Golden Boy vs. Ortiz headed to arbitration: Who Holds the Stronger Hand? |
|
Promotional disputes in boxing often play out in interviews and social media posts. Contracts, however, are not decided in public. They are decided by language — and by what that language requires. On Monday, a federal court ordered the dispute between junior middleweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions to arbitration. The outcome will likely turn on a single provision: section 10(g) of the Promotional Rights Agreement (PRA) that Ortiz signed. As quoted in paragraph 19 of Ortiz's lawsuit, section 10(g) of the PRA provides that Ortiz can terminate the agreement if Golden Boy's “distribution relationship with DAZN terminates, for any reason,” and there was no agreement in principle in place with an alternative broadcaster. At first glance, the dispute appears to hinge on whether Golden Boy’s written agreement with DAZN expired on December 31, 2025. But expiration is not the contractual test. The operative phrase is “distribution relationship.” And that distinction may decide the case.
The Threshold Question
A disciplined arbitrator will not begin with public positioning, and the entire arbitration will be held behind closed doors, unlike a lawsuit which is public. The first question will be direct: Did Golden Boy’s distribution relationship with DAZN terminate? If the answer is no, Ortiz’s termination right never activates and he is still under contract to Golden Boy. If the answer is yes, the analysis turns to whether Golden Boy had an agreement in principle with an alternative broadcaster. But there really is no alternate broadcaster in play, so the arbitration likely rises or falls at that first inquiry.
What Golden Boy Must Show
Golden Boy does not need to prove that a fully executed 2026 master agreement existed before Ortiz sent his termination notice (we know it did not). That is because section 10(g) does not require a signed contract. It requires that the distribution relationship not terminate. Thereofre, to prevail, Golden Boy must demonstrate continuity in substance. Public listings show Golden Boy promoted events scheduled on DAZN in early 2026, including: January 16th– Rocha vs. Curiel II; January 23rd– Friday Night Fights card; and February 21st – Barrios vs. Garcia (DAZN pay-per view). Those events were publicly integrated into DAZN’s broadcast schedule. To be clear, scheduling alone, however, is not enough. Arbitrators look for economic reality.
Golden Boy must establish: whether the three 2026 events were covered under the old contract or a new agreement; real financial commitment behind those events; agreed rights fees or budget structures; production and operational allocations; and evidence that material 2026 terms were mutually accepted. If material terms — including duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and scope — were agreed before expiration, the absence of finalized long-form documentation becomes less significant.
What Does “Agreement in Principle” Mean Under Nevada Law?
Nevada courts do not require a fully signed contract for an agreement to exist. What matters is whether the parties reached a meeting of the minds on the essential terms. An “agreement in principle” generally means that the core business terms have been settled — even if lawyers are still drafting the final paperwork. If the parties agree on key elements such as duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and overall scope, a court may treat the agreement as sufficiently formed, even if minor or technical provisions remain unresolved.
There is, however, an important limitation. Nevada law does not enforce a mere “agreement to agree.” If significant terms remain open, or if either side is free to walk away without consequence, then no binding understanding exists. The practical inquiry is straightforward, and the arbitrator will want to determine whether the essential economic terms were locked in, or were negotiations still ongoing? In the context of Section 10(g), that distinction is pivotal. If Golden Boy and DAZN agreed on the core 2026 economic framework before the prior deal expired, the distribution relationship may be viewed as continuing. If not, the termination clause may have been triggered.
The Importance of Continuity
Perhaps most significant is operational continuity. If Golden Boy events were broadcast seamlessly on DAZN after December 31st, that uninterrupted performance strongly supports the conclusion that the distribution relationship did not terminate. A contract may lapse. A commercial relationship may continue. Where confirmed 2026 events are tied to binding economic structure and exclusive platform integration, the argument that the relationship “ended” becomes considerably more difficult to sustain.
Ortiz’s position is structurally straightforward. He argues: the written DAZN agreement expired; there was no fully executed renewal existed on January 8th; therefore, the distribution relationship terminated “for any reason”; there was no alternative broadcaster; Ortiz's termination right to end the PRA was triggered. This is a formalist reading of the contract. Its force depends on equating expiration of a written agreement with termination of a broader commercial relationship.
But Section 10(g), as pleaded in Paragraph 19 of the Complaint, does not reference a written agreement. It references a “distribution relationship.” That phrasing suggests a functional inquiry rather than a mechanical one.
Where the Arbitration Will Likely Turn
Ultimately, the arbitrator will focus on one practical question: was DAZN economically and operationally committed to broadcast Golden Boy shows in 2026? If the record reflects confirmed events backed by agreed financial structure and seamless broadcast continuity, an arbitrator may conclude that the relationship did not terminate in substance — even if documentation was still being finalized. If, however, the evidence shows only tentative scheduling without binding economic commitment, the contractual trigger may have been validly exercised. Given publicly confirmed 2026 DAZN events and assuming they are supported by demonstrable economic commitment, the continuity argument presents a meaningful obstacle to the termination claim. The distinction is narrow. But in arbitration, narrow distinctions often carry decisive consequences.
Closing Perspective
This dispute will not be resolved by press conferences, social media arguments, or even by the expiration date printed on a contract. It will be resolved by whether Golden Boy can demonstrate that its commercial partnership with DAZN rolled forward with economic substance and uninterrupted performance. Section 10(g), as quoted in the Complaint, poses a functional question: did the distribution relationship truly end? If the evidence shows continuity backed by financial obligation and operational integration, an arbitrator may reasonably view the partnership as having continued despite renewal mechanics. If it does not, the termination provision will be enforced as written. In arbitration, leverage follows documentation — and documentation will determine who ultimately holds the stronger hand.
The author, Charles Muniz, is not a member of the bar, but he is among the few individuals in boxing who have personally litigated civil actions in federal court. As a pro se plaintiff in the Southern District of Florida and in Pennsylvania state court, he has navigated contractual disputes under judicial scrutiny — experience that provides a practical foundation for the analysis that appears in this story.
|
|
|
|
Golden Boy vs. Ortiz headed to arbitration: Who Holds the Stronger Hand?
Promotional disputes in boxing often play out in interviews and social media posts. Contracts, however, are not decided in public. They are decided by language — and by what that language requires. On Monday, a federal court ordered the dispute between junior middleweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions to arbitration. The outcome will likely turn on a single provision: section 10(g) of the Promotional Rights Agreement (PRA) that Ortiz signed. As quoted in paragraph 19 of Ortiz's lawsuit, section 10(g) of the PRA provides that Ortiz can terminate the agreement if Golden Boy's “distribution relationship with DAZN terminates, for any reason,” and there was no agreement in principle in place with an alternative broadcaster. At first glance, the dispute appears to hinge on whether Golden Boy’s written agreement with DAZN expired on December 31, 2025. But expiration is not the contractual test. The operative phrase is “distribution relationship.” And that distinction may decide the case.
The Threshold Question
A disciplined arbitrator will not begin with public positioning, and the entire arbitration will be held behind closed doors, unlike a lawsuit which is public. The first question will be direct: Did Golden Boy’s distribution relationship with DAZN terminate? If the answer is no, Ortiz’s termination right never activates and he is still under contract to Golden Boy. If the answer is yes, the analysis turns to whether Golden Boy had an agreement in principle with an alternative broadcaster. But there really is no alternate broadcaster in play, so the arbitration likely rises or falls at that first inquiry.
What Golden Boy Must Show
Golden Boy does not need to prove that a fully executed 2026 master agreement existed before Ortiz sent his termination notice (we know it did not). That is because section 10(g) does not require a signed contract. It requires that the distribution relationship not terminate. Thereofre, to prevail, Golden Boy must demonstrate continuity in substance. Public listings show Golden Boy promoted events scheduled on DAZN in early 2026, including: January 16th– Rocha vs. Curiel II; January 23rd– Friday Night Fights card; and February 21st – Barrios vs. Garcia (DAZN pay-per view). Those events were publicly integrated into DAZN’s broadcast schedule. To be clear, scheduling alone, however, is not enough. Arbitrators look for economic reality.
Golden Boy must establish: whether the three 2026 events were covered under the old contract or a new agreement; real financial commitment behind those events; agreed rights fees or budget structures; production and operational allocations; and evidence that material 2026 terms were mutually accepted. If material terms — including duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and scope — were agreed before expiration, the absence of finalized long-form documentation becomes less significant.
What Does “Agreement in Principle” Mean Under Nevada Law?
Nevada courts do not require a fully signed contract for an agreement to exist. What matters is whether the parties reached a meeting of the minds on the essential terms. An “agreement in principle” generally means that the core business terms have been settled — even if lawyers are still drafting the final paperwork. If the parties agree on key elements such as duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and overall scope, a court may treat the agreement as sufficiently formed, even if minor or technical provisions remain unresolved.
There is, however, an important limitation. Nevada law does not enforce a mere “agreement to agree.” If significant terms remain open, or if either side is free to walk away without consequence, then no binding understanding exists. The practical inquiry is straightforward, and the arbitrator will want to determine whether the essential economic terms were locked in, or were negotiations still ongoing? In the context of Section 10(g), that distinction is pivotal. If Golden Boy and DAZN agreed on the core 2026 economic framework before the prior deal expired, the distribution relationship may be viewed as continuing. If not, the termination clause may have been triggered.
The Importance of Continuity
Perhaps most significant is operational continuity. If Golden Boy events were broadcast seamlessly on DAZN after December 31st, that uninterrupted performance strongly supports the conclusion that the distribution relationship did not terminate. A contract may lapse. A commercial relationship may continue. Where confirmed 2026 events are tied to binding economic structure and exclusive platform integration, the argument that the relationship “ended” becomes considerably more difficult to sustain.
Ortiz’s position is structurally straightforward. He argues: the written DAZN agreement expired; there was no fully executed renewal existed on January 8th; therefore, the distribution relationship terminated “for any reason”; there was no alternative broadcaster; Ortiz's termination right to end the PRA was triggered. This is a formalist reading of the contract. Its force depends on equating expiration of a written agreement with termination of a broader commercial relationship.
But Section 10(g), as pleaded in Paragraph 19 of the Complaint, does not reference a written agreement. It references a “distribution relationship.” That phrasing suggests a functional inquiry rather than a mechanical one.
Where the Arbitration Will Likely Turn
Ultimately, the arbitrator will focus on one practical question: was DAZN economically and operationally committed to broadcast Golden Boy shows in 2026? If the record reflects confirmed events backed by agreed financial structure and seamless broadcast continuity, an arbitrator may conclude that the relationship did not terminate in substance — even if documentation was still being finalized. If, however, the evidence shows only tentative scheduling without binding economic commitment, the contractual trigger may have been validly exercised. Given publicly confirmed 2026 DAZN events and assuming they are supported by demonstrable economic commitment, the continuity argument presents a meaningful obstacle to the termination claim. The distinction is narrow. But in arbitration, narrow distinctions often carry decisive consequences.
Closing Perspective
This dispute will not be resolved by press conferences, social media arguments, or even by the expiration date printed on a contract. It will be resolved by whether Golden Boy can demonstrate that its commercial partnership with DAZN rolled forward with economic substance and uninterrupted performance. Section 10(g), as quoted in the Complaint, poses a functional question: did the distribution relationship truly end? If the evidence shows continuity backed by financial obligation and operational integration, an arbitrator may reasonably view the partnership as having continued despite renewal mechanics. If it does not, the termination provision will be enforced as written. In arbitration, leverage follows documentation — and documentation will determine who ultimately holds the stronger hand.
The author, Charles Muniz, is not a member of the bar, but he is among the few individuals in boxing who have personally litigated civil actions in federal court. As a pro se plaintiff in the Southern District of Florida and in Pennsylvania state court, he has navigated contractual disputes under judicial scrutiny — experience that provides a practical foundation for the analysis that appears in this story.
|
Sebastian Fundora training camp report |
|
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora has his sights set on re-establishing himself as the top fighter at 154 pounds when he takes on former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, March 28th headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fundora and Thurman had originally been scheduled to meet last October, before a Fundora hand injury that the reigning champ has since recovered from. “Camp has been good since recovering from the hand injury,” said Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). “We never stopped training, we just slowed down on some things that we do. We always figure out ways to work, because this is an all year sport. This isn’t seasonal. I don’t think about this is a training camp, this is my job. This is a lifestyle.
“Having more time to focus on one opponent is always a blessing. We wish it didn’t happen this way with the injury, but we’ll take advantage of the extra time. It was disappointing to have to postpone the fight, but things happen in boxing and in life. You just have to roll with the punches. Not being able to use my hands as much as I wanted was challenging. For a period of time, we couldn’t do that. So I had to figure out a way to make sense of it.”
Fundora returns to the ring after sandwiching a pair of victories over Australia's Tim Tszyu around a March 2025 stoppage of Chordale Booker. Last July, Fundora delivered perhaps the best performance of his career, stopping Tszyu in their rematch with a dominant display. Now he hopes to pick up where he left off on that triumphant night last summer. “Beating this former world champion will make a big statement,” said Fundora. “I still feel like I’m at the top of the division. I don’t think we’ve lost any momentum, we just had to reschedule. We’re not hiding from anybody. This is gonna remind everyone that we are at the top.”
In Thurman, Fundora faces without a doubt the most accomplished foe of his career. Thurman had a long reign as the king of the 147-pound division, before officially debuting at 154 with a knockout of Brock Jarvis last March. In the build up to their matchup, Fundora named one of Thurman’s best victory, a decision over fellow then-unbeaten welterweight world champion Danny Garcia, as his favorite performance of his upcoming opponent.
“I liked Thurman’s performance against Danny Garcia,” said Fundora. “Garcia was also a top name and those two clashing together was a great fight and Thurman getting the victory showed how great of a fighter he was.”
Fundora vs. Thurman not only presents a unique clash inside of the ring, but outside of it as well, with the soft-spoken, “gentle giant” Fundora going up against the bombastic and outspoken Thurman. While Thurman has tried to poke at Fundora during pre-fight activities, Fundora has no problem brushing the talk to the side.
“Keith’s trash talk is good for TV, that’s what I’ll say,” said Fundora. “He’s always been the bad guy going into a fight because of that. And he backs it up a lot. But this time he’s not gonna be able to back it up.
“I’m not distracted by the talking. It doesn’t bother me one bit. Maybe if he wasn’t as well-known as he is, it could have caught me off guard. But when I step into the ring with these guys, I expect them to hate my guts. I expect that they wanna get rid of me. That’s boxing. We’re in a competitive sport and we want to do the same thing to each other. It’s nothing personal, but we both gotta do what we gotta do.”
A native of Coachella, California, Fundora’s career has been led by his father and trainer Freddy Fundora, who runs the champion’s training camp from their mountain home. The unique landscape for the Fundora’s has helped give Sebastian a boost throughout his career.
“This isn’t easy living right here in the mountains,” said Fundora. “I don’t even know how much snow we have, but it’s a lot. It’s past my ankles already, and we ran in it this morning. There are lots of obstacles training up here, but we still work and come to win and be the best.”
Another advantage for Fundora’s training is that he works alongside his younger sister, undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora. With Gabriela fighting a couple of weeks before Sebastian gets into the ring, the combined training efforts of the siblings helps boost each up to be their best.
“Having Gabriela training alongside me is a good reminder that show’s me what’s working and what needs to be done,” said Fundora. “Watching her fight is gonna give me a good IQ lesson for what can work for me in this fight and what can’t.”
With a big name opponent and boxing’s historic stage, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, set for Fundora’s arrival, the 28-year-old plans to make the most of this opportunity and continue to lay his claim as king of the 154 pounders.
“This is the Fundora’s first pay-per-view main event as the A-side,” said Fundora. “We’re very blessed that Las Vegas is taking us in with open arms. I think every time we fought in Vegas and at MGM, it’s been a great fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters of this era, so make sure you tune in and watch this live. You’re gonna see the king of 154 do his thing all over again.”
|
|
|
|
Sebastian Fundora training camp report
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora has his sights set on re-establishing himself as the top fighter at 154 pounds when he takes on former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, March 28th headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fundora and Thurman had originally been scheduled to meet last October, before a Fundora hand injury that the reigning champ has since recovered from. “Camp has been good since recovering from the hand injury,” said Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). “We never stopped training, we just slowed down on some things that we do. We always figure out ways to work, because this is an all year sport. This isn’t seasonal. I don’t think about this is a training camp, this is my job. This is a lifestyle.
“Having more time to focus on one opponent is always a blessing. We wish it didn’t happen this way with the injury, but we’ll take advantage of the extra time. It was disappointing to have to postpone the fight, but things happen in boxing and in life. You just have to roll with the punches. Not being able to use my hands as much as I wanted was challenging. For a period of time, we couldn’t do that. So I had to figure out a way to make sense of it.”
Fundora returns to the ring after sandwiching a pair of victories over Australia's Tim Tszyu around a March 2025 stoppage of Chordale Booker. Last July, Fundora delivered perhaps the best performance of his career, stopping Tszyu in their rematch with a dominant display. Now he hopes to pick up where he left off on that triumphant night last summer. “Beating this former world champion will make a big statement,” said Fundora. “I still feel like I’m at the top of the division. I don’t think we’ve lost any momentum, we just had to reschedule. We’re not hiding from anybody. This is gonna remind everyone that we are at the top.”
In Thurman, Fundora faces without a doubt the most accomplished foe of his career. Thurman had a long reign as the king of the 147-pound division, before officially debuting at 154 with a knockout of Brock Jarvis last March. In the build up to their matchup, Fundora named one of Thurman’s best victory, a decision over fellow then-unbeaten welterweight world champion Danny Garcia, as his favorite performance of his upcoming opponent.
“I liked Thurman’s performance against Danny Garcia,” said Fundora. “Garcia was also a top name and those two clashing together was a great fight and Thurman getting the victory showed how great of a fighter he was.”
Fundora vs. Thurman not only presents a unique clash inside of the ring, but outside of it as well, with the soft-spoken, “gentle giant” Fundora going up against the bombastic and outspoken Thurman. While Thurman has tried to poke at Fundora during pre-fight activities, Fundora has no problem brushing the talk to the side.
“Keith’s trash talk is good for TV, that’s what I’ll say,” said Fundora. “He’s always been the bad guy going into a fight because of that. And he backs it up a lot. But this time he’s not gonna be able to back it up.
“I’m not distracted by the talking. It doesn’t bother me one bit. Maybe if he wasn’t as well-known as he is, it could have caught me off guard. But when I step into the ring with these guys, I expect them to hate my guts. I expect that they wanna get rid of me. That’s boxing. We’re in a competitive sport and we want to do the same thing to each other. It’s nothing personal, but we both gotta do what we gotta do.”
A native of Coachella, California, Fundora’s career has been led by his father and trainer Freddy Fundora, who runs the champion’s training camp from their mountain home. The unique landscape for the Fundora’s has helped give Sebastian a boost throughout his career.
“This isn’t easy living right here in the mountains,” said Fundora. “I don’t even know how much snow we have, but it’s a lot. It’s past my ankles already, and we ran in it this morning. There are lots of obstacles training up here, but we still work and come to win and be the best.”
Another advantage for Fundora’s training is that he works alongside his younger sister, undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora. With Gabriela fighting a couple of weeks before Sebastian gets into the ring, the combined training efforts of the siblings helps boost each up to be their best.
“Having Gabriela training alongside me is a good reminder that show’s me what’s working and what needs to be done,” said Fundora. “Watching her fight is gonna give me a good IQ lesson for what can work for me in this fight and what can’t.”
With a big name opponent and boxing’s historic stage, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, set for Fundora’s arrival, the 28-year-old plans to make the most of this opportunity and continue to lay his claim as king of the 154 pounders.
