent Caraballo to the canvas with a left hook. In round eight, Caraballo began to rock Sultan with some hard left hooks and hurt his opponent several times. Sultan began to swell under his right eye, In round nine, Sultan seemed to have sealed the fight when he floored Caraballo with a hard counter right.

Sultan landed 92 of 480 punches; Caraballo was 137 of 352.

Sultan, 117.6 lbs of the Philippines won by scores of 94-93 on all cards and is now 18-5. Caraballo, 117.6 lbs of Puerto Rico is 14-1.

“This is boxing. This is war. And I came to win tonight. Caraballo is a tough man, but I wanted this one,” said Sultan

Carlos Jackson pounded out a eight-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Guzman in a junior featherweight bout.

Jackson landed 79 of 385 punches; Guzman 93 of 352.

Jackson, 123 lbs of Atlanta, GA won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75; Guzman won a card 77-75.

Jackson is now 18-1. Guzman, 123 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 24-2.

In a toe-to-toe war, Mathew Gonzalez and Dakota Linger stood chest to chest and wailed away on each other, and the six-round junior welterweight contest ended in a majority draw.

The two landed many hard blows, which included a sixth round that had the crowd on their feet as Linger made a furious stand and took the final round that got him the draw by scores of 58-56 for Gonzalez and 57-57 twice.

Gonzalez landed 150 of 522 punches; Linger was 122 of 509.

Gonzalez, 143 lbs of Ridgewood, NY is 12-0-1. Linger, 141.8 lbs of Buckhannon, WV is 12-5-3.

In a spirited and at times testy six-round welterweight bout, Pablo Valdez remained undefeated with a majority decision over Alejandro Martinez.

Valdez, 148.4 lbs of New York won by scores of 59-55 twice and 57-57 to go to 5-0. Martinez, 148.6 of East Los Angeles is 2-2-1.

Jahi Tucker stopped Jorge Rodrigo Sosa in round two of their scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

Tucker hurt Sosa several times during the fight and finished off with a hard combination in the corner that forced referee Shawn Clark to stop the bout at 2:18.

Tucker, 147.6 lbs of Deer Park, NY is 5-0 with three knockouts. Sosa, 145.2 lbs is 3-3.

Ray Cuadrado won a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Land in a junior lightweight contest.

Cuadrado, 129.6 lbs of Ridgewood, NY won by scores of 49=0-36 and 39-37 and is now 2-0. Land, 129.4 lbs of Dallas, TX is 1-4-1.

Kasir Goldston remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Marc Misiura in a junior welterweight fight.

In the final round, Misiura was docked a point for an intentional headbutt to the mouth.

Goldston, 142 lbs of Albany, NY won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 4-0. Mislura, 142.2 lbs of Scranton, PA is 2-2.

NOTES—During the Caraballo-Sultan fight, the roof of the Hulu Theater began to shake due to a sold out concert featuring Harry Styles that was playing in the big room at Madison Square Garden.

NEW YORK (Sept. 28, 2021) — Jose “Chon” Zepeda wants a third world title shot. Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas, born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, hopes his hometown main event is the ticket to title contention.
 
Zepeda and Vargas will meet in a 10-round junior welterweight main event Saturday, Oct. 30 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Zepeda is ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBC, and Vargas, winner of 13 straight bouts, hopes to knock “Chon” off his lofty perch.
 
Zepeda-Vargas and a 10-round bantamweight tilt between undefeated Puerto Rican knockout artist Carlos “Purin” Caraballo and former world title challenger Jonas Sultan will stream and live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. 
 
Undercard action — also streaming and live and exclusively on ESPN+ — includes former world champion Jonathan Guzman returning in an eight-round junior featherweight fight, Long Island-born welterweight Jahi Tucker (4-0, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder, Kasir “Mazzi” Goldston (3-0, 1 KO) competing in a six-round junior welterweight contest, New York City prospect Mathew Gonzalez (12-0, 8 KOs) making his MSG debut in a six-rounder at junior welterweight, former New York City amateur standout Ray Cuadrado (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-rounder at junior lightweight, and Irish sensation Paddy “Real Deal” Donovan (7-0, 5 KOs) making his American debut in a six-round welterweight assignment.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $30 (not including fees) go on sale Friday, Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or MSG.com. All guests age 12 and older are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (this means having at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine prior to attending). MSG’s comprehensive COVID-19 guidelines, including those regarding children under 12, can be found at https://www.msg.com/madison-square-garden/faqs.
 
“It’s been a long time, and Top Rank and ESPN are thrilled to be back at Madison Square Garden with an intriguing battle between a sensational young southpaw in Vargas and a world-level contender in Zepeda. The winner is squarely in the title picture,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Carlos Caraballo has all the makings of the next Puerto Rican superstar. Not many bantamweights can punch like this kid, but Sultan is far from a pushover.”
 
