Oscar Duarte won a 12-round majority decision over hometowner Kenneth Sims Jr. in a grueling junior welterweight fight at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago

It was a fight fought at close quarters throughout with Duarte constantly pushing the fight and Sims back to the ropes. Sims also fought well with quick combinations. Duarte was proficient with his body work and for most of the fight had Sims fighting Duarte’s fight. The two exchanged in entertaining fashion which made for a fan-friendly fight.

Each fighter landed 220 punches. Duarte threw 900 while Sims threw 669.

Duarte, 139.8 lbs of Parral, MEX won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 and is now 30-2-1. Sims, 139.8 lbs of Chicago is 22-3-1.

“I am very happy, it was a great fight, a war,” said Duarte. “I am very happy about this victory and I am very happy to be closer to be fighting for a world title. Sims Jr. brought much experience and had great conditioning. He came very prepared. However, I felt that I was very prepared and that I was in control of the rounds. It was a fight where I learned a lot. I am ok with doing a rematch with him, wherever he wants to do it. If he wants to run it back in Chicago, we can do it here again too, but I would come ready to knock him out.

“I thought I won. It was a good fight, tough fight, but I thought I won.” said Kenneth Sims Jr. “He brought pressure like I expected. Relentless pressure. It was nothing that I didn’t expect. I mean, I could’ve sharpened my defense. It was a good fight. He’s a tough fighter. It was amazing (the fans). I love my hometown, I love my city. It’s good to see they love me too. Absolutely (run it back). I want it right back because I won that fight. It was a close fight, but I won it. We can go right back to it.”

Prograis Decisions Jojo Diaz in War

In a back and forth bloody brawl, former world champion Regis Prograis was able to win a 10-round unanimous decision over Joseph Diaz Jr.

In round one, Diaz rocked and hurt Prograis with a hard left. In round four, Diaz was cut badly oover the left eye from an accidental headbutt. It seemed like every time Diaz landed a hard punch Prograis seemed off balance. Prograis fought well in sports, but Diaz landed the more telling blows. The two exchanged in the center of the ring and it seemed that Diaz may have done just enough to win the fight or have a draw.

Prograis landed 224 of 895 punches. Diaz was 197 of 510.

The three judges scored it 98-92 and 96-94 for Prograis,

Prograis,142 lbs of New Orleans is 30-3. Diaz, 143.2 lbs of South El Monte, CA is 34-8.

“It was like when you have the jitters coming into a fight, then after that you get hit with the first one — and then it’s a fight,” said Prograis. “I knew it was gonna be a fight with him. I went to my corner and they said, ‘Listen, just keep your jab out.’ And that’s what I did. That’s how I got the job done. People are gonna say what they wanna say, but I felt like I needed this. JoJo’s a veteran. He’s real tough, and he came to fight. We went 10 rounds — 10 hard rounds — and that’s something I definitely needed in my bag,” he added. “For me, I want to get back to being a champion. I want the big money. Big money or a world championship — that’s what I want next.”

Kalkreuth Stops Williams After 3

Tristan Kalkreuth stopped Devonte Williams in round three of their 10-rpind cruiserweight bout.

In round two, Kalkreuth landed two lefts to the body and Williams kneeled to the canvas. Williams decided that he had enough and the official time was one second of round three.

Kalkreuth, 198.6 lbs of Las Vegas is 16-1 with 11 knockouts. Williams, 196.2 lbs of Houston is 13-3.

Edwards Stops Audie in 1st

Joshua Edwards stopped overmatched Cayman Audie in the opening round of their six-round heavyweight bout,

In round one, Edwards dropped Audie with a counter right. Edwards then landed a hard right that spun Audie inro the ropes that was followed up by two more shots and the fight was stopped at 1:29.

Edwards, 228 lbs of Houston is 4-0 with four knockouts. Audie, 242 lbs of Hinckley, MIN is 4-2.

Gallardo Decisions Rankin

Yair Gallardo won a eight-round unanimous decision over Quinton Rankin in a light heavyweight bout.

In round six, Gallardo dropped Rankin with a left to the body. In round eight, Rankin had swelling of his right eye.

Gallardo landed 144 of 399 punches. Rankin was 69 of 275.

Gallardo, 175 lbs of Mexico City won by scores of 80-71 and 79-72 twice and now is 10-0. Rankin, 174 lbs of Gastonia, NC is 21-10-2.

DETROIT – March 27, 2024 – While 2016 Colombian Olympian Juan Carrillo will be looking to continue his undefeated professional record in the night’s 10-round light heavyweight main event against veteran Quinton Rankin, two other transplanted Detroit-based fighters in the Salita Promotions stable: recent world-title challenger Shohjahon Ergashev, and super middleweight contender Vladimir Shishkin, will be fighting to regain or maintain their positions in the world rankings.

The trio of exciting fights highlight the next installment of “Big Time Boxing USA” presented by Salita Promotions this Thursday, March 28, at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit and streamed live on DAZN (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased online HERE or in-person at the Wayne State Fieldhouse Box Office.