“This is the Fundora’s first pay-per-view main event as the A-side,” said Fundora. “We’re very blessed that Las Vegas is taking us in with open arms. I think every time we fought in Vegas and at MGM, it’s been a great fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters of this era, so make sure you tune in and watch this live. You’re gonna see the king of 154 do his thing all over again.”
|
Gabe Rosado to fight on a Misfit show this Saturday |
|
Gabe Rosado (pictured) will become the latest fighter to make his Misfits debut this weekend when he faces Ty Mitchell in Derby, England this Saturday, live on DAZN. Rosado, a former contender at middleweight and super middleweight, is now 40 years old. After a long losing streak, he returned weith two wins in 2025 to raise his record back up to 28-17-1. The popular Philadelphia fighter will be hoping his experience from sharing the ring with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin and Danny Jacobs will be enough when he faces Mitchell, who is listed as 5-2. Mitchell was considered a light heavyweight prospect in England before doing a long prison stretch that kept him out of the ring for about fourteen years. He's now 35 years old..
|
|
|
|
Gabe Rosado to fight on a Misfit show this Saturday
Gabe Rosado (pictured) will become the latest fighter to make his Misfits debut this weekend when he faces Ty Mitchell in Derby, England this Saturday, live on DAZN. Rosado, a former contender at middleweight and super middleweight, is now 40 years old. After a long losing streak, he returned weith two wins in 2025 to raise his record back up to 28-17-1. The popular Philadelphia fighter will be hoping his experience from sharing the ring with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin and Danny Jacobs will be enough when he faces Mitchell, who is listed as 5-2. Mitchell was considered a light heavyweight prospect in England before doing a long prison stretch that kept him out of the ring for about fourteen years. He's now 35 years old..
|
Bryce Mills continues to pack 'em in at the Turning Stone |
|
Bryce Mills KO4 Tobias Green ... More than 3000 fans were in a 3400-seat building on Saturday night at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Most were there to see Bryce Mills (21-1-, 8 KOs), a 24 year-old junior welterweight who put on the best performance of his five-year career with a fourth-round knockout over Tobias Green of Rochester, NY. Green, age 29, is 12-4-1 and had never previously been stopped. Promoter Russell Peltz (pictured) commented, "I have been around boxing for more than half a century and I cannot recall such love and adoration for a boxer. Turning Stone comes alive when Bryce enters the ring and it stays that way for hours after the fight. The mob outside his dressing room afterward made it difficult for him to move. Cell phones clicked endlessly for photos; souvenir gloves were signed; backslaps; well wishes; hugs like I've never seen before. He is a rock star at Turning Stone, where he is unbeaten in seven fights.It was another one of those nights when you fall in love with boxing all over again. It made me remember why I fell in love with this sport when I was 12. Wish there were more nights like this!" Also celebrating was Bryce's friend Damiana Andrello, a bantamweight (118) who notched her second straight win on the undercard, going to 2-1-1 as a pro.
|
|
|
|
Bryce Mills continues to pack 'em in at the Turning Stone
Bryce Mills KO4 Tobias Green ... More than 3000 fans were in a 3400-seat building on Saturday night at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Most were there to see Bryce Mills (21-1-, 8 KOs), a 24 year-old junior welterweight who put on the best performance of his five-year career with a fourth-round knockout over Tobias Green of Rochester, NY. Green, age 29, is 12-4-1 and had never previously been stopped. Promoter Russell Peltz (pictured) commented, "I have been around boxing for more than half a century and I cannot recall such love and adoration for a boxer. Turning Stone comes alive when Bryce enters the ring and it stays that way for hours after the fight. The mob outside his dressing room afterward made it difficult for him to move. Cell phones clicked endlessly for photos; souvenir gloves were signed; backslaps; well wishes; hugs like I've never seen before. He is a rock star at Turning Stone, where he is unbeaten in seven fights.It was another one of those nights when you fall in love with boxing all over again. It made me remember why I fell in love with this sport when I was 12. Wish there were more nights like this!" Also celebrating was Bryce's friend Damiana Andrello, a bantamweight (118) who notched her second straight win on the undercard, going to 2-1-1 as a pro.
|
Late result: Ramos deals first loss to Smalls |
|
Abel Ramos W10 Tahmir Smalls... On Saturday night, veteran welterweight Abel Ramos captured a split-decision victory over previously unbeaten Tahmir Smalls. The bout took place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. From the opening bell, Ramos (29-6-3) attacked consistently to the body to neutralize Smalls’ speed and early aggression. Smalls, from Philadelphia, looked to establish his rhythm behind punch volume, but Ramos remained composed, picking his spots and capitalizing in the pocket during mid-range exchanges. As the rounds progressed, Ramos’ steady pressure began to shift the momentum. The local favorite, Ramos methodically wore down Smalls (16-1), forcing him into grinding exchanges that favored experience over explosiveness. The final rounds were fought at a spirited pace, both men standing their ground and trading in center ring. After ten hard-fought rounds, the judges’ scorecards reflected the competitive nature of the contest: tallies of 98-92 and 97-93 favored Ramos, while a third judge saw it 96-94 for Smalls.
|
|
|
|
Late result: Ramos deals first loss to Smalls
Abel Ramos W10 Tahmir Smalls... On Saturday night, veteran welterweight Abel Ramos captured a split-decision victory over previously unbeaten Tahmir Smalls. The bout took place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. From the opening bell, Ramos (29-6-3) attacked consistently to the body to neutralize Smalls’ speed and early aggression. Smalls, from Philadelphia, looked to establish his rhythm behind punch volume, but Ramos remained composed, picking his spots and capitalizing in the pocket during mid-range exchanges. As the rounds progressed, Ramos’ steady pressure began to shift the momentum. The local favorite, Ramos methodically wore down Smalls (16-1), forcing him into grinding exchanges that favored experience over explosiveness. The final rounds were fought at a spirited pace, both men standing their ground and trading in center ring. After ten hard-fought rounds, the judges’ scorecards reflected the competitive nature of the contest: tallies of 98-92 and 97-93 favored Ramos, while a third judge saw it 96-94 for Smalls.
|
De-Kang Wang continues to advance at 122 lbs. |
|
De-Kang Wang TKO11 Herlan Gómez... Chinese super bantamweight De-Kang Wang rang up an eleventh-round technical knockout over Filipino Herlan Gómez. The bout was held on Thursday, February 26th in Wenshan, China. Gómez came out aggressively, pressing the action early and forcing Wang onto the back foot in the opening rounds. Gomez landed heavy shots that tested Wang’s chin and composure. But once the fight reached its midpoint, the hometown man made the necessary adjustments. Behind a steady, piston-like jab and sharp, well-timed combinations, Wang gradually reclaimed control of the ring and began to sap Gómez’s stamina. By the time they entered the championship rounds, Wang’s command was unmistakable. The finish came in the eleventh, thanks to a sustained barrage that left Gómez without an effective response, prompting the referee to step in at 2:52 of the round. With the victory, Wang improves to 13-1 as a professional. Gómez, meanwhile, falls to 14-4 with his third straight loss, although all against good competition.
|
|
|
|
De-Kang Wang continues to advance at 122 lbs.
De-Kang Wang TKO11 Herlan Gómez... Chinese super bantamweight De-Kang Wang rang up an eleventh-round technical knockout over Filipino Herlan Gómez. The bout was held on Thursday, February 26th in Wenshan, China. Gómez came out aggressively, pressing the action early and forcing Wang onto the back foot in the opening rounds. Gomez landed heavy shots that tested Wang’s chin and composure. But once the fight reached its midpoint, the hometown man made the necessary adjustments. Behind a steady, piston-like jab and sharp, well-timed combinations, Wang gradually reclaimed control of the ring and began to sap Gómez’s stamina. By the time they entered the championship rounds, Wang’s command was unmistakable. The finish came in the eleventh, thanks to a sustained barrage that left Gómez without an effective response, prompting the referee to step in at 2:52 of the round. With the victory, Wang improves to 13-1 as a professional. Gómez, meanwhile, falls to 14-4 with his third straight loss, although all against good competition.
|
Haney vs. Romero unification under discussion? |
|
Bill Haney (pictured, left), the father and manager of undefeated WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney, seems to be very interested in having his son unify against WBA champion Rolly Romero. Bill Haney tweeted, "Just got off the phone with Louie DeCubas [of PBC]. Romero, the ball’s back in your court. May 30th." The other two welterweight champions are Ryan Garcia (WBC) and Lewis Crocker (IBF).
|
|
|
|
Haney vs. Romero unification under discussion?
Bill Haney (pictured, left), the father and manager of undefeated WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney, seems to be very interested in having his son unify against WBA champion Rolly Romero. Bill Haney tweeted, "Just got off the phone with Louie DeCubas [of PBC]. Romero, the ball’s back in your court. May 30th." The other two welterweight champions are Ryan Garcia (WBC) and Lewis Crocker (IBF).
|
Court blocks Ortiz from signing for Ennis fight |
|
Judge Cristina Silva of United States District Court in Nevada has blocked junior middleweight contender Vergil Ortiz from taking one of the most attractive fights the sport of boxing has to offer right now, a fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Silva issued a preliminary injunction barring Ortiz from signing for a fight without the consent of Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz filed the federal lawsuit in January, arguing that his contract with Golden Boy ended when Golden Boy's broadcast deal with the DAZN streaming service expired. Golden Boy's position was that the contract remained in force because Golden Boy was negotiating a new deal with DAZN. Although she did not decide the ultimate winner of the lawsuit, Judge Silva disagreed with Ortiz, effectively enforcing Golden Boy's exclusive promtional contract with Ortiz, at least for the time being. She also referred the dispute to arbitration, which will take place behind closed doors unlike a lawsuit. Silva wrote: "I grant Golden Boy’s motion to compel arbitration. Further, because I find that this action is arbitrable, injunctive relief is necessary to preserve the status quo. Thus, I also grant Golden Boy’s request for interim injunctive relief to allow for meaningful arbitration, so I hereby order that Ortiz may not negotiate or contract with third parties for future fights before the arbitrator addresses the parties’ dispute set forth in this action... Golden Boy will suffer irreparable harm that goes beyond mere monetary damages."
The ruling gave Golden Boy a large amount of leverage over the dispute, because it can still approve the Ortiz-Ennis fight and is in a position to negotiate a new deal with DAZN as a condition for its approval.
The ruling was a major setback for Ortiz. In previous filings, his manager Rick Mirigian gave the court some inside details of the multi-fight deals that were offered to Ortiz if he were free from the Golden Boy contract. In February, Mirigian submitted the following certification: "Since Ortiz initiated this lawsuit on January 15th, I have been entertaining offers from various boxing promoters on his behalf. Matchroom Boxing offered a three-bout agreement that includes the April 18th bout against Ennis. Although Ortiz’s exact compensation under that offer is dependent on the outcome and economic performance of the bouts, Ortiz would receive at least twelve million dollars and based upon Matchroom’s projections for the economics of the offered bouts, his earnings could approach twenty million dollars for the three fights. Separately, a different promoter offered three-bout deal that guaranteed me sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000), plus upside based on ticket and pay-per-view sales of the bouts. I believe that these agreements were effectively ready to be signed at the time the Court issued the present temporary restraining order on February 13th."
Judge Silva also referred to her previous reasoning, from February 13th, in which she initially granted Golden Boy's request for a temporary restraining order. At that time, the judge wrote: "I find that Golden Boy’s allegations support a finding that it is facing an imminent harm. Ortiz’s complaint makes clear his intention to seek negotiations with third parties. Indeed, in his claim for declaratory relief, Ortiz seeks a determination that the Agreement with Golden Boy has terminated. Further, Ortiz’s representatives are actively seeking to negotiate bouts for him all the while the Agreement is still being disputed. Golden Boy asserts in its motion that three individuals have informed it that Ortiz is on the verge of executing an agreement with third parties for a bout with Jaron 'Boots' Ennis. Golden Boy contends that if Ortiz enters into an agreement with third parties for the Ennis bout, monetary damages could not remedy Golden Boy’s lost broadcast relationships and agreements with DAZN and others. Id. This constitutes irreparable harm. Third, the balance of equities supports granting the TRO. If denied, Golden Boy could suffer irreparable harm if Ortiz enters into an agreement with third parties. Granting this temporary relief will not cause significant hardship to Ortiz because, by its nature, its temporary, and the contract dispute with Golden Boy is ongoing."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 19, 2026: As part of Vergil Ortiz's legal efforts to end the court-imposed temporary restraining order that is blocking him from signing a deal to fight Jaron Ennis, Ortiz's manager, Rick Mirigian, submited a sworn declaration to the Nevada federal court. The full text of that declaration, lightly edited, is available below. Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds and is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders. He has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016, but in May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional contract. It was supposed to run for three years, but a termination clause has become the center of this legal dispute. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate the contract before the three years expired if Golden Boy no longer had a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz and Mirigian usaed that clause to terminate in December, saying Golden Boy's deal with DAZN was over. But Golden Boy fired back, claiming it had a new “agreement in principle” in place. The court issued a temporary restraining order to give it some time to soret out the legal arguments. A hearing on whether to continue the temporary restraining order is scheduled for Friday, with the expectation that the judge will dissolve it and allow Ortiz to sign for a Jaron Ennis fight in April. If that were to happen, Golden Boy could either seek a settlement (although it would have very little leverage) or continue the lawsuit seeking monetarty damages from Ortiz if it can prove he breached his contract.
Here is what Mirigian said in his declaration: "I am a boxing manager and I represent Vergil Ortiz, Jr. ... Following Ortiz’s November 2025 bout against Erickson Lubin, Ortiz instructed his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions and me to negotiate an agreement for a fight between Ortiz and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis."
Mirigian continued, "It was the hope of Ortiz that the bout with Ennis, which was considered to be one of the best matchups in the sport, would attract the eye of Turki Alalshikh, a boxing fan and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. At Mr. Alalshikh’s direction, Saudi Arabia has been a significant sponsor of boxing matches in the last few years... However, instead of working 'in good faith with all boxing promoters to assure that Ortiz maximizes his exposure and revenue opportunities' [this appears to be a quote from Ortiz's promotional contract], Golden Boy’s founder Oscar De La Hoya publicly attacked Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing [Alalshikh’s new partner]. In December 2025, De La Hoya posted to his Instagram an expletive filled rant insulting the project and all involved."
Next, Mirigian laid out part of his case against Golden Boy: "I believe that [through] De La Hoya’s attacks and other actions, Golden Boy actively undercut any opportunity to maximize Ortiz’ potential earnings from Saudi-backed sponsorships. In a December 2025 meeting Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy, presented me with an offer for the bout with Ennis, and insisted that if Ortiz did not agree to the fight that he would be 'benched' and not presented with any other opportunity. Golden Boy also threatened that if Ortiz did not agree to the sole offer presented, it would publicly blame Ortiz and me for the fight with Ennis not happening. During that same meeting, Gomez, called Dr. Rakan Al Harthy, CEO of the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela. With me on speaker phone, Gomez unsuccessfully pitched the fight between Ortiz and Ennis to Sela. On December 12th, I sent a direct message to Alalshikh on Instagram to ask if he had any interest in sponsoring the Ortiz and Ennis bout. He did not acknowledge it or respond... My attempts to communicate with Alalshikh and Sela in December 2025 were done with Gomez’ participation, knowledge, consent, and approval. Although Golden Boy did not disclose it to [me] during the December 2025 meeting, [I] later came to learn, through public comments of Eddie Hearn that there had already been a meeting between Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that resulted in a written agreement related to terms for the Ortiz/Ennis fight. Golden Boy never presented this document to Ortiz."
FEB. 17, 2026: Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
FEB. 16, 2026: Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders and has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
JAN. 19, 2026: WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has taken his long-time promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to federal court—claiming that behind-the-scenes chaos, missed opportunities and public blowups derailed his momentum at a critical moment in his career. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada. At the center of the dispute is Ortiz’s promotional agreement with Golden Boy, which he signed in May 2024. The deal extended Golden Boy’s rights for three years, guaranteed Ortiz million-dollar minimum purses, and was built around Golden Boy’s long-term broadcast relationship with DAZN. Here are the key allegations contained in Ortiz's legal complaint, which at this time are treated as unproven allegations:
Ortiz alleges Golden Boy's relatinship with DAZN was a key reason he stayed with Golden Boy in the first place. Fast forward to the end of 2025. Golden Boy’s DAZN deal expired on December 31st, and Ortiz moved quickly. On January 8, 2026, he exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away if Golden Boy lost its exclusive broadcaster. Golden Boy acknowledged that the DAZN deal had ended (this weekend's DAZN show was a one-off with Golden Boy, not part of any long-term deal). Golden Boy took the position that ongoing negotiations for a new DAZN agreement meant Ortiz was still tied to the company. Ortiz disagrees, and the timing is everything. According to the complaint, his team believed that uncertainty over Golden Boy’s broadcast future—and Golden Boy’s strained relationships across the sport—were already costing him major fights and major money.
The biggest missed opportunity, Ortiz claims, was a potential showdown with former welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. After Ortiz’s November 2025 win over Erickson Lubin, Ennis entered the ring for a face-off, and both fighters publicly said they wanted to fight each other. It was widely viewed as one of the best match-ups the sport of boxing could make across weight classes.
Ortiz wanted Golden Boy to negotiate with Ennis’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and hoped the bout could attract backing from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the head of the government's General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh has poured massive money into elite boxing events over the last few years. According to the lawsuit, Ortiz believed a Saudi-backed Ortiz-Ennis fight could have been career-defining.
Instead, Ortiz alleges, Golden Boy sabotaged those possibilities. The complaint points to Golden Boy's principal, Oscar De La Hoya and the public attacks he has made on Alalshikh and the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture—attacks made on social media during the very period Ortiz’s team was hoping to attract Saudi interest. Ortiz claims those outbursts poisoned the well, making him less attractive to deep-pocketed backers through no fault of his own.
Things escalated in December 2025. Ortiz says Golden Boy presented him with only one fight option—Ennis—despite a contract requirement that required Golden Boy to offer multiple opponents. Worse, Ortiz alleges he was threatened with being “benched” if he didn’t accept the terms and warned that Golden Boy would publicly blame him if the fight fell apart. According to the complaint, Ortiz later learned that Golden Boy, Matchroom and DAZN had already reached written terms for the Ennis fight—terms that were never shared with him, even though his contract required full disclosure and his signature on any deal involving his fights.
After Ortiz terminated the promotional agreement in January, the conflict spilled into public view. De La Hoya posted Instagram videos setting deadlines and monetary demands for the Ennis fight, then declaring negotiations dead when those deadlines passed. Ortiz says none of this was authorized and that Golden Boy no longer had the right to speak for him.
When Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian publicly invited other promoters to reach out, De La Hoya responded by asserting control over negotiations and threatening legal action. Ortiz claims these public power plays were designed to create confusion in the industry and scare off potential partners—effectively freezing his career during what should be his prime earning years.
The lawsuit asks the court to confirm that Ortiz is free from Golden Boy and to award damages for lost fights, purses, sponsorships, and momentum. But for boxing fans, the real takeaway is bigger than legal language: this case highlights how promoter politics, broadcast uncertainty, and personal grudges can derail elite fighters—and how even an undefeated champion can find himself fighting outside the ring just to get the biggest fights made.
|
|
|
|
Court blocks Ortiz from signing for Ennis fight
Judge Cristina Silva of United States District Court in Nevada has blocked junior middleweight contender Vergil Ortiz from taking one of the most attractive fights the sport of boxing has to offer right now, a fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Silva issued a preliminary injunction barring Ortiz from signing for a fight without the consent of Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz filed the federal lawsuit in January, arguing that his contract with Golden Boy ended when Golden Boy's broadcast deal with the DAZN streaming service expired. Golden Boy's position was that the contract remained in force because Golden Boy was negotiating a new deal with DAZN. Although she did not decide the ultimate winner of the lawsuit, Judge Silva disagreed with Ortiz, effectively enforcing Golden Boy's exclusive promtional contract with Ortiz, at least for the time being. She also referred the dispute to arbitration, which will take place behind closed doors unlike a lawsuit. Silva wrote: "I grant Golden Boy’s motion to compel arbitration. Further, because I find that this action is arbitrable, injunctive relief is necessary to preserve the status quo. Thus, I also grant Golden Boy’s request for interim injunctive relief to allow for meaningful arbitration, so I hereby order that Ortiz may not negotiate or contract with third parties for future fights before the arbitrator addresses the parties’ dispute set forth in this action... Golden Boy will suffer irreparable harm that goes beyond mere monetary damages."
The ruling gave Golden Boy a large amount of leverage over the dispute, because it can still approve the Ortiz-Ennis fight and is in a position to negotiate a new deal with DAZN as a condition for its approval.
The ruling was a major setback for Ortiz. In previous filings, his manager Rick Mirigian gave the court some inside details of the multi-fight deals that were offered to Ortiz if he were free from the Golden Boy contract. In February, Mirigian submitted the following certification: "Since Ortiz initiated this lawsuit on January 15th, I have been entertaining offers from various boxing promoters on his behalf. Matchroom Boxing offered a three-bout agreement that includes the April 18th bout against Ennis. Although Ortiz’s exact compensation under that offer is dependent on the outcome and economic performance of the bouts, Ortiz would receive at least twelve million dollars and based upon Matchroom’s projections for the economics of the offered bouts, his earnings could approach twenty million dollars for the three fights. Separately, a different promoter offered three-bout deal that guaranteed me sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000), plus upside based on ticket and pay-per-view sales of the bouts. I believe that these agreements were effectively ready to be signed at the time the Court issued the present temporary restraining order on February 13th."