Zepeda (34-2, 21 KOs) is unbeaten in five bouts since a tight majority decision loss to then-WBC world champion Jose Ramirez in February 2019. The slick-boxing Zepeda participated in the 2020 Fight of the Year, knocking out Ivan Baranchyk in the fifth round of a bout that featured eight total knockdowns. He returned in May on the Josh Taylor-Ramirez undercard and outboxed “Hammerin” Hank Lundy over 10 rounds. Zepeda hopes a win over Vargas leads to a Ramirez rematch or perhaps a crack at undisputed king Taylor. Vargas (19-1, 9 KOs) earned his nickname as a wunderkind in the Bronx, where he compiled a 72-8 amateur record and won six New York City Metro championships. Apart from a controversial disqualification loss early in his pro career, Vargas has been near-perfect. He fought twice in 2020 inside the MGM Grand Bubble, notching wide points wins over Salvador Briceno and Kendo Castaneda. He last fought April 24 in Kissimmee, Florida, and turned back the awkward challenge of Willie Shaw over 10 rounds.
 
“I am pushing hard to earn another world title opportunity, but I understand the task at hand against a young, talented fighter like Josue Vargas,” Zepeda said. “There is mutual respect, but when we enter the Madison Square Garden ring, that all goes out the window.”
 
Vargas said, “I’m ready for this opportunity. Being the main event in my hometown, Madison Square Garden, is a dream true. The Bronx and Puerto Rico will be in the building to show their support. This is Puerto Rico versus Mexico, so you know it’s going to be a heck of a fight. Once I got the call, I started pushing even harder. I‘ve been through a lot in my professional career, so why not step up to the plate? I have the skills to beat Zepeda, and I’m going to do just that. Zepeda has a lot of experience against the top names in the junior welterweight division. We both have the talent and the skills to put on a show.”
 
Caraballo (14-0, 14 KOs), from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, is a five-year pro who broke out in March with his fourth-round demolition over Leonardo Baez. He hopes to enter the world title picture with an impressive showing over Sultan (17-5, 11 KOs), a former world title challenger from the Philippines who has never been stopped as a professional. In May 2018, Sultan dropped a decision to Jerwin Ancajas for the IBF junior bantamweight world title. He has won three out of his past four fights and last fought in August, knocking out Sharone Carter in seven rounds.
 
Caraballo said, “I am thankful for the opportunity that my promoter, Miguel Cotto Promotions, is giving me together with Top Rank to fight at Madison Square Garden. I will take this opportunity to look great and continue to make noise at 118 pounds as I aspire to win a world title. Sultan is a strong, experienced opponent. I know he has fought the big names, but I am working hard with my team to show I am a force to be reckoned with. This victory is for my people from Guayanilla, and all Puerto Ricans in New York.”
 
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.
  
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).
 
About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a leader in live entertainment. The Company presents or hosts a broad array of events in its diverse collection of venues: New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre. MSG Entertainment is also building a new state-of-the-art venue in Las Vegas, MSG Sphere at The Venetian. In addition, the Company features the original production – the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – and through Boston Calling Events, produces the Boston Calling Music Festival. The Company’s two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG+, deliver a wide range of live sports content and other programming. Also under the MSG Entertainment umbrella is Tao Group Hospitality, with entertainment dining and nightlife brands including: Tao, Marquee, Lavo, Beauty & Essex, Cathédrale, Hakkasan and Omnia. More information is available at www.msgentertainment.com.  

Former featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson won an easy 10-round unanimous decision over Toka Kahn Clary in a junior lightweight bout at the MGM Grand Conference center in las Vegas.

Stevenson dominated the bout with Kahn Clary showing next-to-nothing in return.

Stevenson landed 151 of 514 punches; Kahn Clary landed 48 of 529.

Stevenson, 130 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 15-0. Kahn Clary, 129 lbs of Providence, RI is 28-3-1.

“He knew how to survive. He came in there to survive, and that’s what he did,” Stevenson said. “I want the WBO belt first. The winner of {Carl} Frampton and {Jamel} Herring have to come see me. After that, we want {WBC world champion Miguel} Berchelt.”

Nakatani stops Verdejo in 9

Masayoushi Nakatani shook off two early knockdowns and then stopped Felix Verdejo in round nine of their scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Verdejo scored a knockdown with a hard right hand. It was another right hand in round four that sent Nakatani down for a 2nd time

In round nine Nakatani landed a hard right that sent Verdejo down with a j on the chin. Then it was a right to the top of the head that sent Verdejo down face-first and the fight was stopped at 1:45.

Nakatani, 135 lbs of Osaka, JAP is 19-1 with 13 knockdowns. Verdejo, 135 lbs of San Juan, PR is 27-2.