“These fights are really lined up to be exciting because there are truly big fights on the horizon with victories on Thursday night,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Shishkin is deserving of a world title fight and has the skills and pedigree to beat anyone in the division, while Ergashev is eager to show that he’s still one of the best fighters at 140 pounds. Super middleweight and super lightweight are two of the deepest divisions in the sport and these fighters are right in the mix.”

IBF #14-ranked Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs), who will be entering the ring for the first time since his unsuccessful challenge for Subriel Matias’ IBF World Super Lightweight Championship last year, will take on Panama City veteran Juan Huertas (17-4-1, 13 KOs) in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event, while IBF #2 and WBO #10 Shishkin (15-0, 9 KOs) returns to battle the always tough Mike Guy (12-7-1, 5 KOs) in the 10-round super middleweight broadcast opener.

32-year-old Ergashev had looked, at times, unstoppable while dominating other then-undefeated prospects in nationally televised showdowns, including a TKO 3 over unbeaten Sonny Fredrickson and a unanimous decision over Mykal Fox, but ran into the fists of Matias, while also suffering a leg injury that hampered his performance, last November.

Ergashev, who has continued to work with renowned trainer SugarHill Steward for the fight against Huertas, will be looking to use the leverage of an impressive performance to regain the top-10 ranking he previously enjoyed.

However, if the slugger’s confidence was affected by the loss to Matias, he could be in for a rough night against Huertas, who in his nearly 11-year boxing career has held several national and regional championships, including the Panamanian Super Featherweight, WBA Fedecentro Super Featherweight, WBA Fedelatin Super Featherweight, and WBO Latino Lightweight titles.

Against Sacramento’s Guy, Shishkin will need to pull through victorious if he is to keep his valuable #2 ranking for an eventual lucrative and potentially star-making shot at Canelo Alvarez’s IBF World Championship.

#         #         #

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

DETROIT – March 6, 2024 – “Big Time Boxing USA”, the new series presented by Salita Promotions, will return for its second installment with a pair of matchups featuring top contenders in their respective divisions entering the ring on Thursday, March 28 streamed live on DAZN from Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit.

The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is topped by 2016 Colombian Olympian Juan Carrillo putting his unbeaten record on the line against veteran Quinton Rankin in a 10-round light heavyweight bout, plus IBF No. 2 super middleweight contender Vladimir Shishkin returns to battle the always tough Mike Guy in the 10-round co-main event.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased online HERE or in-person at the Wayne State Fieldhouse Box Office. This will be the second boxing event at Wayne State Fieldhouse, the home to the Detroit Pistons’ G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, after “Big Time Boxing USA” debuted at the venue in February.  Watch former world champion and “Big Time Boxing USA” analyst Raul Marquez break down the first card HERE.

“March 28 is going to feature two fighters on their way to a world title in talent packed exciting divisions,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Juan Carillo, with an outstanding amateur career, is coming off a career best win and is ready to put the division on notice. Vladimir Shishkin has been gunning for Canelo Alvarez and with all the happenings in the division, that time is coming soon.”

Representing his native Barranquilla, Colombia, Carillo (11-0, 8 KOs) has impressed since turning pro in 2019, quickly working his way up the light heavyweight ladder. His most recent outing saw the 31-year-old earn a victory over previously unbeaten Richard Vansiclen to take home the WBO Inter-Continental belt, putting him on the path to facing Dmitriy Bivol. Accumulating a record of 388-23, he was among Colombia’s most decorated amateurs and advanced to the second round at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He also won gold medals at the 2012 Colombian National Games, 2012 Pacific Cup Tournament, 2011 Colombian National Championships, 2010 Colombian Youth National Championships, and silver at the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games.

Rankin (21-8-2, 16 KOs) has faced a slew of big names throughout a pro career that dates back to 2011. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Rankin challenged reigning titleholder David Morrell Jr. and former longtime champion Chad Dawson in 2019 alone. Following the Morrell fight, Rankin put together an impressive six-fight winning streak, stopping four of those opponents. He most recently dropped a decision to contender Deon Nicholson in September 2023.  

In addition to his IBF ranking, Shishkin (15-0, 9 KOs) has earned acclaim as the Ring Magazine’s #6 super middleweight and If he continues his winning ways, he’ll look to earn a world title fight against current undisputed super middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez. Now fighting out of the resurgent Detroit boxing scene under the guidance of the renowned SugarHill Steward, Shishkin turned pro in 2016 following a prolific amateur career. The 32-year-old earned an impressive victory in December 2022, besting former world champion Jose Uzcategui via a unanimous decision in December in a nationally televised bout. Most recently, Shishkin knocked out Ramon Ayala in round two last September.

He will be opposed by Los Angeles’ Guy (12-7-1, 5 KOs), who owns notable victories over Denis Douglin and Marco Delgado. Guy has faced a who’s who of top contenders throughout his career, including Sergiy Derevyanchenko, John Ryder, Jesse Hart, Demond Nicholson, Ali Akhmedov and Junior Younan. Despite that resume, Guy has only been stopped once in his career, and that came in the final round of the bout.   