Judge Silva also referred to her previous reasoning, from February 13th, in which she initially granted Golden Boy's request for a temporary restraining order. At that time, the judge wrote: "I find that Golden Boy’s allegations support a finding that it is facing an imminent harm. Ortiz’s complaint makes clear his intention to seek negotiations with third parties. Indeed, in his claim for declaratory relief, Ortiz seeks a determination that the Agreement with Golden Boy has terminated. Further, Ortiz’s representatives are actively seeking to negotiate bouts for him all the while the Agreement is still being disputed. Golden Boy asserts in its motion that three individuals have informed it that Ortiz is on the verge of executing an agreement with third parties for a bout with Jaron 'Boots' Ennis. Golden Boy contends that if Ortiz enters into an agreement with third parties for the Ennis bout, monetary damages could not remedy Golden Boy’s lost broadcast relationships and agreements with DAZN and others. Id. This constitutes irreparable harm. Third, the balance of equities supports granting the TRO. If denied, Golden Boy could suffer irreparable harm if Ortiz enters into an agreement with third parties. Granting this temporary relief will not cause significant hardship to Ortiz because, by its nature, its temporary, and the contract dispute with Golden Boy is ongoing."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 19, 2026: As part of Vergil Ortiz's legal efforts to end the court-imposed temporary restraining order that is blocking him from signing a deal to fight Jaron Ennis, Ortiz's manager, Rick Mirigian, submited a sworn declaration to the Nevada federal court. The full text of that declaration, lightly edited, is available below. Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds and is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders. He has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016, but in May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional contract. It was supposed to run for three years, but a termination clause has become the center of this legal dispute. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate the contract before the three years expired if Golden Boy no longer had a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz and Mirigian usaed that clause to terminate in December, saying Golden Boy's deal with DAZN was over. But Golden Boy fired back, claiming it had a new “agreement in principle” in place. The court issued a temporary restraining order to give it some time to soret out the legal arguments. A hearing on whether to continue the temporary restraining order is scheduled for Friday, with the expectation that the judge will dissolve it and allow Ortiz to sign for a Jaron Ennis fight in April. If that were to happen, Golden Boy could either seek a settlement (although it would have very little leverage) or continue the lawsuit seeking monetarty damages from Ortiz if it can prove he breached his contract.
Here is what Mirigian said in his declaration: "I am a boxing manager and I represent Vergil Ortiz, Jr. ... Following Ortiz’s November 2025 bout against Erickson Lubin, Ortiz instructed his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions and me to negotiate an agreement for a fight between Ortiz and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis."
Mirigian continued, "It was the hope of Ortiz that the bout with Ennis, which was considered to be one of the best matchups in the sport, would attract the eye of Turki Alalshikh, a boxing fan and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. At Mr. Alalshikh’s direction, Saudi Arabia has been a significant sponsor of boxing matches in the last few years... However, instead of working 'in good faith with all boxing promoters to assure that Ortiz maximizes his exposure and revenue opportunities' [this appears to be a quote from Ortiz's promotional contract], Golden Boy’s founder Oscar De La Hoya publicly attacked Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing [Alalshikh’s new partner]. In December 2025, De La Hoya posted to his Instagram an expletive filled rant insulting the project and all involved."
Next, Mirigian laid out part of his case against Golden Boy: "I believe that [through] De La Hoya’s attacks and other actions, Golden Boy actively undercut any opportunity to maximize Ortiz’ potential earnings from Saudi-backed sponsorships. In a December 2025 meeting Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy, presented me with an offer for the bout with Ennis, and insisted that if Ortiz did not agree to the fight that he would be 'benched' and not presented with any other opportunity. Golden Boy also threatened that if Ortiz did not agree to the sole offer presented, it would publicly blame Ortiz and me for the fight with Ennis not happening. During that same meeting, Gomez, called Dr. Rakan Al Harthy, CEO of the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela. With me on speaker phone, Gomez unsuccessfully pitched the fight between Ortiz and Ennis to Sela. On December 12th, I sent a direct message to Alalshikh on Instagram to ask if he had any interest in sponsoring the Ortiz and Ennis bout. He did not acknowledge it or respond... My attempts to communicate with Alalshikh and Sela in December 2025 were done with Gomez’ participation, knowledge, consent, and approval. Although Golden Boy did not disclose it to [me] during the December 2025 meeting, [I] later came to learn, through public comments of Eddie Hearn that there had already been a meeting between Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that resulted in a written agreement related to terms for the Ortiz/Ennis fight. Golden Boy never presented this document to Ortiz."
FEB. 17, 2026: Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
FEB. 16, 2026: Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders and has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
JAN. 19, 2026: WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has taken his long-time promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to federal court—claiming that behind-the-scenes chaos, missed opportunities and public blowups derailed his momentum at a critical moment in his career. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada. At the center of the dispute is Ortiz’s promotional agreement with Golden Boy, which he signed in May 2024. The deal extended Golden Boy’s rights for three years, guaranteed Ortiz million-dollar minimum purses, and was built around Golden Boy’s long-term broadcast relationship with DAZN. Here are the key allegations contained in Ortiz's legal complaint, which at this time are treated as unproven allegations:
Ortiz alleges Golden Boy's relatinship with DAZN was a key reason he stayed with Golden Boy in the first place. Fast forward to the end of 2025. Golden Boy’s DAZN deal expired on December 31st, and Ortiz moved quickly. On January 8, 2026, he exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away if Golden Boy lost its exclusive broadcaster. Golden Boy acknowledged that the DAZN deal had ended (this weekend's DAZN show was a one-off with Golden Boy, not part of any long-term deal). Golden Boy took the position that ongoing negotiations for a new DAZN agreement meant Ortiz was still tied to the company. Ortiz disagrees, and the timing is everything. According to the complaint, his team believed that uncertainty over Golden Boy’s broadcast future—and Golden Boy’s strained relationships across the sport—were already costing him major fights and major money.
The biggest missed opportunity, Ortiz claims, was a potential showdown with former welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. After Ortiz’s November 2025 win over Erickson Lubin, Ennis entered the ring for a face-off, and both fighters publicly said they wanted to fight each other. It was widely viewed as one of the best match-ups the sport of boxing could make across weight classes.
Ortiz wanted Golden Boy to negotiate with Ennis’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and hoped the bout could attract backing from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the head of the government's General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh has poured massive money into elite boxing events over the last few years. According to the lawsuit, Ortiz believed a Saudi-backed Ortiz-Ennis fight could have been career-defining.
Instead, Ortiz alleges, Golden Boy sabotaged those possibilities. The complaint points to Golden Boy's principal, Oscar De La Hoya and the public attacks he has made on Alalshikh and the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture—attacks made on social media during the very period Ortiz’s team was hoping to attract Saudi interest. Ortiz claims those outbursts poisoned the well, making him less attractive to deep-pocketed backers through no fault of his own.
Things escalated in December 2025. Ortiz says Golden Boy presented him with only one fight option—Ennis—despite a contract requirement that required Golden Boy to offer multiple opponents. Worse, Ortiz alleges he was threatened with being “benched” if he didn’t accept the terms and warned that Golden Boy would publicly blame him if the fight fell apart. According to the complaint, Ortiz later learned that Golden Boy, Matchroom and DAZN had already reached written terms for the Ennis fight—terms that were never shared with him, even though his contract required full disclosure and his signature on any deal involving his fights.
After Ortiz terminated the promotional agreement in January, the conflict spilled into public view. De La Hoya posted Instagram videos setting deadlines and monetary demands for the Ennis fight, then declaring negotiations dead when those deadlines passed. Ortiz says none of this was authorized and that Golden Boy no longer had the right to speak for him.
When Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian publicly invited other promoters to reach out, De La Hoya responded by asserting control over negotiations and threatening legal action. Ortiz claims these public power plays were designed to create confusion in the industry and scare off potential partners—effectively freezing his career during what should be his prime earning years.
The lawsuit asks the court to confirm that Ortiz is free from Golden Boy and to award damages for lost fights, purses, sponsorships, and momentum. But for boxing fans, the real takeaway is bigger than legal language: this case highlights how promoter politics, broadcast uncertainty, and personal grudges can derail elite fighters—and how even an undefeated champion can find himself fighting outside the ring just to get the biggest fights made.
|
Boxxer announces two heavyweight fights for Fury undercard |
|
Boxxer announced some additional bouts for the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov undercard on Saturday, April 11th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, live on Netflix. [Previously named as the co-feature was Conor Benn vs. ex-champ Regis Prograis]. Heavyweight roster mates Jeamie TKV and Richard Riakporhe will clash for the British heavyweight title in an encounter between the London rivals. Frazer Clarke returns to action in another heavyweight showdown as he takes on Justis Huni. Tottenham’s TKV begins his reign as British champion after defeating Clarke via split decision to capture the vacant title in a bruising twelve-round contest in Derby last November. TKV proved his pedigree in the hard-fought victory and came close to stopping Clarke in the eleventh round.
Riakporhe, from Walworth in South London, has looked destructive since moving up to heavyweight, having previously held the British title and challenged for world honors at cruiserweight. Fighting on the undercard of the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II rematch, Riakporhe made short work of Tommy Welch, showcasing his knockout power with a second-round stoppage victory.
Clarke suffered a split-decision defeat to TKV last time out and will be eager to get back to winning ways. The 2021 Olympic bronze medal winner faces a tough assignment against Australia’s Huni, who is also looking to get his promising career back on track following a knockout defeat to Clarke’s former rival Fabio Wardley. Huni was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards and appeared to be cruising towards a points victory when he was dramatically stopped by Wardley, the current WBO champion in the tenth round of their contest for the WBA interim title.
Sidcup welterweight Elliot Whale also features on the card against Tom Hill as he looks to continue his run following a TKO victory over Ashlee Eales in Leeds last December. The unbeaten Whale delivered a composed performance to secure the stoppage win. Fighting in front of a huge crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and live on Netflix represents another important step in Whale’s development.
|
|
|
|
Boxxer announces two heavyweight fights for Fury undercard
Boxxer announced some additional bouts for the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov undercard on Saturday, April 11th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, live on Netflix. [Previously named as the co-feature was Conor Benn vs. ex-champ Regis Prograis]. Heavyweight roster mates Jeamie TKV and Richard Riakporhe will clash for the British heavyweight title in an encounter between the London rivals. Frazer Clarke returns to action in another heavyweight showdown as he takes on Justis Huni. Tottenham’s TKV begins his reign as British champion after defeating Clarke via split decision to capture the vacant title in a bruising twelve-round contest in Derby last November. TKV proved his pedigree in the hard-fought victory and came close to stopping Clarke in the eleventh round.
Riakporhe, from Walworth in South London, has looked destructive since moving up to heavyweight, having previously held the British title and challenged for world honors at cruiserweight. Fighting on the undercard of the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II rematch, Riakporhe made short work of Tommy Welch, showcasing his knockout power with a second-round stoppage victory.
Clarke suffered a split-decision defeat to TKV last time out and will be eager to get back to winning ways. The 2021 Olympic bronze medal winner faces a tough assignment against Australia’s Huni, who is also looking to get his promising career back on track following a knockout defeat to Clarke’s former rival Fabio Wardley. Huni was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards and appeared to be cruising towards a points victory when he was dramatically stopped by Wardley, the current WBO champion in the tenth round of their contest for the WBA interim title.
Sidcup welterweight Elliot Whale also features on the card against Tom Hill as he looks to continue his run following a TKO victory over Ashlee Eales in Leeds last December. The unbeaten Whale delivered a composed performance to secure the stoppage win. Fighting in front of a huge crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and live on Netflix represents another important step in Whale’s development.
|
Bivol purse bid postponed yet again |
|
UPDATE: The Bivol vs. Eifert purse bid has been postponed yet again by the IBF, this time until Tuesday, March 10th. This is at least the third postponement of this potential world light heavyweight championship fight. Original story (Feb. 12, 2026): The IBF announced that a purse bid for world light heavyweight champion Dimitrii Bivol's mandatory defense against Michael Eifert of Germany has been rescheduled from February 13th to February 20th. Bivol is the true world champion of the 175-pound division based on his winning the second of two undisputed championship bouts against fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev. But he has not fought since February of 2025. Eifert is very lightly credentialed at 13-1, with his best win coming in March 2023 in an IBF eliminator vs. former world champion Jean Pascal. Eifert has only fought once since then against a nondescript opponent, instead choosing to wait for this IBF title shot to come his way. Bivol is also recognized as champion by the WBA and WBO and actually is the true world 175-pound monarch, so there is little pressure on him to actually fight Eifert if he is not inclined to do so.
|
|
|
|
Bivol purse bid postponed yet again
UPDATE: The Bivol vs. Eifert purse bid has been postponed yet again by the IBF, this time until Tuesday, March 10th. This is at least the third postponement of this potential world light heavyweight championship fight. Original story (Feb. 12, 2026): The IBF announced that a purse bid for world light heavyweight champion Dimitrii Bivol's mandatory defense against Michael Eifert of Germany has been rescheduled from February 13th to February 20th. Bivol is the true world champion of the 175-pound division based on his winning the second of two undisputed championship bouts against fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev. But he has not fought since February of 2025. Eifert is very lightly credentialed at 13-1, with his best win coming in March 2023 in an IBF eliminator vs. former world champion Jean Pascal. Eifert has only fought once since then against a nondescript opponent, instead choosing to wait for this IBF title shot to come his way. Bivol is also recognized as champion by the WBA and WBO and actually is the true world 175-pound monarch, so there is little pressure on him to actually fight Eifert if he is not inclined to do so.
|
Fox defeats Robinson in battle of veterans |
|
Mykal Fox W10 Ray Robinson... In a poised display of ring generalship and distance control, Mykal Fox scored a unanimous decision victory over Ray Robinson on Saturday, February 21st at Live! Casino & Hotel in Maryland. The junior middleweight contest was a chess match between two technically refined southpaws. Fox made full use of his commanding height and reach advantage. Pumping a steady jab and circling laterally with purpose, “The Professor” dictated range and tempo, consistently keeping Robinson at the end of his punches. The Philadelphia native attempted to apply pressure in the middle rounds, digging to the body and trying to collapse the pocket, but Fox’s composure under fire and slick mobility allowed him to sidestep danger and reset exchanges on his terms.
The Maryland-based boxer’s superiority was clearly reflected on the scorecards, which read 97-92, 97-92, and 98-91. The tallies underscored Fox’s sustained control over the ten-round contest, as he landed the cleaner, more eye-catching shots while managing the rhythm with veteran maturity.
With the victory, Fox improves to 26-5. As for Robinson (26-4-2), the setback adds a tough chapter to a battle-tested career — yet he remains a legitimate measuring stick at 154 pounds, a dangerous assignment for any contender willing to share the ring with him.
|
|
|
|
Fox defeats Robinson in battle of veterans
Mykal Fox W10 Ray Robinson... In a poised display of ring generalship and distance control, Mykal Fox scored a unanimous decision victory over Ray Robinson on Saturday, February 21st at Live! Casino & Hotel in Maryland. The junior middleweight contest was a chess match between two technically refined southpaws. Fox made full use of his commanding height and reach advantage. Pumping a steady jab and circling laterally with purpose, “The Professor” dictated range and tempo, consistently keeping Robinson at the end of his punches. The Philadelphia native attempted to apply pressure in the middle rounds, digging to the body and trying to collapse the pocket, but Fox’s composure under fire and slick mobility allowed him to sidestep danger and reset exchanges on his terms.
The Maryland-based boxer’s superiority was clearly reflected on the scorecards, which read 97-92, 97-92, and 98-91. The tallies underscored Fox’s sustained control over the ten-round contest, as he landed the cleaner, more eye-catching shots while managing the rhythm with veteran maturity.
With the victory, Fox improves to 26-5. As for Robinson (26-4-2), the setback adds a tough chapter to a battle-tested career — yet he remains a legitimate measuring stick at 154 pounds, a dangerous assignment for any contender willing to share the ring with him.
|
Ortiz, eager to sign for Ennis fight, presses court for a ruling |
|
|
Attorneys for Vergil Ortiz, Jr. filed an emergency request with a federal court in Nevada, asking it to confirm that the temporary restraining order that the court entered on February 13th has expired. Oritz's legal team correctly pointed out to the court that under the court's rules of procedure, temporary restraining orders expire in fourteen days unless the court makes a subsequent ruling. Surprisingly, the court has not yet issued a ruling even though it held a hearing on February 20th, so the fourteen days expired on Friday. Ortiz's court filing makes it clear he is ready to sign a contract to fight former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis as soon as the court lifts the restraining order. Ortiz's papers stated, "As of the filing of this emergency motion on March 2, 2026, the Court has not issued any further Orders related to the TRO or a preliminary injunction. In the time since the Court issued the TRO, including within the last weekend, Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that Ennis was still interested in the bout against Ortiz, however, he cautioned that there were other potential opponents for Ennis and that further delay beyond the 'next few days' in signing the Ortiz/Ennis bout, could cause Ennis to move on."
The legal papers further stated: "there is still the opportunity for Ortiz to face Ennis, but, as Hearn stated, time is running short. Missing this fight, and the opportunity to vanquish what many boxing fans believe could be the best boxer in the weight class, would cause Ortiz irreparable harm. As noted the underlying briefing, Ortiz losing the ability to engage in his craft, and losing the ability to fight a particular fighter, is exactly the type of irreparable harm that should be prevented. Finally, the circumstances are not the fault of Ortiz. He has complied with all orders of this Court, including, but not limited to, the TRO and the briefing schedule therein. He has great respect for this Court, and, while he believes he is free to do so, has not entered into an agreement to box Ennis because of this great respect. Instead Ortiz instead returns to the Court for confirmation that the TRO has expired so as to not inadvertently violate the Court’s orders. It would be patently unjust for Ortiz to make a Hobson’s choice. The risks under either scenario – potentially disrespect or defy the Court, or lose the Ennis fight – are simply too great not to seek, and obtain, emergency treatment."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 19,2026: As part of Vergil Ortiz's legal efforts to end the court-imposed temporary restraining order that is blocking him from signing a deal to fight Jaron Ennis, Ortiz's manager, Rick Mirigian, submited a sworn declaration to the Nevada federal court. The full text of that declaration, lightly edited, is available below. Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds and is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders. He has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016, but in May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional contract. It was supposed to run for three years, but a termination clause has become the center of this legal dispute. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate the contract before the three years expired if Golden Boy no longer had a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz and Mirigian usaed that clause to terminate in December, saying Golden Boy's deal with DAZN was over. But Golden Boy fired back, claiming it had a new “agreement in principle” in place. The court issued a temporary restraining order to give it some time to soret out the legal arguments. A hearing on whether to continue the temporary restraining order is scheduled for Friday, with the expectation that the judge will dissolve it and allow Ortiz to sign for a Jaron Ennis fight in April. If that were to happen, Golden Boy could either seek a settlement (although it would have very little leverage) or continue the lawsuit seeking monetarty damages from Ortiz if it can prove he breached his contract.
Here is what Mirigian said in his declaration: "I am a boxing manager and I represent Vergil Ortiz, Jr. ... Following Ortiz’s November 2025 bout against Erickson Lubin, Ortiz instructed his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions and me to negotiate an agreement for a fight between Ortiz and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis."
Mirigian continued, "It was the hope of Ortiz that the bout with Ennis, which was considered to be one of the best matchups in the sport, would attract the eye of Turki Alalshikh, a boxing fan and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. At Mr. Alalshikh’s direction, Saudi Arabia has been a significant sponsor of boxing matches in the last few years... However, instead of working 'in good faith with all boxing promoters to assure that Ortiz maximizes his exposure and revenue opportunities' [this appears to be a quote from Ortiz's promotional contract], Golden Boy’s founder Oscar De La Hoya publicly attacked Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing [Alalshikh’s new partner]. In December 2025, De La Hoya posted to his Instagram an expletive filled rant insulting the project and all involved."