After the bout, a jubilant Nakatani set his sights on a rematch with Lopez, now the undisputed lightweight world champion.

“I fought Lopez, and I wanted to fight him again, and that’s why I kept going,” Nakatani said. “I want to go for the knockout like I did today, and that’s going to be my style.”

Berlanga Keeps 1st round KO Streak intact; Stops Sierra

Edgar Berlanga kept his perfect 1st round knockout streak alive as he stopped Ulises Sierra in their scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.

He dropped Sierra with a hard right around the gloves. He sent Sierra down for a 2nd time with a vicious seven punch combination. Berlanga ended things with a vicious flurry that was punctuated by a hard right and the fight was stopped at 2:40.

Berlanga, 169 lbs of Brooklyn NY is 16-0 with 16 opening round knockouts. Sierra, 167 1/2 lbs of San Diego is 15-2-2.

Berlanga said, “{I want} rounds. The better competition, the better opposition we fight, I believe we’re going to get those rounds in. We ended 2020 with a bang. 2021 is a big year for us, and I’m looking forward to it.

“Tito Trinidad was my idol. He still is. Just being with him opened up my eyes as to what boxing is about, the dedication, the focus, leaving the streets and the bad people alone.”

Quincy LaVallais won a eight-round unanimous decision over feel-good Clay Collard in a middleweight bout.

LaVallais, !59 lbs of Kenner, LA won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75 twice and is now 10-0-1. Collard, 159 lbs of Burley, ID is 9-3-3.

Jesse Rodriguez stopped Saul Juarez in round two of a scheduled eight-round flyweight bout.

In round two, Rodriguez dropped Juarez with a crushing left uppercut for the count of 10 at 2:05

Rodriguez, 110.5 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 13-0 with nine knockouts. Juarez, 110 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 25-14-2.

Former Olympic Gold Medal winner Robeisy Ramirez stopped Brandon Valdes in round six of a scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

In round six, Valdes was deducted a point for a low blow. Later in the round, Ramirez landed a heavyweight combination on the ropes, and referee Russell Mora stopped the fight at 2:49.

Ramirez, 126 lbs of Cuba is 6-1 with four knockouts. Valdes, 127 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 13-2.

Haven Bardy Jr. made it two in a row with stoppage at the end of round two of a scheduled four-round featherweight bout over Michael Land.

Brady, 127 lbs of Albany. GA is 2-0 with both wins coming via stoopage. Land, 126 lbs of Cedar Hill, TX is 1-2.

Kasir Goldston stopped Llewelyn McClamy in a scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

In round two, Goldston dropped McClamy with a straight left hand. Goldston finished the bout just a few seconds later when he dropped McClammy again with a left and the fight was stopped at 1:35.

Goldston, 142 lbs of Albany, NU is 2-0 with one knockout. McClamy. 142.5 lbs of Pittsburgh, PA is 2-1.

Former two-weight world champion Jose Pedraza won a 10-round unanimous decision over former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina in a junior welterweight at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Molina suffered a cut under his left eye in round three from a punch.

Pedraza outlanded Molina 164-49.

Pedraza, 141.6 lbs of Cidro, PR won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice and is now 28-3. Molina, 141.7 lbs of Norwalk, CA is 22-3.

Pedraza said, “They do name me the ‘Sniper,’ and that means I have to be patient, and when my moment comes, I have to take advantage of it. That’s what I did tonight because I was able to wear him down, break him down and make him fight my fight. It was the experience that I’ve had at the top level that helped me finally put it together. I’ve had the experience, I’ve had the talent, and it’s just on a night like this that I’m happy I could put it all together.
 
“I do believe I’m ready for a world title opportunity. Whoever it happens to be between Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez, I want the winner of that fight. If for some reason I can’t get a world title shot against them, I do want to respectfully ask Jose Zepeda for the rematch.”

Ajagba decsions Rice

Efe Ajagba won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jonnie Rice in a heavyweight bout.

Ajagba outlanded Rice 131-39 over the 10-rounds and won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92.

Ajagba, 242.3 lbs of Nigeria is 14-0. Rice, 265.4 lbs of Los Angeles is 13-6-1.

Ramirez decisions Caraballo

Former Olympic Gold Medal winner Robeisy Ramirez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Felix Caraballo in a featherweight fight.

Ramirez outlanded Caraballo 225-71.

Ramirez, 125.9 lbs of Cuba won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 5-1. Caraballo, 125.7 lbs of Marguez, PR is 13-3-2.

Ruiz decisions Solis

Leo Ruiz won a six-round unanimous decision over Rodrigo Solis in a junior middleweight bout.

In round five, Ruiz lost a point for a low blow. Later in the round, Solis was deduced a point for spitting out his mouthpiece.