#         #         #

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

Brian Castano stopped Wale Omotoso at the end of round five in a scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Castano dominated the action and then Omotoso bailed out of the fight due to a shoulder injury in between rounds five and six.

Castano, 153 1/2 lbs of San Jusito, ARG is 16-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Omotoso, 152 lbs of Hollywood, CA is 28-5.

Javier Fortuna stopped Jesus Cuellar in round two of a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Fortuna dropped Cuellar with a right hook. In round two, it was a left that put Cuellar on the canvas. Fortuna landed a flurry of punches, and the fight was stopped at 2:01.

Fortuna, 133 1/2 lbs of Dominican Republic is 35-2-1 with 24 knockouts. Cuellar, 133 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 29-4.

David Morrell Jr. remained undefeated as he stopped Quinton Rankin Jr. in round two of a scheduled eight-round light heavyweight bout.

Morrell dropped Rankin in round one with a right hook. In round two, Rankin landed a hard left that sent Rankin down face-first, and the bout was stopped at 1:01.

Rankin, 170 1/2 lbs of Santa Clara, CUB is 2-0 with two knockouts. Rankin, 170 1/2 lbs of Charlotte, NC is 15-7-1.

Despite getting dropped in the opening frame, Ryan Karl came back to stop Bergam Aguilar in round six of their scheduled eight-round junior welterweight.

In round one, Aguilar dropped Karl with a big left hook.

Aguilar was not able to answer the bell in round six due to a broken hand. The official time was 3:00 of round five.

Karl, 143 1/2 lbs of Milano, TX is 18-2 with 12 knockouts. Aguilar, 143 1/2 lbs of Costa Rica is 15-6-1.

NATIONAL HARBOR (October 24, 2019) – Exciting welterweight Ryan “Cowboy” Karl will take on Costa Rica’s Berman Aguilar in a 10-round welterweight fight and highly-regarded prospect David Morrell Jr. faces Quinton Rankin in an eight-round light heavyweight as part of FS1 PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes on Saturday, November 2 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

The action begins at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT and is headlined by undefeated former champion Brian Carlos Castaño against exciting veteran contender Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso, plus former world champions Javier “El Abejón” Fortuna and Jesús Andrés Cuellar collide in the co-feature.

Preceding the fights on FS1 are FS2 PBC Fight Night Prelims featuring 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell (11-0, 11 KOs) from Capitol Heights, Maryland battling Panama’s Juan Huertas (14-2-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight affair. Prelims begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT with unbeaten welterweight prospect Anthony Velazquez (7-0, 7 KOs) in an eight round fight against Delaware’s Michael Crain (3-3, 1 KO).

The lineup also includes undefeated featherweight Ranfis Javier Encarnacion taking on Mexico’s Emmanuel Dominguez in a 10-round attraction and unbeaten bantamweight contender Antonio Russell in a 10-round fight against Mexico’s Samuel Gutierrez.

Non-televised fights will also feature undefeated super lightweight Patrick Harris from Washington, D.C. facing Brazil’s Joaquim Carneiro for eight rounds of action, unbeaten prospect Paul Kroll of Philadelphia in a six-round super welterweight contest, and an eight-round lightweight showdown between once-beaten fighters Dravontay Rawls of Glenarden, Maryland and Newark, New Jersey’s Wanzell Ellison.

Rounding out the show is undefeated welterweight Tyrek Irby from Landover, Maryland in an eight-round duel against Los Angeles-native Joaquin Chavez, unbeaten Keeshawn Williams of District Heights, Maryland in an eight-round super welterweight fight and Kazakhstan’s Shyngyskhan Tazhibay looking to remain unbeaten in a six-round super welterweight attraction.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.mgmnationalharbor.com/.

The 27-year-old Karl (17-2, 11 KOs) will enter the ring coming off of back-to-back knockout victories in 2019, most recently stopping David Morales in June. Born in Milano, Texas and fighting out of Houston, Karl won his first 13 pro fights after turning pro in 2014. Karl avenged one of his defeats by knocking Kevin Watts out in their January rematch. He will be opposed by Aguilar (15-5-1, 5 KOs), who was born in Nicaragua and now fights out of Costa Rica. He most recently defeated Eliecer Lanzas in July.

Representing his native Cuba and now fighting out of Minneapolis, Morrell (1-0, 1 KO) made his pro debut in August with a first round knockout of Yendris Valdez. The 21-year-old began his pro career after an impressive amateur career that included being named “Fighter of the Tournament” at the 2016 Youth Boxing Championships. He will be opposed by Charlotte, North Carolina’s Rankin (15-6-2, 12 KOs) who had a three-fight winning streak snapped in a decision loss to Chad Dawson in June.

#

ABOUT CASTAÑO VS. OMOTOSO
Castaño vs. Omotoso pits undefeated former champion Brian Carlos Castaño against exciting veteran contender Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso in a 10-round super welterweight showdown that headlines FS1 PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, November 2 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

The action begins at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT and features former world champions Javier “El Abejón” Fortuna and Jesús Andrés Cuellar colliding in a 10-round super featherweight showdown in the co-feature.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

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