Next, Mirigian laid out part of his case against Golden Boy: "I believe that [through] De La Hoya’s attacks and other actions, Golden Boy actively undercut any opportunity to maximize Ortiz’ potential earnings from Saudi-backed sponsorships. In a December 2025 meeting Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy, presented me with an offer for the bout with Ennis, and insisted that if Ortiz did not agree to the fight that he would be 'benched' and not presented with any other opportunity. Golden Boy also threatened that if Ortiz did not agree to the sole offer presented, it would publicly blame Ortiz and me for the fight with Ennis not happening. During that same meeting, Gomez, called Dr. Rakan Al Harthy, CEO of the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela. With me on speaker phone, Gomez unsuccessfully pitched the fight between Ortiz and Ennis to Sela. On December 12th, I sent a direct message to Alalshikh on Instagram to ask if he had any interest in sponsoring the Ortiz and Ennis bout. He did not acknowledge it or respond... My attempts to communicate with Alalshikh and Sela in December 2025 were done with Gomez’ participation, knowledge, consent, and approval. Although Golden Boy did not disclose it to [me] during the December 2025 meeting, [I] later came to learn, through public comments of Eddie Hearn that there had already been a meeting between Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that resulted in a written agreement related to terms for the Ortiz/Ennis fight. Golden Boy never presented this document to Ortiz."
Finally, Mirigian gave the court some inside details of the multi-fight deals that are at stake for Ortiz: "Since Ortiz initiated this lawsuit on January 15th, I have been entertaining offers from various boxing promoters on his behalf. Matchroom Boxing offered a three-bout agreement that includes the April 18th bout against Ennis. Although Ortiz’s exact compensation under that offer is dependent on the outcome and economic performance of the bouts, Ortiz would receive at least twelve million dollars and based upon Matchroom’s projections for the economics of the offered bouts, his earnings could approach twenty million dollars for the three fights. Separately, a different promoter offered three-bout deal that guaranteed me sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000), plus upside based on ticket and pay-per-view sales of the bouts. I believe that these agreements were effectively ready to be signed at the time the Court issued the present temporary restraining order on February 13th. [If there was no restraining] order, I believe that one of those agreements would already be signed. I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct."
FEB. 17, 2026: Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
FEB. 16, 2026: Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders and has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
JAN. 19, 2026: WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has taken his long-time promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to federal court—claiming that behind-the-scenes chaos, missed opportunities and public blowups derailed his momentum at a critical moment in his career. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada. At the center of the dispute is Ortiz’s promotional agreement with Golden Boy, which he signed in May 2024. The deal extended Golden Boy’s rights for three years, guaranteed Ortiz million-dollar minimum purses, and was built around Golden Boy’s long-term broadcast relationship with DAZN. Here are the key allegations contained in Ortiz's legal complaint, which at this time are treated as unproven allegations:
Ortiz alleges Golden Boy's relatinship with DAZN was a key reason he stayed with Golden Boy in the first place. Fast forward to the end of 2025. Golden Boy’s DAZN deal expired on December 31st, and Ortiz moved quickly. On January 8, 2026, he exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away if Golden Boy lost its exclusive broadcaster. Golden Boy acknowledged that the DAZN deal had ended (this weekend's DAZN show was a one-off with Golden Boy, not part of any long-term deal). Golden Boy took the position that ongoing negotiations for a new DAZN agreement meant Ortiz was still tied to the company. Ortiz disagrees, and the timing is everything. According to the complaint, his team believed that uncertainty over Golden Boy’s broadcast future—and Golden Boy’s strained relationships across the sport—were already costing him major fights and major money.
The biggest missed opportunity, Ortiz claims, was a potential showdown with former welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. After Ortiz’s November 2025 win over Erickson Lubin, Ennis entered the ring for a face-off, and both fighters publicly said they wanted to fight each other. It was widely viewed as one of the best match-ups the sport of boxing could make across weight classes.
Ortiz wanted Golden Boy to negotiate with Ennis’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and hoped the bout could attract backing from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the head of the government's General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh has poured massive money into elite boxing events over the last few years. According to the lawsuit, Ortiz believed a Saudi-backed Ortiz-Ennis fight could have been career-defining.
Instead, Ortiz alleges, Golden Boy sabotaged those possibilities. The complaint points to Golden Boy's principal, Oscar De La Hoya and the public attacks he has made on Alalshikh and the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture—attacks made on social media during the very period Ortiz’s team was hoping to attract Saudi interest. Ortiz claims those outbursts poisoned the well, making him less attractive to deep-pocketed backers through no fault of his own.
Things escalated in December 2025. Ortiz says Golden Boy presented him with only one fight option—Ennis—despite a contract requirement that required Golden Boy to offer multiple opponents. Worse, Ortiz alleges he was threatened with being “benched” if he didn’t accept the terms and warned that Golden Boy would publicly blame him if the fight fell apart. According to the complaint, Ortiz later learned that Golden Boy, Matchroom and DAZN had already reached written terms for the Ennis fight—terms that were never shared with him, even though his contract required full disclosure and his signature on any deal involving his fights.
After Ortiz terminated the promotional agreement in January, the conflict spilled into public view. De La Hoya posted Instagram videos setting deadlines and monetary demands for the Ennis fight, then declaring negotiations dead when those deadlines passed. Ortiz says none of this was authorized and that Golden Boy no longer had the right to speak for him.
When Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian publicly invited other promoters to reach out, De La Hoya responded by asserting control over negotiations and threatening legal action. Ortiz claims these public power plays were designed to create confusion in the industry and scare off potential partners—effectively freezing his career during what should be his prime earning years.
The lawsuit asks the court to confirm that Ortiz is free from Golden Boy and to award damages for lost fights, purses, sponsorships, and momentum. But for boxing fans, the real takeaway is bigger than legal language: this case highlights how promoter politics, broadcast uncertainty, and personal grudges can derail elite fighters—and how even an undefeated champion can find himself fighting outside the ring just to get the biggest fights made.
|
|
|
|
Ortiz, eager to sign for Ennis fight, presses court for a ruling
Attorneys for Vergil Ortiz, Jr. filed an emergency request with a federal court in Nevada, asking it to confirm that the temporary restraining order that the court entered on February 13th has expired. Oritz's legal team correctly pointed out to the court that under the court's rules of procedure, temporary restraining orders expire in fourteen days unless the court makes a subsequent ruling. Surprisingly, the court has not yet issued a ruling even though it held a hearing on February 20th, so the fourteen days expired on Friday. Ortiz's court filing makes it clear he is ready to sign a contract to fight former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis as soon as the court lifts the restraining order. Ortiz's papers stated, "As of the filing of this emergency motion on March 2, 2026, the Court has not issued any further Orders related to the TRO or a preliminary injunction. In the time since the Court issued the TRO, including within the last weekend, Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that Ennis was still interested in the bout against Ortiz, however, he cautioned that there were other potential opponents for Ennis and that further delay beyond the 'next few days' in signing the Ortiz/Ennis bout, could cause Ennis to move on."
The legal papers further stated: "there is still the opportunity for Ortiz to face Ennis, but, as Hearn stated, time is running short. Missing this fight, and the opportunity to vanquish what many boxing fans believe could be the best boxer in the weight class, would cause Ortiz irreparable harm. As noted the underlying briefing, Ortiz losing the ability to engage in his craft, and losing the ability to fight a particular fighter, is exactly the type of irreparable harm that should be prevented. Finally, the circumstances are not the fault of Ortiz. He has complied with all orders of this Court, including, but not limited to, the TRO and the briefing schedule therein. He has great respect for this Court, and, while he believes he is free to do so, has not entered into an agreement to box Ennis because of this great respect. Instead Ortiz instead returns to the Court for confirmation that the TRO has expired so as to not inadvertently violate the Court’s orders. It would be patently unjust for Ortiz to make a Hobson’s choice. The risks under either scenario – potentially disrespect or defy the Court, or lose the Ennis fight – are simply too great not to seek, and obtain, emergency treatment."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 19,2026: As part of Vergil Ortiz's legal efforts to end the court-imposed temporary restraining order that is blocking him from signing a deal to fight Jaron Ennis, Ortiz's manager, Rick Mirigian, submited a sworn declaration to the Nevada federal court. The full text of that declaration, lightly edited, is available below. Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds and is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders. He has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016, but in May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional contract. It was supposed to run for three years, but a termination clause has become the center of this legal dispute. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate the contract before the three years expired if Golden Boy no longer had a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz and Mirigian usaed that clause to terminate in December, saying Golden Boy's deal with DAZN was over. But Golden Boy fired back, claiming it had a new “agreement in principle” in place. The court issued a temporary restraining order to give it some time to soret out the legal arguments. A hearing on whether to continue the temporary restraining order is scheduled for Friday, with the expectation that the judge will dissolve it and allow Ortiz to sign for a Jaron Ennis fight in April. If that were to happen, Golden Boy could either seek a settlement (although it would have very little leverage) or continue the lawsuit seeking monetarty damages from Ortiz if it can prove he breached his contract.
Here is what Mirigian said in his declaration: "I am a boxing manager and I represent Vergil Ortiz, Jr. ... Following Ortiz’s November 2025 bout against Erickson Lubin, Ortiz instructed his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions and me to negotiate an agreement for a fight between Ortiz and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis."
Mirigian continued, "It was the hope of Ortiz that the bout with Ennis, which was considered to be one of the best matchups in the sport, would attract the eye of Turki Alalshikh, a boxing fan and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. At Mr. Alalshikh’s direction, Saudi Arabia has been a significant sponsor of boxing matches in the last few years... However, instead of working 'in good faith with all boxing promoters to assure that Ortiz maximizes his exposure and revenue opportunities' [this appears to be a quote from Ortiz's promotional contract], Golden Boy’s founder Oscar De La Hoya publicly attacked Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing [Alalshikh’s new partner]. In December 2025, De La Hoya posted to his Instagram an expletive filled rant insulting the project and all involved."
Next, Mirigian laid out part of his case against Golden Boy: "I believe that [through] De La Hoya’s attacks and other actions, Golden Boy actively undercut any opportunity to maximize Ortiz’ potential earnings from Saudi-backed sponsorships. In a December 2025 meeting Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy, presented me with an offer for the bout with Ennis, and insisted that if Ortiz did not agree to the fight that he would be 'benched' and not presented with any other opportunity. Golden Boy also threatened that if Ortiz did not agree to the sole offer presented, it would publicly blame Ortiz and me for the fight with Ennis not happening. During that same meeting, Gomez, called Dr. Rakan Al Harthy, CEO of the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela. With me on speaker phone, Gomez unsuccessfully pitched the fight between Ortiz and Ennis to Sela. On December 12th, I sent a direct message to Alalshikh on Instagram to ask if he had any interest in sponsoring the Ortiz and Ennis bout. He did not acknowledge it or respond... My attempts to communicate with Alalshikh and Sela in December 2025 were done with Gomez’ participation, knowledge, consent, and approval. Although Golden Boy did not disclose it to [me] during the December 2025 meeting, [I] later came to learn, through public comments of Eddie Hearn that there had already been a meeting between Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that resulted in a written agreement related to terms for the Ortiz/Ennis fight. Golden Boy never presented this document to Ortiz."
Finally, Mirigian gave the court some inside details of the multi-fight deals that are at stake for Ortiz: "Since Ortiz initiated this lawsuit on January 15th, I have been entertaining offers from various boxing promoters on his behalf. Matchroom Boxing offered a three-bout agreement that includes the April 18th bout against Ennis. Although Ortiz’s exact compensation under that offer is dependent on the outcome and economic performance of the bouts, Ortiz would receive at least twelve million dollars and based upon Matchroom’s projections for the economics of the offered bouts, his earnings could approach twenty million dollars for the three fights. Separately, a different promoter offered three-bout deal that guaranteed me sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000), plus upside based on ticket and pay-per-view sales of the bouts. I believe that these agreements were effectively ready to be signed at the time the Court issued the present temporary restraining order on February 13th. [If there was no restraining] order, I believe that one of those agreements would already be signed. I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct."
FEB. 17, 2026: Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
FEB. 16, 2026: Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders and has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
JAN. 19, 2026: WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has taken his long-time promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to federal court—claiming that behind-the-scenes chaos, missed opportunities and public blowups derailed his momentum at a critical moment in his career. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada. At the center of the dispute is Ortiz’s promotional agreement with Golden Boy, which he signed in May 2024. The deal extended Golden Boy’s rights for three years, guaranteed Ortiz million-dollar minimum purses, and was built around Golden Boy’s long-term broadcast relationship with DAZN. Here are the key allegations contained in Ortiz's legal complaint, which at this time are treated as unproven allegations:
Ortiz alleges Golden Boy's relatinship with DAZN was a key reason he stayed with Golden Boy in the first place. Fast forward to the end of 2025. Golden Boy’s DAZN deal expired on December 31st, and Ortiz moved quickly. On January 8, 2026, he exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away if Golden Boy lost its exclusive broadcaster. Golden Boy acknowledged that the DAZN deal had ended (this weekend's DAZN show was a one-off with Golden Boy, not part of any long-term deal). Golden Boy took the position that ongoing negotiations for a new DAZN agreement meant Ortiz was still tied to the company. Ortiz disagrees, and the timing is everything. According to the complaint, his team believed that uncertainty over Golden Boy’s broadcast future—and Golden Boy’s strained relationships across the sport—were already costing him major fights and major money.
The biggest missed opportunity, Ortiz claims, was a potential showdown with former welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. After Ortiz’s November 2025 win over Erickson Lubin, Ennis entered the ring for a face-off, and both fighters publicly said they wanted to fight each other. It was widely viewed as one of the best match-ups the sport of boxing could make across weight classes.
Ortiz wanted Golden Boy to negotiate with Ennis’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and hoped the bout could attract backing from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the head of the government's General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh has poured massive money into elite boxing events over the last few years. According to the lawsuit, Ortiz believed a Saudi-backed Ortiz-Ennis fight could have been career-defining.
Instead, Ortiz alleges, Golden Boy sabotaged those possibilities. The complaint points to Golden Boy's principal, Oscar De La Hoya and the public attacks he has made on Alalshikh and the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture—attacks made on social media during the very period Ortiz’s team was hoping to attract Saudi interest. Ortiz claims those outbursts poisoned the well, making him less attractive to deep-pocketed backers through no fault of his own.
Things escalated in December 2025. Ortiz says Golden Boy presented him with only one fight option—Ennis—despite a contract requirement that required Golden Boy to offer multiple opponents. Worse, Ortiz alleges he was threatened with being “benched” if he didn’t accept the terms and warned that Golden Boy would publicly blame him if the fight fell apart. According to the complaint, Ortiz later learned that Golden Boy, Matchroom and DAZN had already reached written terms for the Ennis fight—terms that were never shared with him, even though his contract required full disclosure and his signature on any deal involving his fights.
After Ortiz terminated the promotional agreement in January, the conflict spilled into public view. De La Hoya posted Instagram videos setting deadlines and monetary demands for the Ennis fight, then declaring negotiations dead when those deadlines passed. Ortiz says none of this was authorized and that Golden Boy no longer had the right to speak for him.
When Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian publicly invited other promoters to reach out, De La Hoya responded by asserting control over negotiations and threatening legal action. Ortiz claims these public power plays were designed to create confusion in the industry and scare off potential partners—effectively freezing his career during what should be his prime earning years.
The lawsuit asks the court to confirm that Ortiz is free from Golden Boy and to award damages for lost fights, purses, sponsorships, and momentum. But for boxing fans, the real takeaway is bigger than legal language: this case highlights how promoter politics, broadcast uncertainty, and personal grudges can derail elite fighters—and how even an undefeated champion can find himself fighting outside the ring just to get the biggest fights made.
|
Watch: Peralta returns with quick-count KO win |
|
Yamil Peralta KO2 Juan Díaz ... In a triumphant ring return, two-time Olympian Yamil Peralta of Argentina got a win in the cruiserweight division with a big knockout of Venezuela’s Juan Díaz (13-4). The bout was the featured attraction on February 28th at Casino Buenos Aires. Peralta ended things abruptly in the second round. First, he established his class and reach advantage from the outset. Working behind a sharp jab and smart lateral movement, he neutralized any offensive ambition from Díaz. The Argentine controlled the tempo with poise and authority, dictating the range without absorbing significant return fire. The ending came with less than a minute remaining in the second. Peralta uncorked a left hook to the liver that caused Díaz to gasp for air and take a knee. He got up at nine but referee Emiliano D’Avila waved it off before reaching ten, sealing the knockout victory. Peralta (listed 18-1-1, but Boxingtalk considers him to be 27-8-1 in light of [aid bouts in the World Series of Boxing) was returning to action for the first timer since a 2024 road draw vs. Ryan Rozicki in Canada. Díaz, touted as a dangerous puncher, suffers a setback after failing to solve the technical precision and power of the seasoned Olympian on Buenos Aires soil.
|
|
|
|
Watch: Peralta returns with quick-count KO win
Yamil Peralta KO2 Juan Díaz ... In a triumphant ring return, two-time Olympian Yamil Peralta of Argentina got a win in the cruiserweight division with a big knockout of Venezuela’s Juan Díaz (13-4). The bout was the featured attraction on February 28th at Casino Buenos Aires. Peralta ended things abruptly in the second round. First, he established his class and reach advantage from the outset. Working behind a sharp jab and smart lateral movement, he neutralized any offensive ambition from Díaz. The Argentine controlled the tempo with poise and authority, dictating the range without absorbing significant return fire. The ending came with less than a minute remaining in the second. Peralta uncorked a left hook to the liver that caused Díaz to gasp for air and take a knee. He got up at nine but referee Emiliano D’Avila waved it off before reaching ten, sealing the knockout victory. Peralta (listed 18-1-1, but Boxingtalk considers him to be 27-8-1 in light of [aid bouts in the World Series of Boxing) was returning to action for the first timer since a 2024 road draw vs. Ryan Rozicki in Canada. Díaz, touted as a dangerous puncher, suffers a setback after failing to solve the technical precision and power of the seasoned Olympian on Buenos Aires soil.
|
Navarrete stops Nunez to unify two belts at 130 |
|
Emanuel Navarrete TKO11 Eduardo Nunez... Emanuel Navarrete unified the junior lightweight crowns on Saturday night with a TKO triumph over now frmer-IBF champion Eduardo Nunez. The pair arrived at Glendale, Arizona's's Desert Diamond Arena each seeking to secure a second strap to add to their collection amid a crowded division scene. But it was Navarrete who claimed the second belt, doing so with an assured performance in Arizona. Victory for Navarrete will increase the clamor for him to seek undisputed status across the junior lightweight division. For Nunez, handed just a second professional loss, this is a result that will check his own ambitions, forcing a possible switch of weight. Entering to plenty of fanfare, the Mexican duo traded early on before Navarrete began to find greater purchase heading deeper into the contest. A series of heavy blows in the ninth round damaged Nunez, forcing the doctors to iexamine him before the contest was allowed to continue. Navarrete, already a three-weight champion, exploited the issues however, leaving his foe with a swollen eyes and the contest waved off shortly after. Now a two-belt champ and already a three-division champ, Navarrete inches closer to Hall of Fame credentials.
|
|
|
|
Navarrete stops Nunez to unify two belts at 130
Emanuel Navarrete TKO11 Eduardo Nunez... Emanuel Navarrete unified the junior lightweight crowns on Saturday night with a TKO triumph over now frmer-IBF champion Eduardo Nunez. The pair arrived at Glendale, Arizona's's Desert Diamond Arena each seeking to secure a second strap to add to their collection amid a crowded division scene. But it was Navarrete who claimed the second belt, doing so with an assured performance in Arizona. Victory for Navarrete will increase the clamor for him to seek undisputed status across the junior lightweight division. For Nunez, handed just a second professional loss, this is a result that will check his own ambitions, forcing a possible switch of weight. Entering to plenty of fanfare, the Mexican duo traded early on before Navarrete began to find greater purchase heading deeper into the contest. A series of heavy blows in the ninth round damaged Nunez, forcing the doctors to iexamine him before the contest was allowed to continue. Navarrete, already a three-weight champion, exploited the issues however, leaving his foe with a swollen eyes and the contest waved off shortly after. Now a two-belt champ and already a three-division champ, Navarrete inches closer to Hall of Fame credentials.
|
Terry Washington gets quality win at junior fly |
|
|
Terry Washington KO2 Eduardo Yudel Reyes... California's unbeaten light flyweight Terry “Terrible” Washington rang up a second-round knockout of seasoned Mexican Eduardo Yudel Reyes (18-5). The bout took place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, and proved one-sided from the opening bell. Washington set a fast pace immediately, overwhelming Reyes with speed and precision. Reyes, who aimed to extend the fight into the middle rounds to lean on his experience, found himself trapped under the relentless pressure of the unbeaten local fighter. A sharp combination upstairs followed by sustained punishment to the body signaled early that it would be a short night. The end came in round two when Washington (7-0) unleashed a furious barrage that left Reyes defenseless. With the damage mounting rapidly and no meaningful resistance coming back, the referee stepped in to halt the contest, igniting celebrations in the California crowd.
|
|
|
|
Terry Washington gets quality win at junior fly
Terry Washington KO2 Eduardo Yudel Reyes... California's unbeaten light flyweight Terry “Terrible” Washington rang up a second-round knockout of seasoned Mexican Eduardo Yudel Reyes (18-5). The bout took place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, and proved one-sided from the opening bell. Washington set a fast pace immediately, overwhelming Reyes with speed and precision. Reyes, who aimed to extend the fight into the middle rounds to lean on his experience, found himself trapped under the relentless pressure of the unbeaten local fighter. A sharp combination upstairs followed by sustained punishment to the body signaled early that it would be a short night. The end came in round two when Washington (7-0) unleashed a furious barrage that left Reyes defenseless. With the damage mounting rapidly and no meaningful resistance coming back, the referee stepped in to halt the contest, igniting celebrations in the California crowd.
|
IBA plans March 12th St. Petersburg show |
|
On March 12th, the IBA returns to Saint Petersburg with an international fight card headlined by a junior middleweight clash between Pavel Sosulin and Liberian-born Victor Nagbe. Sosulin (16-0, 8 KOs including World Series of Boxing and IBA pro bouts) steps into the ring at a pivotal stage of his career. Nicknamed “Mex” for his relentless, pressure-heavy style inspired by Mexican boxing traditions, the Angarsk-born fighter has rapidly established himself as a serious threat in the 154-pound division. After a second-round stoppage of Jorge Fortea, Sosulin now sets his sights on the global stage. The opponent has changed, but the mission remains the same. Sosulin now faces Nagbe, who accepted this high-stakes challenge on just two weeks’ notice. Nagbe brings a legitimate arsenal capable of upsetting the home favorite. A decorated kickboxer, Nagbe also boasts a solid professional boxing record of 12-2 with 6 KOs. Short notice notwithstanding, he arrives with finishing power, elite combat experience, and the kind of unpredictability that can turn a main event on its head.