Ruiz outlanded Solis 125-47.

Ruiz, 151.4 lbs of San Bernadino, CA won by scores of 59-53 twice and 58-54 and is now 8-0. Solis, 151.4 lbs of Cancun, MEX is 4-5-1.

Christian Montano remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Ryan Adams in a super middleweight fight.

Montano, 167.3 lbs of Huston, TX won by scores of 60-54 twice and 58-56 to raise his mark to 10-0. Adams, 165.5 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 7-3-1.

Bryan Lua stopped Luis Norambuena in round two fo their scheduled four-round lightweight bout.

In round two, Lua landed a perfect left hook to the chin that put Norambuena on his back and the fight was stopped at 2:27.

Lua, 134.5 lbs of Madera, CA is 6-0 with three knockouts. Noarambuena, 134 lbs of Talca, CHL is 4-7-1.

Jahi Tucker turned professional with a 1st round stoppage over DeAndre Anderson in a scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

Tucker swarmed Anderson with volume punches, and the fight was stopped at 2:56.

Tucker, 143.6 lbs of Deer Park, NY is 1-0 with one knockouts. Anderson, 147.1 lbs of Birmingham, AL is 1-2.

Kasir Goldston made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Iasiah Varmell in a welterweight fight.

Goldston, 142.8 lbs of Albany, NY won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice and is now 1-0. Varnell, 142.8 lbs of Kenosha, WI is 3-3.

LAS VEGAS (September 14, 2020) — Heavyweight knockout artist Efe Ajagba will make his Top Rank on ESPN debut Saturday, Sept. 19 against veteran Jonnie Rice in a 10-rounder as the co-feature to the Jose Pedraza-Javier Molina junior welterweight main event from the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
 
On the undercard, a pair of newly signed 17-year-old Top Rank prospects who are co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Promotions, welterweights Jahi Tucker and Kasir “Mazzi” Goldston, will see action in separate four-round contests. Goldston, from Deer Park, N.Y., will fight Isaiah Varnell (3-2, 2 KOs), while Tucker will face Deandre Anderson (1-1). 
 
The undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the co-feature scheduled to begin at approximately 10 p.m. ET.
 
“I am delighted that Efe Ajagba will make his Top Rank debut as he continues his march to the top of the heavyweight division,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Kasir Goldston and Jahi Tucker are two major talents, and we are excited to see their professional journeys begin here in Las Vegas.”
 
Ajagba (13-0, 11 KOs) resumes his heavyweight world title quest with a new promoter, manager (James Prince) and head trainer (Kay Koroma). Now living in Houston, Ajagba last fought in March, knocking out former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu in nine rounds. At 6’6 and 240-plus pounds, the 26-year-old former Nigerian Olympian is one of the division’s youngest contenders. Rice (13-5-1, 9 KOs) measures 6’5 and often tips the scales at more than 260 pounds. He is known for his durability, as his only two knockout defeats have come against previously unbeaten foes in the seventh and 10^th rounds, respectively.
 
“To all my fans, the wait is finally over. I am ready to get back in the ring and do what I do best,” Ajagba said. “I haven’t fought since March 7, and I’ve been looking for someone to devour. On September 19, I finally get to do it. Tune in to ESPN+. You don’t want to miss it.”
 
Goldston, from Albany, N.Y., won three consecutive National Junior Olympic titles from 2015-2017 and back-to-back Junior Open Championships in 2017 and 2018. Last year, at the prestigious Bornemissza Tournament in Eger, Hungary, he took home a silver medal after a split decision loss to a Hungarian boxer.
 
Tucker, from Deer Park, N.Y., was ranked first in the nation at 138 pounds after winning the 2018 USA National Boxing Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah. A high school sophomore at the time, Tucker aimed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He picked up his first international gold medal last June at the Bornemissza Tournament and elected to turn pro rather than wait for the Olympics.
 
In other undercard contests:

• Two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (4-1, 3 KOs), who avenged his lone pro defeat via shutout decision over Adan Gonzales on July 2, will fight Felix Caraballo (13-2-2, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder at featherweight. Caraballo last fought June 9, losing via sixth-round knockout to former featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson, the man Ramirez edged in the 2016 Olympic gold medal match.
   
• Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Leo Ruiz (7-0, 5 KOs), winner of four straight by knockout in three rounds or less, will fight an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.
   
• Bryan Lua (5-0, 2 KOs), from California’s Central Valley, will fight for the first time in more than two years against an opponent to be named in a six-rounder at lightweight.
   
• Puerto Rican junior lightweight prospect Frevian Gonzalez (3-0, 1 KO), who won a decision inside the “Bubble” on June 18, returns to fight Carlos Marrero (2-3-1) in a four-rounder.

Use the hashtag #PedrazaMolina to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside. 

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 
 
Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.