The co-feature is shaping up to be a tactical light heavyweight battle between Vladimir Mironchikov (7-0, 6 KOs) and Ulugbek Sobirov (17-5, 10 KOs). Mironchikov — a world championship bronze medalist and Mediterranean Games champion representing Serbia, has built a reputation for clinical power and composure. His recent three-round stoppage of David Ferko in Turin confirmed his readiness for championship gold. He faces Sobirov, a product of the renowned Uzbek boxing school who brings immense resilience. Having previously gone the distance with amateur world champion Dzhambulat Bizhamov, Sobirov represents the sternest test of Mironchikov’s professional career to date.
The undercard adds further depth to this event. Junior welterweight Ilya Popov (3-0), a reigning amateur world champion, faces Kazakhstan’s Nurtas Azhbenov (14-1) in a significant step up in competition... Local favorite Eduard Savvin is also back in action, taking on Namibian knockout specialist Aime “Avatar” Malungilua.
The Saint Petersburg card is rounded out by a series of compelling cross-border contests featuring hungry prospects and seasoned challengers:
Sergey Koldenkov vs. Abel Lima;
Nikita Kuzmin vs. Vakhtang Harutunian;
Tamerlan Ozdoev vs. Dastan Saaduly; and
Sergey Murachev vs. Khalimzhon Mamosoliev.
|
|
|
|
IBA plans March 12th St. Petersburg show
On March 12th, the IBA returns to Saint Petersburg with an international fight card headlined by a junior middleweight clash between Pavel Sosulin and Liberian-born Victor Nagbe. Sosulin (16-0, 8 KOs including World Series of Boxing and IBA pro bouts) steps into the ring at a pivotal stage of his career. Nicknamed “Mex” for his relentless, pressure-heavy style inspired by Mexican boxing traditions, the Angarsk-born fighter has rapidly established himself as a serious threat in the 154-pound division. After a second-round stoppage of Jorge Fortea, Sosulin now sets his sights on the global stage. The opponent has changed, but the mission remains the same. Sosulin now faces Nagbe, who accepted this high-stakes challenge on just two weeks’ notice. Nagbe brings a legitimate arsenal capable of upsetting the home favorite. A decorated kickboxer, Nagbe also boasts a solid professional boxing record of 12-2 with 6 KOs. Short notice notwithstanding, he arrives with finishing power, elite combat experience, and the kind of unpredictability that can turn a main event on its head.
The co-feature is shaping up to be a tactical light heavyweight battle between Vladimir Mironchikov (7-0, 6 KOs) and Ulugbek Sobirov (17-5, 10 KOs). Mironchikov — a world championship bronze medalist and Mediterranean Games champion representing Serbia, has built a reputation for clinical power and composure. His recent three-round stoppage of David Ferko in Turin confirmed his readiness for championship gold. He faces Sobirov, a product of the renowned Uzbek boxing school who brings immense resilience. Having previously gone the distance with amateur world champion Dzhambulat Bizhamov, Sobirov represents the sternest test of Mironchikov’s professional career to date.
The undercard adds further depth to this event. Junior welterweight Ilya Popov (3-0), a reigning amateur world champion, faces Kazakhstan’s Nurtas Azhbenov (14-1) in a significant step up in competition... Local favorite Eduard Savvin is also back in action, taking on Namibian knockout specialist Aime “Avatar” Malungilua.
The Saint Petersburg card is rounded out by a series of compelling cross-border contests featuring hungry prospects and seasoned challengers:
Sergey Koldenkov vs. Abel Lima;
Nikita Kuzmin vs. Vakhtang Harutunian;
Tamerlan Ozdoev vs. Dastan Saaduly; and
Sergey Murachev vs. Khalimzhon Mamosoliev.
|
Star Boxing's night of knockouts |
|
Jahi Tucker TKO6 Sona Akale... Star Boxing delivered another edition of its long-running “Rockin’ Fights” series at The Paramount in Huntington (Long Island), New York. In the ten-round middleweight main event, Long Island’s Jahi Tucker faced Minnesota's Sona Akale in a high-energy contest from the opening bell. Both fighters were willing to exchange early, with Tucker showcasing crisp combinations and Akale firing back with looping shots. Tucker was deducted a point in the third round for low blows but continued pressing the action. In the sixth round, Tucker unleashed a sustained flurry that forced referee Arthur Mercante Jr. to step in and stop the contest as Akale was backed to the ropes. Akale protested, but the stoppage stood. With the victory, Tucker improves to 16-1-1 (7 KOs). Akale falls to 10-5 (5 KOs).
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Elmont, NY’s fighting marine veteran Peter “Voodoo” Latorre won his Paramount debut against Jose Edgardo Perdomo in a scheduled six-round welterweight bout. Perdomo entered the contest fresh off a knockout victory over previously undefeated Micky Scala at Rockin’ Fights 52 and was expected to test the undefeated Latorre, but Latorre had other plans. Working behind his jab and mixing head and body shots, Latorre trapped Perdomo in the corner and landed a textbook one-two combination that ended the bout instantly. The official time was 1:09 of round one. Latorre improves to 6-0 (6 KOs), while Perdomo drops to 10-10 (6 KOs).
In heavyweight action, Piotr Lacz squared off against Dominique “The Giant Killa” Valera in a scheduled eight-round contest. Both men came forward at the opening bell exchanging heavy shots. Valera landed a sharp uppercut that briefly stunned the undefeated Polish fighter, but Lacz quickly regained control. After connecting with a powerful right hand, Lacz forced Valera into the corner and unleashed a barrage. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in to stop the bout at 2:08 of round one. Valera protested the stoppage, but the result was official. Lacz advances to 15-0-1 (11 KOs). Valera falls to 9-2-2 (5 KOs).
Opening the evening, Long Island’s hard-hitting light heavyweight Ralph “The Great Ape” Clemente wasted no time making an impression in his Paramount debut against Thomas Turner in a scheduled four-round bout. Turner attempted to establish his jab early, but Clemente walked him down and landed a right hand that sent Turner to the canvas. After Turner beat the count, Clemente delivered a thunderous overhand right that flattened him. The referee waved off the bout at 1:07 of round one as medical personnel immediately attended to Turner. Clemente improves to 3-0 (3 KOs). Turner drops to 1-2.
“This is exactly what Rockin’ Fights was built for: explosive performances, dramatic moments, and fighters seizing their opportunity on a big stage,” said CEO/President, Joe DeGuardia. “Four knockouts, four Paramount debuts, and a crowd that brought incredible energy from the opening bell. Tucker showed why he’s climbing the rankings, Latorre continues to prove he’s a force, Lacz demonstrated composure under fire, and Clemente set the tone with authority. It was a special night for Star Boxing and for the fans.”
|
|
|
|
Star Boxing's night of knockouts
Jahi Tucker TKO6 Sona Akale... Star Boxing delivered another edition of its long-running “Rockin’ Fights” series at The Paramount in Huntington (Long Island), New York. In the ten-round middleweight main event, Long Island’s Jahi Tucker faced Minnesota's Sona Akale in a high-energy contest from the opening bell. Both fighters were willing to exchange early, with Tucker showcasing crisp combinations and Akale firing back with looping shots. Tucker was deducted a point in the third round for low blows but continued pressing the action. In the sixth round, Tucker unleashed a sustained flurry that forced referee Arthur Mercante Jr. to step in and stop the contest as Akale was backed to the ropes. Akale protested, but the stoppage stood. With the victory, Tucker improves to 16-1-1 (7 KOs). Akale falls to 10-5 (5 KOs).
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Elmont, NY’s fighting marine veteran Peter “Voodoo” Latorre won his Paramount debut against Jose Edgardo Perdomo in a scheduled six-round welterweight bout. Perdomo entered the contest fresh off a knockout victory over previously undefeated Micky Scala at Rockin’ Fights 52 and was expected to test the undefeated Latorre, but Latorre had other plans. Working behind his jab and mixing head and body shots, Latorre trapped Perdomo in the corner and landed a textbook one-two combination that ended the bout instantly. The official time was 1:09 of round one. Latorre improves to 6-0 (6 KOs), while Perdomo drops to 10-10 (6 KOs).
In heavyweight action, Piotr Lacz squared off against Dominique “The Giant Killa” Valera in a scheduled eight-round contest. Both men came forward at the opening bell exchanging heavy shots. Valera landed a sharp uppercut that briefly stunned the undefeated Polish fighter, but Lacz quickly regained control. After connecting with a powerful right hand, Lacz forced Valera into the corner and unleashed a barrage. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in to stop the bout at 2:08 of round one. Valera protested the stoppage, but the result was official. Lacz advances to 15-0-1 (11 KOs). Valera falls to 9-2-2 (5 KOs).
Opening the evening, Long Island’s hard-hitting light heavyweight Ralph “The Great Ape” Clemente wasted no time making an impression in his Paramount debut against Thomas Turner in a scheduled four-round bout. Turner attempted to establish his jab early, but Clemente walked him down and landed a right hand that sent Turner to the canvas. After Turner beat the count, Clemente delivered a thunderous overhand right that flattened him. The referee waved off the bout at 1:07 of round one as medical personnel immediately attended to Turner. Clemente improves to 3-0 (3 KOs). Turner drops to 1-2.
“This is exactly what Rockin’ Fights was built for: explosive performances, dramatic moments, and fighters seizing their opportunity on a big stage,” said CEO/President, Joe DeGuardia. “Four knockouts, four Paramount debuts, and a crowd that brought incredible energy from the opening bell. Tucker showed why he’s climbing the rankings, Latorre continues to prove he’s a force, Lacz demonstrated composure under fire, and Clemente set the tone with authority. It was a special night for Star Boxing and for the fans.”
|
ProBox results from Texas |
|
Ruben Aguilar TKO8 Luis Lopez ... Ruben “El Pollito” Aguilar looked ready for another step up in the 147-pound division while dismantling normally durable Luis Lopez over eight brutal rounds. Fighting on ProBoxTV’s latest broadcast from College Park Center at the University of Texas in Arlington, Aguilar (24-0-1, 21 KOs) of Baja California, Mexico, made it look mostly easy against Lopez (16-3-4, 5 KOs) from Corona, California. Normally a test for any welterweight, Lopez was simply no match for the freakishly heavy hands of the tall and lanky 25-year-old Aguilar who pounded away with impunity while brushing off Lopez’s return offerings with little effort. A proven road warrior with an iron chin, Lopez surprisingly went down from a strong Aguilar right hand in round two. Lopez also suffered a serious cut from a clash of heads on his left eye in round four. After eight punishing rounds, with little to no hope of winning and the damage piling up, Lopez’s corner pulled him from the fight before round nine. The official verdict is a TKO 8 at the 3:00 mark.
Edward Vazquez TKO6 Grimardi Machuca ... Former world title challenger Edward “Kid” Vazquez (18-3, 5 KOs) of Fort Worth, surgically dismantled Venezuela’s Grimardi Machuca (17-3, 14 KOs) over five dominant rounds in the junior lightweight division. After an opening round of study, a pressuring Vazquez started throwing short pinpoint counters between the South American opponent’s gloves that landed cleanly, almost at will. Vazquez hurt Machuca in round two, sending him stumbling with a compact left hook to the temple. The beating grew more severe in its intensity with each passing round until a battered Machuca wisely elected not to come out for round six. Fighting in front of his hometown fans, Vazquez put in a nearly flawless performance and reasserted himself in the division. Per Texas commission rules, the official result is a technical knockout at 10 seconds of the sixth round.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Junior lightweight Xavier “The X Man” Bocanegra (10-0, 7 KOs) of Donna, Texas, stayed undefeated with a well-fought six-round unanimous decision over a capable Malik Lewis (8-3, 5 KOs) of Miami. Lewis had a good first round fighting behind a snapping jab. Bocanegra’s more powerful offense found increased success in round two. A closely fought third round was followed by a good action fourth, where both men took turns catching each other with well-placed shots. Bocanegra’s youth and work rate appeared to be wearing on Lewis in rounds five and six and he was able to pull away in a good duel between skilled pro technicians. The scores were 60-54 (twice) and 59-55 for the 22-year-old Texas prospect Bocanegra.
Eight-time national amateur champion Emilio Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs) of Laredo, Texas, made quick work of local welterweight fighter Ociel Vazquez (2-3, 2 KOs) Dallas, Texas, stopping him at 2:15 of round one. A left hook to the body and then one to the head dropped Vazquez hard and a quick follow-up prompted the Vazquez corner to throw in the towel before their man could get seriously hurt.
Promising 21 year-old lightweight Amador Mendez (7-0, 4 KOs) of Austin, Texas, showed his potential while stopping iron-willed but out-gunned opponent Anibal Luna (3-2, 1 KOs) of Montevideo, Uruguay, in five one-sided rounds. True to form, the fan-friendly Mendez came out sharpshooting and dropped Luna with a perfect right uppercut with a minute left in the opening round. To his credit, the gritty South American Luna rose and made it out of the round. For his display of toughness, Luna was rewarded with four more rounds of beating. Finally in round five, Mendez stepped it up and got the stoppage from Referee Laurence Cole at 1:11 of round five just as Luna sunk to the canvas for a second time.
In yet another ProBoxTV classic slugfest, Dallas-based super bantamweight Figo “La Maquina” Ramirez (10-0-1, 4 KOs) won an action-packed and razor-thin six-round split decision over Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico’s Alejandro Mejia Martinez (5-3, 1 KO). After a pair of good rounds for Ramirez to open the bout, the action heated up in round three with both men abandoning technique in favor of taking turns landing heavy shots to each other’s head and body. Out of nowhere, Martinez hurt Ramirez with a left to the body midway through round four that took his wind and doubled him over. Martinez took full advantage and battered the obviously hurt Ramirez relentlessly for the rest of the round, very nearly pulling off a stoppage victory. Showing a serious amount of heart, Ramirez mounted a comeback in rounds five and six, landing the sharper punches amidst the now all-out war between the pair. The two sluggers ended the outstanding fight trading power punches, toe-to-toe, in ring center. A score of 58-56 Martinez was overruled by two 58-56 tallies for Alvarez. The Texas crowd deservedly cheered both fighters.
In the televised opener, former amateur star Ranulfo Bocanegra (5-0, 2 KOs) of Donna, Texas, dominated his four-round super featherweight bout against ultra-tough veteran Kevin “El Negro” Nunez (10-14-1, 2 KOs) of Mexico. The ruthless 20-year-old Bocanegra, who won his last outing with a vicious body-shot stoppage, hurt Nunez with a left to the liver midway through the first and went on to connect with a series of slashing power punches throughout on his iron-chinned foe. The onslaught was nearly non-stop, with Bocanegra landing several lead left hooks that drew “oohs and ahhhs” out of the knowledgeable Texas crowd. A true journeyman warrior, Nunez hung in tough with his taller and younger opponent and never stopped trying, but by the fourth and final round, his left eye had suffered serious damage along with possible orbital bone and nasal fractures. The unanimous decision for Bocanegra was scored 40-36 by all three judges.
|
|
|
|
ProBox results from Texas
Ruben Aguilar TKO8 Luis Lopez ... Ruben “El Pollito” Aguilar looked ready for another step up in the 147-pound division while dismantling normally durable Luis Lopez over eight brutal rounds. Fighting on ProBoxTV’s latest broadcast from College Park Center at the University of Texas in Arlington, Aguilar (24-0-1, 21 KOs) of Baja California, Mexico, made it look mostly easy against Lopez (16-3-4, 5 KOs) from Corona, California. Normally a test for any welterweight, Lopez was simply no match for the freakishly heavy hands of the tall and lanky 25-year-old Aguilar who pounded away with impunity while brushing off Lopez’s return offerings with little effort. A proven road warrior with an iron chin, Lopez surprisingly went down from a strong Aguilar right hand in round two. Lopez also suffered a serious cut from a clash of heads on his left eye in round four. After eight punishing rounds, with little to no hope of winning and the damage piling up, Lopez’s corner pulled him from the fight before round nine. The official verdict is a TKO 8 at the 3:00 mark.
Edward Vazquez TKO6 Grimardi Machuca ... Former world title challenger Edward “Kid” Vazquez (18-3, 5 KOs) of Fort Worth, surgically dismantled Venezuela’s Grimardi Machuca (17-3, 14 KOs) over five dominant rounds in the junior lightweight division. After an opening round of study, a pressuring Vazquez started throwing short pinpoint counters between the South American opponent’s gloves that landed cleanly, almost at will. Vazquez hurt Machuca in round two, sending him stumbling with a compact left hook to the temple. The beating grew more severe in its intensity with each passing round until a battered Machuca wisely elected not to come out for round six. Fighting in front of his hometown fans, Vazquez put in a nearly flawless performance and reasserted himself in the division. Per Texas commission rules, the official result is a technical knockout at 10 seconds of the sixth round.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Junior lightweight Xavier “The X Man” Bocanegra (10-0, 7 KOs) of Donna, Texas, stayed undefeated with a well-fought six-round unanimous decision over a capable Malik Lewis (8-3, 5 KOs) of Miami. Lewis had a good first round fighting behind a snapping jab. Bocanegra’s more powerful offense found increased success in round two. A closely fought third round was followed by a good action fourth, where both men took turns catching each other with well-placed shots. Bocanegra’s youth and work rate appeared to be wearing on Lewis in rounds five and six and he was able to pull away in a good duel between skilled pro technicians. The scores were 60-54 (twice) and 59-55 for the 22-year-old Texas prospect Bocanegra.
Eight-time national amateur champion Emilio Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs) of Laredo, Texas, made quick work of local welterweight fighter Ociel Vazquez (2-3, 2 KOs) Dallas, Texas, stopping him at 2:15 of round one. A left hook to the body and then one to the head dropped Vazquez hard and a quick follow-up prompted the Vazquez corner to throw in the towel before their man could get seriously hurt.
Promising 21 year-old lightweight Amador Mendez (7-0, 4 KOs) of Austin, Texas, showed his potential while stopping iron-willed but out-gunned opponent Anibal Luna (3-2, 1 KOs) of Montevideo, Uruguay, in five one-sided rounds. True to form, the fan-friendly Mendez came out sharpshooting and dropped Luna with a perfect right uppercut with a minute left in the opening round. To his credit, the gritty South American Luna rose and made it out of the round. For his display of toughness, Luna was rewarded with four more rounds of beating. Finally in round five, Mendez stepped it up and got the stoppage from Referee Laurence Cole at 1:11 of round five just as Luna sunk to the canvas for a second time.
In yet another ProBoxTV classic slugfest, Dallas-based super bantamweight Figo “La Maquina” Ramirez (10-0-1, 4 KOs) won an action-packed and razor-thin six-round split decision over Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico’s Alejandro Mejia Martinez (5-3, 1 KO). After a pair of good rounds for Ramirez to open the bout, the action heated up in round three with both men abandoning technique in favor of taking turns landing heavy shots to each other’s head and body. Out of nowhere, Martinez hurt Ramirez with a left to the body midway through round four that took his wind and doubled him over. Martinez took full advantage and battered the obviously hurt Ramirez relentlessly for the rest of the round, very nearly pulling off a stoppage victory. Showing a serious amount of heart, Ramirez mounted a comeback in rounds five and six, landing the sharper punches amidst the now all-out war between the pair. The two sluggers ended the outstanding fight trading power punches, toe-to-toe, in ring center. A score of 58-56 Martinez was overruled by two 58-56 tallies for Alvarez. The Texas crowd deservedly cheered both fighters.
In the televised opener, former amateur star Ranulfo Bocanegra (5-0, 2 KOs) of Donna, Texas, dominated his four-round super featherweight bout against ultra-tough veteran Kevin “El Negro” Nunez (10-14-1, 2 KOs) of Mexico. The ruthless 20-year-old Bocanegra, who won his last outing with a vicious body-shot stoppage, hurt Nunez with a left to the liver midway through the first and went on to connect with a series of slashing power punches throughout on his iron-chinned foe. The onslaught was nearly non-stop, with Bocanegra landing several lead left hooks that drew “oohs and ahhhs” out of the knowledgeable Texas crowd. A true journeyman warrior, Nunez hung in tough with his taller and younger opponent and never stopped trying, but by the fourth and final round, his left eye had suffered serious damage along with possible orbital bone and nasal fractures. The unanimous decision for Bocanegra was scored 40-36 by all three judges.
|
Oleksandr Usyk to face kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt |
|
On May 23rd, world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will box former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven at the pyramids in Egypt, live worldwide on DAZN.bUsyk and Verhoeven's upcoming bout, dubbed "Glory in Giza," was announced on Friday by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine. The unique setting matches boxing's current heavyweight ruler against one of the most prolific kickboxers of all time, with Verhoeven having held the Glory heavyweight title longer than anyone else in the promotion's history. Verhoeven returns to boxing after a twelve-year absence, and he meets the undefeated Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) with gold on the line.
“I truly respect people who reach the very top in their sport. Rico is one of them — a powerful athlete and a great champion," Usyk said in a statement. "Being a champion isn’t just about belts. It’s about years of hard work, discipline, and belief. I respect his journey — he’s truly the King of Kickboxing. But this is boxing — a different game, with its own rules and its own kings. I’m ready and really looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming!”
Verhoeven (1-0, 1 KO) acknowledged the challenge he has put in front of himself, and he is betting on himself against the two-weight undisputed boxing champion. “I spent twelve years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish," Verhoeven said. "But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away the hunger, it strengthened it. I wasn’t looking for comfort, so I started looking for the highest challenge available in another world. Usyk is undisputed in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivates me. Undisputed versus undisputed. The best facing the best.”
|
|
|
|
Oleksandr Usyk to face kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt
On May 23rd, world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will box former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven at the pyramids in Egypt, live worldwide on DAZN.bUsyk and Verhoeven's upcoming bout, dubbed "Glory in Giza," was announced on Friday by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine. The unique setting matches boxing's current heavyweight ruler against one of the most prolific kickboxers of all time, with Verhoeven having held the Glory heavyweight title longer than anyone else in the promotion's history. Verhoeven returns to boxing after a twelve-year absence, and he meets the undefeated Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) with gold on the line.
“I truly respect people who reach the very top in their sport. Rico is one of them — a powerful athlete and a great champion," Usyk said in a statement. "Being a champion isn’t just about belts. It’s about years of hard work, discipline, and belief. I respect his journey — he’s truly the King of Kickboxing. But this is boxing — a different game, with its own rules and its own kings. I’m ready and really looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming!”
Verhoeven (1-0, 1 KO) acknowledged the challenge he has put in front of himself, and he is betting on himself against the two-weight undisputed boxing champion. “I spent twelve years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish," Verhoeven said. "But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away the hunger, it strengthened it. I wasn’t looking for comfort, so I started looking for the highest challenge available in another world. Usyk is undisputed in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivates me. Undisputed versus undisputed. The best facing the best.”
|
Robeisy Ramirez declares free agency |
|
Former WBO featherweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez has declared promotional free agency. He tweeted, "My promotional contract has expired. I believe this change will be good for my career and the opportunities ahead. I appreciate the last six years and wish Top Rank success as they sort out their next chapter." Ramirez has not fought since a December 2024 loss to current WBO monarch Rafael Espinoza.
|
|
|
|
Robeisy Ramirez declares free agency
Former WBO featherweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez has declared promotional free agency. He tweeted, "My promotional contract has expired. I believe this change will be good for my career and the opportunities ahead. I appreciate the last six years and wish Top Rank success as they sort out their next chapter." Ramirez has not fought since a December 2024 loss to current WBO monarch Rafael Espinoza.
|
Spotlight on Saturday's Navarrete vs. Nunez unification bout |
|
|
The junior lightweight division is going to heat up Saturday night when Emanuel Navarrete (pictured) and Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez fight in what is bound to be an all-action title unification bout at Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, and live on DAZN. Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs), the WBO champion, is coming off a controversial no contest with Charly Suarez in May. Navarrete was originally awarded a technical decision after a ringside doctor ended the fight due to a cut over the Mexican fighter’s left eye. But it was ruled that the referee incorrectly deemed the cut was caused by a headbutt, when it was really opened up due to a punch, thus changing the verdict to a no contest. If he is to notch his 40th professional victory, Navarrete will have to overcome the power of IBF titleholder Nunez (29-1, 27 KOs) who last scored a unanimous decision over Christopher Diaz in September. Will Navarrete’s high volume of punching lead to the first championship unification of his career? Or will Nunez walk exit with two titles in tow? DAZN News examines who has the edge in this high-stakes matchup.
Boxing Styles: Navarrete and Nunez each let their hands fly in different ways. Navarrete is one to apply pressure with volume, leading with a long jab but more than willing to attach looping left uppercuts and sweeping right hands as stinging combinations. Meanwhile, Nunez does not waste time walking opponents down and ripping the body with punishing shots. He is also equipped with a corkscrew uppercut that he manages to leverage with maximum impact due to its compact delivery. This clash of styles is truly intriguing with the slightest edge going to Navarrete on the strength of his four-inch reach advantage which could be used to pick off an incoming Nunez if executed efficiently. Edge: Navarrete
Power: From the way he ravages the body or throws his uppercuts and hooks with blunt force, ‘Sugar’ Nunez does not have any sweetness to his style, especially his power. The IBF titleholder is a mean, ferocious puncher as evidenced by 27 of his 29 wins coming by way of knockout. Navarrete has power too with 32 of his 39 wins coming by knockout. Nunez’ power is on another level, though. He takes this category comfortably. Edge: Nunez
Mental Warfare: Navarrete has fought against the likes of Oscar Valdez twice, Denys Berinchyk, Robson Conceicao and Joet Gonzalez to name a few. With those fights come plenty of experience and confidence that ‘Vaquero’ has accrued over the years. Nunez is brimming with confidence of his own as an absolute terror for any man sharing the ring with him. But perhaps Navarrete, who has dealt with unrelenting stalking fighters before, has the savvy to curb Nunez. He has the rounds of experience to draw from and gets another slight nod here. Edge: Navarrete
Who has the edge in Navarrete vs. Nunez? Whether Navarrete is successful teeing off on Nunez with hard combinations or Nunez throws ‘Vaquero’ into the pressure cooker, this matchup stylistically should be about as fan-pleasing as any fight this year. Despite Nunez being installed as the favorite by most oddsmakers, Navarrete has the hard-hitting guile to have his hand raised. But it certainly feels like a 50-50 fight. Will one of these all-action fighters stop the other? Or will they throw hands and go the distance? We are about to find out.
|
|
|
|
Spotlight on Saturday's Navarrete vs. Nunez unification bout
The junior lightweight division is going to heat up Saturday night when Emanuel Navarrete (pictured) and Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez fight in what is bound to be an all-action title unification bout at Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, and live on DAZN. Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs), the WBO champion, is coming off a controversial no contest with Charly Suarez in May. Navarrete was originally awarded a technical decision after a ringside doctor ended the fight due to a cut over the Mexican fighter’s left eye. But it was ruled that the referee incorrectly deemed the cut was caused by a headbutt, when it was really opened up due to a punch, thus changing the verdict to a no contest. If he is to notch his 40th professional victory, Navarrete will have to overcome the power of IBF titleholder Nunez (29-1, 27 KOs) who last scored a unanimous decision over Christopher Diaz in September. Will Navarrete’s high volume of punching lead to the first championship unification of his career? Or will Nunez walk exit with two titles in tow? DAZN News examines who has the edge in this high-stakes matchup.
Boxing Styles: Navarrete and Nunez each let their hands fly in different ways. Navarrete is one to apply pressure with volume, leading with a long jab but more than willing to attach looping left uppercuts and sweeping right hands as stinging combinations. Meanwhile, Nunez does not waste time walking opponents down and ripping the body with punishing shots. He is also equipped with a corkscrew uppercut that he manages to leverage with maximum impact due to its compact delivery. This clash of styles is truly intriguing with the slightest edge going to Navarrete on the strength of his four-inch reach advantage which could be used to pick off an incoming Nunez if executed efficiently. Edge: Navarrete
Power: From the way he ravages the body or throws his uppercuts and hooks with blunt force, ‘Sugar’ Nunez does not have any sweetness to his style, especially his power. The IBF titleholder is a mean, ferocious puncher as evidenced by 27 of his 29 wins coming by way of knockout. Navarrete has power too with 32 of his 39 wins coming by knockout. Nunez’ power is on another level, though. He takes this category comfortably. Edge: Nunez
Mental Warfare: Navarrete has fought against the likes of Oscar Valdez twice, Denys Berinchyk, Robson Conceicao and Joet Gonzalez to name a few. With those fights come plenty of experience and confidence that ‘Vaquero’ has accrued over the years. Nunez is brimming with confidence of his own as an absolute terror for any man sharing the ring with him. But perhaps Navarrete, who has dealt with unrelenting stalking fighters before, has the savvy to curb Nunez. He has the rounds of experience to draw from and gets another slight nod here. Edge: Navarrete
Who has the edge in Navarrete vs. Nunez? Whether Navarrete is successful teeing off on Nunez with hard combinations or Nunez throws ‘Vaquero’ into the pressure cooker, this matchup stylistically should be about as fan-pleasing as any fight this year. Despite Nunez being installed as the favorite by most oddsmakers, Navarrete has the hard-hitting guile to have his hand raised. But it certainly feels like a 50-50 fight. Will one of these all-action fighters stop the other? Or will they throw hands and go the distance? We are about to find out.
|
Smith hopes win over Morrell leads to shot at Bivol |
|
Ex-super middleweight chmpion Callum Smith believes the long and winding road back to Liverpool will guide him to the ultimate fight in the light heavyweight division against world champion Dmitry Bivol. The 35 year-old Smith is determined to realize his dream of becoming a two-weight champion and faces David Morrell in a mega-fight at the City’s M&S Bank Arena on Saturday, April 18th – live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN – for the WBO Interim Title. And ‘Mundo’ Smith, part of the famous Scouse Smith fighting family, knows he faces a challenging night in front of his Merseyside faithful when he collides with his Cuban rival – but is ready to put on a performance worthy of his first on Merseyside for six years.
“This fight has been long overdue,” said Smith, speaking to Matchroom Boxing. “Obviously I’ve come off of a good win [against Joshua Buatsi] and didn’t expect to be out of the ring for this long. But it’s a good fight and a fight I am really looking forward to. It’s nice to finally see my own face on a fight poster and get confirmation it’s happening. So it’s going well and I am looking forward to putting on a performance.
“It was 2019 the last time I fought in Liverpool, so I’m excited to be boxing again in front of my own fans. I’ve enjoyed fighting all over the world, but this one is long overdue to be back. I’m a big fan of fighting abroad, but nothing beats fighting in front of your own in Liverpool. It’s a big fight and a big fight to bring back to the City, so I’m sure they will all get behind myself and the other fighters on the card. Hopefully we can get a great crowd there for it.”
Tickets are officially on General Sale now with promoter, and Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn expecting a bumper crowd following the exciting undercard additions of Peter and Joe McGrail (who faces Aaron Hayden), Molly McCann’s first Boxing fight on Merseyside as she takes on Ashleigh Johnson, plus young Heavyweight sensation Leo Atang and popular Runcorn Middleweight Jack Power.
Smith is confident he will do the business – but knows Morrell is coming with the intention of spoiling his homecoming parade. “He [David Morrell] is a good fighter with good skills,” said Smith. “He has good experience and has fought at a good level since his second or third fight in, which shows just how good a fighter he is. So he is going to pose some problems for me. But I believe I can beat anyone in the world, and the goal for me is still the same to become a two-weight World Champion. To do that, I need to beat David Morrell. Stylistically, I think it will be a very good fight to watch and we should gel pretty well. But it is a fight that I fully expect to come out on top.”
Although Smith does not want to underestimate Morrell by looking too far ahead, he concedes that he does have another mega-fight on his mind – in a dream match with Dmitry Bivol. “For the time being, Dmitry Bivol is the man in the division,” added Smith. “He’s got most of the belts, so it all depends on what he is going to do. For the winner of this fight, they could fight him or get elevated for the belt. I wouldn’t mind either option, to be honest with you!
“To become a world champion again is the biggest goal of mine. But ideally I would love to fight the man in Dmitry Bivol. He’s a great fighter and someone who I have shared the ring with as an amateur for a long time, so he’s someone I would love to fight as a pro. I think our styles will make a great fight. So, there is a big carrot dangling – but I know I just need to beat David Morrell first. The wait for this fight has taken a little longer than I would have expected but I am very confident that I will win and go on to become a two-weight world champion.”
|
|
|
|
Smith hopes win over Morrell leads to shot at Bivol
Ex-super middleweight chmpion Callum Smith believes the long and winding road back to Liverpool will guide him to the ultimate fight in the light heavyweight division against world champion Dmitry Bivol. The 35 year-old Smith is determined to realize his dream of becoming a two-weight champion and faces David Morrell in a mega-fight at the City’s M&S Bank Arena on Saturday, April 18th – live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN – for the WBO Interim Title. And ‘Mundo’ Smith, part of the famous Scouse Smith fighting family, knows he faces a challenging night in front of his Merseyside faithful when he collides with his Cuban rival – but is ready to put on a performance worthy of his first on Merseyside for six years.
“This fight has been long overdue,” said Smith, speaking to Matchroom Boxing. “Obviously I’ve come off of a good win [against Joshua Buatsi] and didn’t expect to be out of the ring for this long. But it’s a good fight and a fight I am really looking forward to. It’s nice to finally see my own face on a fight poster and get confirmation it’s happening. So it’s going well and I am looking forward to putting on a performance.
“It was 2019 the last time I fought in Liverpool, so I’m excited to be boxing again in front of my own fans. I’ve enjoyed fighting all over the world, but this one is long overdue to be back. I’m a big fan of fighting abroad, but nothing beats fighting in front of your own in Liverpool. It’s a big fight and a big fight to bring back to the City, so I’m sure they will all get behind myself and the other fighters on the card. Hopefully we can get a great crowd there for it.”
Tickets are officially on General Sale now with promoter, and Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn expecting a bumper crowd following the exciting undercard additions of Peter and Joe McGrail (who faces Aaron Hayden), Molly McCann’s first Boxing fight on Merseyside as she takes on Ashleigh Johnson, plus young Heavyweight sensation Leo Atang and popular Runcorn Middleweight Jack Power.
Smith is confident he will do the business – but knows Morrell is coming with the intention of spoiling his homecoming parade. “He [David Morrell] is a good fighter with good skills,” said Smith. “He has good experience and has fought at a good level since his second or third fight in, which shows just how good a fighter he is. So he is going to pose some problems for me. But I believe I can beat anyone in the world, and the goal for me is still the same to become a two-weight World Champion. To do that, I need to beat David Morrell. Stylistically, I think it will be a very good fight to watch and we should gel pretty well. But it is a fight that I fully expect to come out on top.”
Although Smith does not want to underestimate Morrell by looking too far ahead, he concedes that he does have another mega-fight on his mind – in a dream match with Dmitry Bivol. “For the time being, Dmitry Bivol is the man in the division,” added Smith. “He’s got most of the belts, so it all depends on what he is going to do. For the winner of this fight, they could fight him or get elevated for the belt. I wouldn’t mind either option, to be honest with you!
“To become a world champion again is the biggest goal of mine. But ideally I would love to fight the man in Dmitry Bivol. He’s a great fighter and someone who I have shared the ring with as an amateur for a long time, so he’s someone I would love to fight as a pro. I think our styles will make a great fight. So, there is a big carrot dangling – but I know I just need to beat David Morrell first. The wait for this fight has taken a little longer than I would have expected but I am very confident that I will win and go on to become a two-weight world champion.”
|
Star Boxing show set for Saturday in New York |
|
|
Fight night arrives in Huntington (Long Island), New York on Saturday, February 28th. Headlining the Star Boxing show is a ten-round main event in the middleweight division. New York’s Jahi Tucker (15-1-1, 6 KOs) makes his Paramount debut and looks to climb the rankings, facing Minnesota’s Sona Akale (10-4, 5 KOs).
|
|
|
|
Star Boxing show set for Saturday in New York
Fight night arrives in Huntington (Long Island), New York on Saturday, February 28th. Headlining the Star Boxing show is a ten-round main event in the middleweight division. New York’s Jahi Tucker (15-1-1, 6 KOs) makes his Paramount debut and looks to climb the rankings, facing Minnesota’s Sona Akale (10-4, 5 KOs).
|
Weigh-in results from Arlington, Texas |
|
Here are the boxers' weights for Friday's ProBoxTV show at the University of Texas in Arlington:
Edward Vazquez 129.8 pounds vs. Grimardi Machuca 130.8;
Ruben Eduardo Aguilar 146 vs. Luis Lopez 146.6;
Xavier Bocanegra 130 vs. Malik Lewis 128.2;
Emilio Garcia 145.8 vs. Ociel Vazquez 146;
Hugo Amador Mendez 136.8 vs. Christian Anibal Luna 138.4;
Ranulfo Bocanegra 129.6 vs. Kevin Ronquillo Nunez 132.8;
Damylo Scott 130.8 vs. Polk Jacquez 137.6;
Jahyden Franklin Britton 177 vs. Symari Alexander 181.2;
Figo Ramirez 121.4 vs. Antonio Alejandro Mejia Martinez 120.2;
Alex Holley 153.4 vs. Ignacio Peralta 150; and
Javier Guerrero Cruz 152.6 vs. Linomar Rios-Santiago 152.4.
Venue: College Park Center in the University of Texas in Arlington
TV: ProBoxTV 7:00 pm EST
Promoters: Garry Jonas (Pro Box Promotions), Sampson Lewkowicz (Sampson Boxing)
Matchmakers: Ramiro Hernandez, Daniel Rubin
Tickets: available from UTATickets.com or by clicking HERE.
Two-time title challenger Edward Vazquez (18-3, 5 KOs) makes his homecoming against Grimardi Machuca (17-3, 14 KOs) of Camden, New Jersey, via Guarico, Venezuela, in the ten-round main event.
Welterweight Ruben Eduardo “El Pollito” Aguilar (23-0-1, 20 KOs) from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, is matched against upset specialist Luis Lopez (16-2-4, 5 KOs) from Corona, California in the ten-round co-feature.
|
|
|
|
Weigh-in results from Arlington, Texas
Here are the boxers' weights for Friday's ProBoxTV show at the University of Texas in Arlington:
Edward Vazquez 129.8 pounds vs. Grimardi Machuca 130.8;
Ruben Eduardo Aguilar 146 vs. Luis Lopez 146.6;
Xavier Bocanegra 130 vs. Malik Lewis 128.2;
Emilio Garcia 145.8 vs. Ociel Vazquez 146;
Hugo Amador Mendez 136.8 vs. Christian Anibal Luna 138.4;
Ranulfo Bocanegra 129.6 vs. Kevin Ronquillo Nunez 132.8;
Damylo Scott 130.8 vs. Polk Jacquez 137.6;
Jahyden Franklin Britton 177 vs. Symari Alexander 181.2;
Figo Ramirez 121.4 vs. Antonio Alejandro Mejia Martinez 120.2;
Alex Holley 153.4 vs. Ignacio Peralta 150; and
Javier Guerrero Cruz 152.6 vs. Linomar Rios-Santiago 152.4.
Venue: College Park Center in the University of Texas in Arlington
TV: ProBoxTV 7:00 pm EST
Promoters: Garry Jonas (Pro Box Promotions), Sampson Lewkowicz (Sampson Boxing)
Matchmakers: Ramiro Hernandez, Daniel Rubin
Tickets: available from UTATickets.com or by clicking HERE.
Two-time title challenger Edward Vazquez (18-3, 5 KOs) makes his homecoming against Grimardi Machuca (17-3, 14 KOs) of Camden, New Jersey, via Guarico, Venezuela, in the ten-round main event.
Welterweight Ruben Eduardo “El Pollito” Aguilar (23-0-1, 20 KOs) from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, is matched against upset specialist Luis Lopez (16-2-4, 5 KOs) from Corona, California in the ten-round co-feature.
|
Roy Jones, Jr. added to Box Fan Expo roster |
|
Multi-division champion Roy Jones, Jr. will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will coincide with the mega fight between Zurdo Ramirez and David Benavidez that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Jones will hold a meet-and-greet with his fans. The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan experience event that coincides with some of the sports' legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas. Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online. Jones will be making his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise to sell. Jones joins José Luis Castillo, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more stars to be announced.
Jones is an American professional boxer who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of fame in Canastota on June 12th, 2022. Jones captured numerous championships in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a junior middleweight, and go on to win a heavyweight title. He is also noted for holding the WBC, WBA and IBF light heavyweight championships. Jones left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years. As of February 2018, Jones holds the record for the most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts in boxing history, at twelve. The Ring magazine named Jones the Fighter of the Year in 1994, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame named him the Fighter of the Year for 2003. He is also a three-time winner of the Best Boxer ESPY Award (1996, 2000, and 2003). Jones was named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
|
|
|
|
Roy Jones, Jr. added to Box Fan Expo roster
Multi-division champion Roy Jones, Jr. will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will coincide with the mega fight between Zurdo Ramirez and David Benavidez that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Jones will hold a meet-and-greet with his fans. The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan experience event that coincides with some of the sports' legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas. Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online. Jones will be making his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise to sell. Jones joins José Luis Castillo, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more stars to be announced.
Jones is an American professional boxer who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of fame in Canastota on June 12th, 2022. Jones captured numerous championships in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a junior middleweight, and go on to win a heavyweight title. He is also noted for holding the WBC, WBA and IBF light heavyweight championships. Jones left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years. As of February 2018, Jones holds the record for the most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts in boxing history, at twelve. The Ring magazine named Jones the Fighter of the Year in 1994, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame named him the Fighter of the Year for 2003. He is also a three-time winner of the Best Boxer ESPY Award (1996, 2000, and 2003). Jones was named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
|
Netflix adds Benn vs. Prograis to Fury undercard |
|
Conor “The Destroyer” Benn and Regis “Rougarou” Prograis have been added as the chief support for the upcoming heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Arsalanbek Makhmudov, live globally on Netflix on Saturday, April 11th. The event will stream live from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) returns to the ring following his headline-making appearance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year, while former two-division champion Prograis (30-3, 24 KOs) brings knockout power and championship pedigree to the stacked April card.
The main event sees former two-time heavyweight world champion Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) face fearsome puncher Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) in a high-stakes clash promoted by The Ring.
“April 11th can’t come soon enough,” Benn told Netflix. “Returning to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again, where I made history against Eubank Jr., means everything to me. My last fight there showed the world exactly who I am and what I’m about. Fighting on the biggest stages, in the biggest shows, I fear no one. I’m fully locked in and ready to deliver another statement performance.”
Benn’s confidence is met head-on by Prograis, who framed the matchup as both a professional escalation and a personal reckoning. A former world champion with knockout power and deep big-fight experience, Prograis made it clear he views the April 11 co-main event not as a showcase, but as a correction — and a chance to close the gap between past and present on his own terms.
“Last time I fought in London, Conor Benn was on my undercard,” Prograis said. “So this is a full-circle moment for me. But this circle will close with me teaching him a lesson on April 11th. He’s not fighting some weight-drained super middleweight. I am in shape and will bring home this victory.”
Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster. Fans can also visit the official Netflix title page and click Remind Me to receive a notification when the fight begins on April 11.
Additional bouts on the Fury vs. Makhmudov fight card will be announced soon.
|
|
|
|
Netflix adds Benn vs. Prograis to Fury undercard
Conor “The Destroyer” Benn and Regis “Rougarou” Prograis have been added as the chief support for the upcoming heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Arsalanbek Makhmudov, live globally on Netflix on Saturday, April 11th. The event will stream live from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) returns to the ring following his headline-making appearance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year, while former two-division champion Prograis (30-3, 24 KOs) brings knockout power and championship pedigree to the stacked April card.
The main event sees former two-time heavyweight world champion Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) face fearsome puncher Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) in a high-stakes clash promoted by The Ring.
“April 11th can’t come soon enough,” Benn told Netflix. “Returning to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again, where I made history against Eubank Jr., means everything to me. My last fight there showed the world exactly who I am and what I’m about. Fighting on the biggest stages, in the biggest shows, I fear no one. I’m fully locked in and ready to deliver another statement performance.”
Benn’s confidence is met head-on by Prograis, who framed the matchup as both a professional escalation and a personal reckoning. A former world champion with knockout power and deep big-fight experience, Prograis made it clear he views the April 11 co-main event not as a showcase, but as a correction — and a chance to close the gap between past and present on his own terms.
“Last time I fought in London, Conor Benn was on my undercard,” Prograis said. “So this is a full-circle moment for me. But this circle will close with me teaching him a lesson on April 11th. He’s not fighting some weight-drained super middleweight. I am in shape and will bring home this victory.”
Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster. Fans can also visit the official Netflix title page and click Remind Me to receive a notification when the fight begins on April 11.
Additional bouts on the Fury vs. Makhmudov fight card will be announced soon.
|
Yoka to host Okolie in Paris on April 25th |
|
Queensberry continues its international expansion on Saturday, April 25th, bringing a night of boxing to Paris’ state-of-the-art Adidas Arena will stage ‘Le Double’, a co-promotion with Samake Promotion, headlined by the nation’s two biggest boxing stars. Live worldwide on DAZN, a blockbuster heavyweight clash dubbed boxing’s own version of Le Crunch, as France faces England. Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka (pictured) returns to his home city to face former two-division title holder Lawrence Okolie (22-1, 16 KOs) in what promises to be an explosive collision. The card also features undefeated local junior middleweight Bakary Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) takes the crucial next step towards a WBC world title shot, contesting a final eliminator against unbeaten, US-based Albanian Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs).
“I am thrilled to be extending our reach to the French capital,” said promoter Frank Warren. “As in Britain and Germany, the passion for boxing in France runs deep. “In Tony Yoka and Bakary Samake, we have two major stars capable of reigniting the sport in an important and historic boxing territory. There was immense pressure on Tony when he turned professional following his Olympic success, carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. While he performed in sold-out arenas, perhaps the expectations came too soon. Now training in London, he returns as a revitalised, confident fighter, and his homecoming clash with Lawrence Okolie will be a cracker. Bakary, meanwhile, is... in a final eliminator against a tough and experienced opponent in Ermal Hadribeaj. Victory would see another French star firmly established and help secure a bright future for boxing in France.”
Yoka, 33, won Olympic gold in 2016 and turned professional the following year. After winning his first 11 bouts, he suffered three consecutive defeats but has since rebuilt his career while training in England and now enters the contest on a four-fight winning streak.
Okolie, also 33, is a two-weight champion, having won titles at cruiserweight and bridgerweight. Now campaigning at heavyweight, he has fought three times at his third professional weight. His most recent defence came against Kevin Lerena at Wembley Stadium last July.
Samake, 22, from Seine-Saint-Denis, captured the WBC Silver super welterweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of Wade Ryan in November 2024, before successfully defending the belt with an eighth-round knockout of Roarke Knapp.
Hadribeaj, 32 — known as The Albanian Sniper — lives in Miami Beach and has held the WBC International super welterweight title since November 2022, making eight successful defences. In his most recent outing, fighting in his hometown of Tirana, the southpaw earned a unanimous decision victory over Placido Ramirez.
|
|
|
|
Yoka to host Okolie in Paris on April 25th
Queensberry continues its international expansion on Saturday, April 25th, bringing a night of boxing to Paris’ state-of-the-art Adidas Arena will stage ‘Le Double’, a co-promotion with Samake Promotion, headlined by the nation’s two biggest boxing stars. Live worldwide on DAZN, a blockbuster heavyweight clash dubbed boxing’s own version of Le Crunch, as France faces England. Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka (pictured) returns to his home city to face former two-division title holder Lawrence Okolie (22-1, 16 KOs) in what promises to be an explosive collision. The card also features undefeated local junior middleweight Bakary Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) takes the crucial next step towards a WBC world title shot, contesting a final eliminator against unbeaten, US-based Albanian Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs).
“I am thrilled to be extending our reach to the French capital,” said promoter Frank Warren. “As in Britain and Germany, the passion for boxing in France runs deep. “In Tony Yoka and Bakary Samake, we have two major stars capable of reigniting the sport in an important and historic boxing territory. There was immense pressure on Tony when he turned professional following his Olympic success, carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. While he performed in sold-out arenas, perhaps the expectations came too soon. Now training in London, he returns as a revitalised, confident fighter, and his homecoming clash with Lawrence Okolie will be a cracker. Bakary, meanwhile, is... in a final eliminator against a tough and experienced opponent in Ermal Hadribeaj. Victory would see another French star firmly established and help secure a bright future for boxing in France.”
Yoka, 33, won Olympic gold in 2016 and turned professional the following year. After winning his first 11 bouts, he suffered three consecutive defeats but has since rebuilt his career while training in England and now enters the contest on a four-fight winning streak.
Okolie, also 33, is a two-weight champion, having won titles at cruiserweight and bridgerweight. Now campaigning at heavyweight, he has fought three times at his third professional weight. His most recent defence came against Kevin Lerena at Wembley Stadium last July.
Samake, 22, from Seine-Saint-Denis, captured the WBC Silver super welterweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of Wade Ryan in November 2024, before successfully defending the belt with an eighth-round knockout of Roarke Knapp.
Hadribeaj, 32 — known as The Albanian Sniper — lives in Miami Beach and has held the WBC International super welterweight title since November 2022, making eight successful defences. In his most recent outing, fighting in his hometown of Tirana, the southpaw earned a unanimous decision victory over Placido Ramirez.
|
"Unrepairable rift" between Turki and Queensberry |
|
Ring Magazine, owned by Turki Alalshikh (pictured), the most powerful man in boxing and the head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, put out the following apparent propaganda, which includes a false statement but shows the shifting alliances in the boxing world: "Rumors are circulating in the boxing world, that Queensberry is in financial trouble without a continued business relationship with Sela [A Saudi entity] and TKO [relayed to UFC/Zuffa which has burst onto the boxing scene as a promoter in 2026]. The loss of those relationships has influenced Queensberry's threat to sue Sela and TKO.Rumors indicate that their announcement to the media of legal action was timed before their Wardley v. Dubois press conference, which took place today, for an event which is struggling to sell tickets. Queensberry have not been promoting any Riyadh Season fights since last November, and there are no plans for the two sides to work together in the future. There has been intensified concern among the stable within Queensberry, when it was learned that they were not being used as a promotional entity for Tyson Fury’s big UK comeback in April, and this concern has led to a scenario where a number of their fighters are seeking other promoters. Turki Alalshikh and Sela were made aware that the rumors of litigation were leaked from Queensberry and this has created an unrepairable rift, due to Queensberry's cordial communications in the open and being volatile behind the scenes."
The statement is false because tickets for Fabio Wardley's WBO heavyweight title defense vs. Daniel Dubois have not gone on sale, so they cannot be accurately described as "struggling."
|
|
|
|
"Unrepairable rift" between Turki and Queensberry
Ring Magazine, owned by Turki Alalshikh (pictured), the most powerful man in boxing and the head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, put out the following apparent propaganda, which includes a false statement but shows the shifting alliances in the boxing world: "Rumors are circulating in the boxing world, that Queensberry is in financial trouble without a continued business relationship with Sela [A Saudi entity] and TKO [relayed to UFC/Zuffa which has burst onto the boxing scene as a promoter in 2026]. The loss of those relationships has influenced Queensberry's threat to sue Sela and TKO.Rumors indicate that their announcement to the media of legal action was timed before their Wardley v. Dubois press conference, which took place today, for an event which is struggling to sell tickets. Queensberry have not been promoting any Riyadh Season fights since last November, and there are no plans for the two sides to work together in the future. There has been intensified concern among the stable within Queensberry, when it was learned that they were not being used as a promotional entity for Tyson Fury’s big UK comeback in April, and this concern has led to a scenario where a number of their fighters are seeking other promoters. Turki Alalshikh and Sela were made aware that the rumors of litigation were leaked from Queensberry and this has created an unrepairable rift, due to Queensberry's cordial communications in the open and being volatile behind the scenes."
The statement is false because tickets for Fabio Wardley's WBO heavyweight title defense vs. Daniel Dubois have not gone on sale, so they cannot be accurately described as "struggling."
|
Former contender Ruben Castillo passes away |
|
The boxing world is mourning the loss of Mexico's former contender, Ruben Castillo. In a 67-10-2 professional career with 35 KOs, spanning from 1975 to 1997, Castillo, who broke into the professional ranks at just seventeen years old, fought a total of 540 rounds. Not a single one was boring. He had the misfortune of fighting in a golden era, during which he fearlessly faced and lost on points to Salvador Sánchez and Juan LaPorte, and was stopped by Alexis Argüello and Julio César Chávez Sr. Later one Castillo that his fight against Chávez was, without a doubt the toughest and most demanding. Chaves had just won the WBC 130-pound title and, at only twenty-two years old, was overflowing with power, energy. He came into that fight with a 44-0 record, while Castillo came in at 64-5-2.
The WBC recounted that fight as follows: "For the first four rounds, Ruben held his ground and boxed beautifully. But even at that young age, Chávez showed his prodigious talent as a pressure fighter. He didn't give Rubén a moment's respite, much less a second to breathe. In the fourth round, two hard and precise right hands crossed opened a small but deep cut on Rubén's left eyelid. Then, a left hook landed on Rubén's right cheekbone, fracturing it. Typical of Rubén, he boldly encouraged Julio to continue and challenged him to give his best. Julio did not need a second invitation. By the sixth round, the tide had turned irreversibly. A flurry of blows knocked Rubén down and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't beat the score. Rubén remembered with a laugh, softened by the years, that the small problem was that he couldn't feel his legs or anything below his waist. Instead of boxing in a boring way, he had attacked by throwing combinations, risking everything, knowing that he would fall on his shield but with his weapons raised. In doing so, he also suffered two broken ribs."
Also an expert television analyst, Castillo introduced boxing fans to his knowledge and sharp wit, generously peppering them with his charming character, jokes and great personality. The father of six children and married to Cindy, he was a wonderful husband and father, and a valuable and unforgettable friend.
Boxingtalk joins the WBC in sending its sympathy to the friends and family of Ruben Castillo.
|
|
|
|
Former contender Ruben Castillo passes away
The boxing world is mourning the loss of Mexico's former contender, Ruben Castillo. In a 67-10-2 professional career with 35 KOs, spanning from 1975 to 1997, Castillo, who broke into the professional ranks at just seventeen years old, fought a total of 540 rounds. Not a single one was boring. He had the misfortune of fighting in a golden era, during which he fearlessly faced and lost on points to Salvador Sánchez and Juan LaPorte, and was stopped by Alexis Argüello and Julio César Chávez Sr. Later one Castillo that his fight against Chávez was, without a doubt the toughest and most demanding. Chaves had just won the WBC 130-pound title and, at only twenty-two years old, was overflowing with power, energy. He came into that fight with a 44-0 record, while Castillo came in at 64-5-2.
The WBC recounted that fight as follows: "For the first four rounds, Ruben held his ground and boxed beautifully. But even at that young age, Chávez showed his prodigious talent as a pressure fighter. He didn't give Rubén a moment's respite, much less a second to breathe. In the fourth round, two hard and precise right hands crossed opened a small but deep cut on Rubén's left eyelid. Then, a left hook landed on Rubén's right cheekbone, fracturing it. Typical of Rubén, he boldly encouraged Julio to continue and challenged him to give his best. Julio did not need a second invitation. By the sixth round, the tide had turned irreversibly. A flurry of blows knocked Rubén down and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't beat the score. Rubén remembered with a laugh, softened by the years, that the small problem was that he couldn't feel his legs or anything below his waist. Instead of boxing in a boring way, he had attacked by throwing combinations, risking everything, knowing that he would fall on his shield but with his weapons raised. In doing so, he also suffered two broken ribs."
Also an expert television analyst, Castillo introduced boxing fans to his knowledge and sharp wit, generously peppering them with his charming character, jokes and great personality. The father of six children and married to Cindy, he was a wonderful husband and father, and a valuable and unforgettable friend.
Boxingtalk joins the WBC in sending its sympathy to the friends and family of Ruben Castillo.
|
March 28th undercard presser quotes |
|
Boxer competing on the pay-per-view undercard for the Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman PBC pay-per-view event previewed their respective matchups during a virtual press conference on Wednesday before they step into the ring on Saturday, March 28th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Featured during the virtual presser were heavyweight contenders Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez and unbeaten U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr., who meet in an IBF final eliminator, plus undefeated middleweight Yoenli Hernandez and battle-tested U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha, who duel in a ten-round bout, as well as Elijah Garcia and veteran super middleweight Kevin Newman II, who kick off the pay-per-view action at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com. In addition to being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:
FRANK SANCHEZ
“I just have to go in there and do my job. I’m gonna listen to my corner and do what I need to do. I have a great team and I know they’ll put me in position to get the victory.
“Being the first Cuban heavyweight world champion would mean everything. That’s a step that I’ve always wanted to take. The first thing I have to do is give my best on March 28. Then the door is open for me to give the Cuban people a heavyweight world champion.
“I’ve spent so much time in the gym and I won’t feel any ring rust at all. I’ll rely on my experience and the many fights I’ve had throughout my career.
“My knee is fully healed. I’m completely focused on March 28th. I have an outstanding team backing me up and that allows me to have everything I need to succeed against Richard Torrez Jr.
“Finding an opponent was a process. A lot of fighters don’t want to face me because they consider me dangerous. We went through four or five different opponents. I just remained focused and now I’m ready to seize this chance and make the most of it.
“Training with Eddy [Reynoso] is amazing. Him and the entire team treat me so well. Eddy motivates me and pushes me to go as hard as I can to go after what I want. I know he’s got my back.
RICHARD TORREZ JR.
“I can’t wait to show everyone what I have. This is definitely my toughest fight. Frank Sanchez is fast, strong and has a lot of qualities that stand out in the heavyweight division. This is a great spot for me to show who I am as a fighter and show what I can accomplish.
“I’m very proud of who I am and where I come from, but it’s not my main focus. I’m not trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I just have to go out there and fight. I’m here and ready to show everything that I am.
“The best thing I do is hone in on what makes Richard Torrez, Richard Torrez. I believe that I have the best conditioning in the game. If I stay consistent and follow the game plan, I can show what I’m capable of.
“I want the hardest fights and I want to be the best. Frank is one of the better fighters in the division. He’s shown his skillset and proved himself. I want to prove myself as well. This is the best way to establish myself in the pro game.
“This fight is gonna showcase the Latin style of heavyweights. It’s not something that’s been seen too much before. I’ve got that Mexican style in me and I’m ready to showcase that tenacity and grit against someone slick like Frank. It’s gonna make an exciting clash of styles.
“Last year was a good year. We had a main event and were able to showcase our style. I’m just looking forward to continuing this process.”
YOENLI HERNANDEZ
“I’m excited for this fight and ready to give my career a great boost. I can’t wait to get in the ring on March 28.
“Every fight means a lot to me because I’m on the ascent. I want to go after the best and beat the champions in my quest to earn that title.
“The main thing for me is to feel good about my performance give the fans the show they deserve. I know what Gausha can do and the kind of veteran he is. But I’m ready to go achieve my goal of making it to the top.
“I’m not someone who’s concerned with my opponent’s record. I focus on myself. Kyrone Davis was someone who also fought at the top level and that really helped push me forward. Now I’m focused on being the best version of myself. I’m gonna put on a show. All the work has led up to this.
“I’m here to prove that I’m gonna be champion. I don’t care who’s standing in my way. I’m gonna go out there and demolish everyone.
“I’m up to fight anybody. Bring on all of the champions. I’m ready to fight anyone in the division. I’m here to show that I’m here to stay for a long long time.”
TERRELL GAUSHA
“I’m excited to be on another big card and showcase my talent against a guy like Yoenli. He’s a tough fighter and I’ve been watching him. I’m ready to do what I gotta do.
“He’s a big puncher, but he hasn’t face somebody like me yet. I’m gonna be myself. I’m gonna do what I do and give him problems. I’ve fought every style and I just have to be myself.
“He’s experienced too because of his time in the amateurs. I have to do what I do. He’s just another man with two hands. He doesn’t have anything that I haven’t seen before.
“I feel like I won my last fight. I was more active last fight than I’ve been before. I’ve gotta let my hands know and be more dominant. I’m gonna give it my all. I’ve been training hard for a fight like this.
“For me this is just another fight. This guy is a tough guy and that’s who I like to face. I don’t like to face mediocre opposition. I know he brings the fight and that’s what brings the best out of me.
“I’m also here to show that I’m here to stay. I’ve had some tough breaks, but I’m gonna turn it around on March 28.”
ELIJAH GARCIA
“Kevin is very experienced and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I’m back training with my dad and ready to perform.
“I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt and I know that you can’t underestimate anyone. I know what I’m up against. He’s tough ,experience and crafty. I don’t think I’ve ever fought anybody like Kevin. He’s different.
“I’m gonna do what I do best and fight my fight. At the end of the night I’m gonna do everything to make sure it goes my way.
“I’ve been fighting at 160 since I was 17-years-old. I grew out of middleweight, so now was the perfect time to move up. My last performance wasn’t the best, so I’m looking forward to a new challenge at 168. I’ve never backed down from a challenge.
“I’ve been here before and I’m excited to get back in the ring. A hard fight isn’t new to me. I’m there, I’m game and I’m ready every single time.
“I learned a lot of things fighting Gausha. He’s experienced and has only lost to world champions. We had a close fight and that’s how you learn. The last five, six opponents I’ve had have all been tough. That kind of experience is gonna take me to the world title when it’s time.
“Me and my dad are pretty much the same person. He can tell me something without really saying anything. We’re looking to make this weight and make this fight easy.”
KEVIN NEWMAN II
“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m coming to take advantage of it. I’m gonna give the fans a great fight on March 2th8.
I bring some skills and things that Elijah hasn’t seen. I’ve been around a lot time and I’ve soaked up a lot of game. I’m always in the gym getting better.
“He’s a young hungry kid who’s trying to make a mark in the game and I respect him. I’m looking forward to a great fight.
“I’ve had this winning streak because I’ve been able to focus and lock in more. I’ve worked with Roy Jones Jr. since 2020 and he’s really added to my game. We’ve meshed together well. I’m a more complete fighter now.
“Fans can expect fireworks. I think our styles will make this is a great fight. I’m coming to put on a dominant performance and have my hand raised.
“The main thing is the mindset. I have to just go dominate. I’m in a great headspace and can’t wait until March 28th.”
|
|
|
|
March 28th undercard presser quotes
Boxer competing on the pay-per-view undercard for the Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman PBC pay-per-view event previewed their respective matchups during a virtual press conference on Wednesday before they step into the ring on Saturday, March 28th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Featured during the virtual presser were heavyweight contenders Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez and unbeaten U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr., who meet in an IBF final eliminator, plus undefeated middleweight Yoenli Hernandez and battle-tested U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha, who duel in a ten-round bout, as well as Elijah Garcia and veteran super middleweight Kevin Newman II, who kick off the pay-per-view action at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com. In addition to being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:
FRANK SANCHEZ
“I just have to go in there and do my job. I’m gonna listen to my corner and do what I need to do. I have a great team and I know they’ll put me in position to get the victory.
“Being the first Cuban heavyweight world champion would mean everything. That’s a step that I’ve always wanted to take. The first thing I have to do is give my best on March 28. Then the door is open for me to give the Cuban people a heavyweight world champion.
“I’ve spent so much time in the gym and I won’t feel any ring rust at all. I’ll rely on my experience and the many fights I’ve had throughout my career.
“My knee is fully healed. I’m completely focused on March 28th. I have an outstanding team backing me up and that allows me to have everything I need to succeed against Richard Torrez Jr.
“Finding an opponent was a process. A lot of fighters don’t want to face me because they consider me dangerous. We went through four or five different opponents. I just remained focused and now I’m ready to seize this chance and make the most of it.
“Training with Eddy [Reynoso] is amazing. Him and the entire team treat me so well. Eddy motivates me and pushes me to go as hard as I can to go after what I want. I know he’s got my back.
RICHARD TORREZ JR.
“I can’t wait to show everyone what I have. This is definitely my toughest fight. Frank Sanchez is fast, strong and has a lot of qualities that stand out in the heavyweight division. This is a great spot for me to show who I am as a fighter and show what I can accomplish.
“I’m very proud of who I am and where I come from, but it’s not my main focus. I’m not trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I just have to go out there and fight. I’m here and ready to show everything that I am.
“The best thing I do is hone in on what makes Richard Torrez, Richard Torrez. I believe that I have the best conditioning in the game. If I stay consistent and follow the game plan, I can show what I’m capable of.
“I want the hardest fights and I want to be the best. Frank is one of the better fighters in the division. He’s shown his skillset and proved himself. I want to prove myself as well. This is the best way to establish myself in the pro game.
“This fight is gonna showcase the Latin style of heavyweights. It’s not something that’s been seen too much before. I’ve got that Mexican style in me and I’m ready to showcase that tenacity and grit against someone slick like Frank. It’s gonna make an exciting clash of styles.
“Last year was a good year. We had a main event and were able to showcase our style. I’m just looking forward to continuing this process.”
YOENLI HERNANDEZ
“I’m excited for this fight and ready to give my career a great boost. I can’t wait to get in the ring on March 28.
“Every fight means a lot to me because I’m on the ascent. I want to go after the best and beat the champions in my quest to earn that title.
“The main thing for me is to feel good about my performance give the fans the show they deserve. I know what Gausha can do and the kind of veteran he is. But I’m ready to go achieve my goal of making it to the top.
“I’m not someone who’s concerned with my opponent’s record. I focus on myself. Kyrone Davis was someone who also fought at the top level and that really helped push me forward. Now I’m focused on being the best version of myself. I’m gonna put on a show. All the work has led up to this.
“I’m here to prove that I’m gonna be champion. I don’t care who’s standing in my way. I’m gonna go out there and demolish everyone.
“I’m up to fight anybody. Bring on all of the champions. I’m ready to fight anyone in the division. I’m here to show that I’m here to stay for a long long time.”
TERRELL GAUSHA
“I’m excited to be on another big card and showcase my talent against a guy like Yoenli. He’s a tough fighter and I’ve been watching him. I’m ready to do what I gotta do.
“He’s a big puncher, but he hasn’t face somebody like me yet. I’m gonna be myself. I’m gonna do what I do and give him problems. I’ve fought every style and I just have to be myself.
“He’s experienced too because of his time in the amateurs. I have to do what I do. He’s just another man with two hands. He doesn’t have anything that I haven’t seen before.
“I feel like I won my last fight. I was more active last fight than I’ve been before. I’ve gotta let my hands know and be more dominant. I’m gonna give it my all. I’ve been training hard for a fight like this.
“For me this is just another fight. This guy is a tough guy and that’s who I like to face. I don’t like to face mediocre opposition. I know he brings the fight and that’s what brings the best out of me.
“I’m also here to show that I’m here to stay. I’ve had some tough breaks, but I’m gonna turn it around on March 28.”
ELIJAH GARCIA
“Kevin is very experienced and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I’m back training with my dad and ready to perform.
“I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt and I know that you can’t underestimate anyone. I know what I’m up against. He’s tough ,experience and crafty. I don’t think I’ve ever fought anybody like Kevin. He’s different.
“I’m gonna do what I do best and fight my fight. At the end of the night I’m gonna do everything to make sure it goes my way.
“I’ve been fighting at 160 since I was 17-years-old. I grew out of middleweight, so now was the perfect time to move up. My last performance wasn’t the best, so I’m looking forward to a new challenge at 168. I’ve never backed down from a challenge.
“I’ve been here before and I’m excited to get back in the ring. A hard fight isn’t new to me. I’m there, I’m game and I’m ready every single time.
“I learned a lot of things fighting Gausha. He’s experienced and has only lost to world champions. We had a close fight and that’s how you learn. The last five, six opponents I’ve had have all been tough. That kind of experience is gonna take me to the world title when it’s time.
“Me and my dad are pretty much the same person. He can tell me something without really saying anything. We’re looking to make this weight and make this fight easy.”
KEVIN NEWMAN II
“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m coming to take advantage of it. I’m gonna give the fans a great fight on March 2th8.
I bring some skills and things that Elijah hasn’t seen. I’ve been around a lot time and I’ve soaked up a lot of game. I’m always in the gym getting better.
“He’s a young hungry kid who’s trying to make a mark in the game and I respect him. I’m looking forward to a great fight.
“I’ve had this winning streak because I’ve been able to focus and lock in more. I’ve worked with Roy Jones Jr. since 2020 and he’s really added to my game. We’ve meshed together well. I’m a more complete fighter now.
“Fans can expect fireworks. I think our styles will make this is a great fight. I’m coming to put on a dominant performance and have my hand raised.
“The main thing is the mindset. I have to just go dominate. I’m in a great headspace and can’t wait until March 28th.”
|
Ryan Garcia calls out Shakur Stevenson |
|
Newly minted WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia just called out the world / WBO junior welterweight champion on social media, and seems to be saying he will go back down to the 140-pound division for the fight. Garcia tweeted: "Forget the catchweight sh*t. Let’s do it for real. I want to take your belt and snatch it right off you, Shakur Stevenson." In a subsequent Tweet, Garcia, exapnded: "To those that are worried about the 140-pound weight. I will tell you this, it was my plan to be able to also win at 140. As long as there’s no rehydration clause things will be going forward. Testing always included, I’ve never shy’d away from that. For Shakur to assume I’m on steroids, that is defamation. So I would advise you to refrain yourself, I know you are deep down scared and you should have fear. I’m coming for you."
Stevenson's response? About steroids, something that Garcia has suspended for in the past: "That’s my opinion. You can’t sue nobody for their opinion. You [are] a boxer champ, wassup with a the suing tactics anyway? About the fight? "140- Let’s do it chump."
|
|
|
|
Ryan Garcia calls out Shakur Stevenson
Newly minted WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia just called out the world / WBO junior welterweight champion on social media, and seems to be saying he will go back down to the 140-pound division for the fight. Garcia tweeted: "Forget the catchweight sh*t. Let’s do it for real. I want to take your belt and snatch it right off you, Shakur Stevenson." In a subsequent Tweet, Garcia, exapnded: "To those that are worried about the 140-pound weight. I will tell you this, it was my plan to be able to also win at 140. As long as there’s no rehydration clause things will be going forward. Testing always included, I’ve never shy’d away from that. For Shakur to assume I’m on steroids, that is defamation. So I would advise you to refrain yourself, I know you are deep down scared and you should have fear. I’m coming for you."
Stevenson's response? About steroids, something that Garcia has suspended for in the past: "That’s my opinion. You can’t sue nobody for their opinion. You [are] a boxer champ, wassup with a the suing tactics anyway? About the fight? "140- Let’s do it chump."
|
Triller has African pay-per-view action on Friday |
|
TrillerTV will air an African boxing show as a $20 pay-per-view show this Friday, February 27th at 11:30 AM Eastern time. The Nigerian show, entitled Nightmare in Nairobi II, has a cruiserweight main event featuring Joshual Wasike of Kenya (6-1) vs. Jacob Mganga of Tanzania (16-19-6). The co-feature will be a heavyweight contest between 43 year-old Morris Akola (13-5) and Hudson Muhumza (9-6-1).
|
|
|
|
Triller has African pay-per-view action on Friday
TrillerTV will air an African boxing show as a $20 pay-per-view show this Friday, February 27th at 11:30 AM Eastern time. The Nigerian show, entitled Nightmare in Nairobi II, has a cruiserweight main event featuring Joshual Wasike of Kenya (6-1) vs. Jacob Mganga of Tanzania (16-19-6). The co-feature will be a heavyweight contest between 43 year-old Morris Akola (13-5) and Hudson Muhumza (9-6-1).
|
Jose Luis Castillo coming to Box Fan Expo |
|
Two-division champion José Luis Castillo will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will coincide with the mega fight between Zurdo Ramirez and David Benavidez that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Castillo will hold a meet-and-greet with his fans. The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan experience event that coincides with some of the sports' legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas. Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online. Castillo will make his first appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise to sell.
Castillo joins Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more to be announced. Castillo is a former two-division world champion. Castillo stands as one of Mexico’s most respected and fearless warriors in modern boxing history. Born in Empalme, Sonora, Castillo built a legendary professional career defined by relentless pressure, devastating body punching, and an indomitable fighting spirit. A two-time WBC lightweight champion and a WBC junior welterweight champion, Castillo earned global recognition through unforgettable battles, incuding two against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in which many observers believed Castillo had done enough to win their first encounter. He also delivered an unforgettable 2005 classic against Diego Corrales; a bout widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. Castillo shared the ring with world-class talents such as Stevie Johnston, Joel Casamayor and Ricky Hatton, underscoring his reputation as one of the most fearless and respected competitors of his generation. With 66 victories, including 57 knockouts, Castillo’s career reflects durability, heart, and championship excellence. Revered by fans and fighters alike, Castillo remains a proud ambassador of Mexican boxing and a symbol of courage, resilience, and elite-level competition on the world stage.
|
|
|
|
Jose Luis Castillo coming to Box Fan Expo
Two-division champion José Luis Castillo will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will coincide with the mega fight between Zurdo Ramirez and David Benavidez that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Castillo will hold a meet-and-greet with his fans. The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan experience event that coincides with some of the sports' legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas. Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online. Castillo will make his first appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise to sell.
Castillo joins Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more to be announced. Castillo is a former two-division world champion. Castillo stands as one of Mexico’s most respected and fearless warriors in modern boxing history. Born in Empalme, Sonora, Castillo built a legendary professional career defined by relentless pressure, devastating body punching, and an indomitable fighting spirit. A two-time WBC lightweight champion and a WBC junior welterweight champion, Castillo earned global recognition through unforgettable battles, incuding two against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in which many observers believed Castillo had done enough to win their first encounter. He also delivered an unforgettable 2005 classic against Diego Corrales; a bout widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. Castillo shared the ring with world-class talents such as Stevie Johnston, Joel Casamayor and Ricky Hatton, underscoring his reputation as one of the most fearless and respected competitors of his generation. With 66 victories, including 57 knockouts, Castillo’s career reflects durability, heart, and championship excellence. Revered by fans and fighters alike, Castillo remains a proud ambassador of Mexican boxing and a symbol of courage, resilience, and elite-level competition on the world stage.
|
I Will Survive? |
|
|
Boxing does not define survival the way other industries do. It defines it in counts: eight...
nine... That suspended second between collapse and choice. The bell does not ring at the first knockdown. It rings when the fighter does not rise before ten. And boxing has always reserved its deepest respect not for the undefeated — but for the unbreakable. In the 1978 disco anthem "I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor sang about walking away from someone who expected collapse — a refusal to disappear when written off. But survival is not always confrontational.
When Dana White and Zuffa Boxing entered the conversation, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman did not respond with hostility. He did not shut the door. He did not retreat behind it. He did not crumble. He welcomed him. In the face of pointed criticism, Sulaiman chose welcome over confrontation. Whether that was diplomacy, strategy, or confidence, it projected steadiness rather than strain. There is a difference between telling someone they are not welcome — and showing them you are not afraid.
Gaynor's song asks a simple question: did you think I would crumble? Boxing has heard that question before. It has been declared broken. Finished. On life support. Too divided to endure.
And yet it keeps rising before the count reaches ten. Because boxing understands something fundamental about survival.
A granite chin is not anatomy. It is psychology.
It is the mind overruling the moment. Unbreakable fighters do not deny pain. They expect it. They accept it. They redefine it. They reach into reserves their opponent hopes do not exist.
Legendary trainer Cus D’Amato once said, “Born round, don’t die square.” Some fighters bend. Some do not. The late Arturo Gatti was not flawless. But he was unforgettable. Every knockdown felt temporary. Every cut survivable. He did not win every fight. But he refused to surrender in any of them. That archetype now applies beyond the ropes.
Much of the public debate has centered on a visible number — three percent. Sanctioning fees are easy to criticize because they are concrete. But percentages exist within structures. If a centralized contract defines championship-fight compensation at a fixed figure — reportedly $750,000 within the Zuffa boxing framework — the absence of a sanctioning fee does not end the economic conversation. Zero percent of a defined ceiling behaves differently than three percent of an open negotiation.
The question is not whether a toll exists. It is how high the road can go. In boxing's present decentralized model, elite purses are negotiated event by event. In a centralized structure, compensation architecture is defined internally. Those are structural differences, not moral ones.
There is also the matter of statutory protection. Under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, professional boxing conducted in interstate commerce falls within a federal statutory framework. Jurisdiction is determined by nexus — where the alleged harm occurred and whether it intersects with United States commerce. For fighters evaluating long-term agreements, the distinction between statutory recourse and internal compliance language is not rhetorical. It is structural.
Meanwhile, rhetoric continues. White projects inevitability. Public exchanges escalate. But institutional behavior tells a quieter story. Eddie Hearn extends Matchroom's long-term broadcast backing through DAZN. Oscar De La Hoya asserts Golden Boy's contractual rights in court in a dispute involving Vergil Ortiz Jr. Different personalities.
Different styles. Same posture. None have walked out of the industry's door. That matters.
Because in boxing, survival is not declared. It is demonstrated. There is a moment in every fight when the corner watches closely. The fighter has absorbed punishment. The legs tremble. The breath shortens. There is a similar moment in institutions — when pressure mounts, when critics grow louder, when markets shift.
Some walk away... Some rise... Survival is not always a door slammed shut.. Sometimes it is the quiet refusal to lie down. The ten count does not define a warrior. The response to it does. And in boxing, the legends are not the ones who never touch the canvas. They are the ones who rise before ten.
|
|
|
|
I Will Survive?
Boxing does not define survival the way other industries do. It defines it in counts: eight...
nine... That suspended second between collapse and choice. The bell does not ring at the first knockdown. It rings when the fighter does not rise before ten. And boxing has always reserved its deepest respect not for the undefeated — but for the unbreakable. In the 1978 disco anthem "I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor sang about walking away from someone who expected collapse — a refusal to disappear when written off. But survival is not always confrontational.
When Dana White and Zuffa Boxing entered the conversation, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman did not respond with hostility. He did not shut the door. He did not retreat behind it. He did not crumble. He welcomed him. In the face of pointed criticism, Sulaiman chose welcome over confrontation. Whether that was diplomacy, strategy, or confidence, it projected steadiness rather than strain. There is a difference between telling someone they are not welcome — and showing them you are not afraid.
Gaynor's song asks a simple question: did you think I would crumble? Boxing has heard that question before. It has been declared broken. Finished. On life support. Too divided to endure.
And yet it keeps rising before the count reaches ten. Because boxing understands something fundamental about survival.
A granite chin is not anatomy. It is psychology.
It is the mind overruling the moment. Unbreakable fighters do not deny pain. They expect it. They accept it. They redefine it. They reach into reserves their opponent hopes do not exist.
Legendary trainer Cus D’Amato once said, “Born round, don’t die square.” Some fighters bend. Some do not. The late Arturo Gatti was not flawless. But he was unforgettable. Every knockdown felt temporary. Every cut survivable. He did not win every fight. But he refused to surrender in any of them. That archetype now applies beyond the ropes.
Much of the public debate has centered on a visible number — three percent. Sanctioning fees are easy to criticize because they are concrete. But percentages exist within structures. If a centralized contract defines championship-fight compensation at a fixed figure — reportedly $750,000 within the Zuffa boxing framework — the absence of a sanctioning fee does not end the economic conversation. Zero percent of a defined ceiling behaves differently than three percent of an open negotiation.
The question is not whether a toll exists. It is how high the road can go. In boxing's present decentralized model, elite purses are negotiated event by event. In a centralized structure, compensation architecture is defined internally. Those are structural differences, not moral ones.
There is also the matter of statutory protection. Under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, professional boxing conducted in interstate commerce falls within a federal statutory framework. Jurisdiction is determined by nexus — where the alleged harm occurred and whether it intersects with United States commerce. For fighters evaluating long-term agreements, the distinction between statutory recourse and internal compliance language is not rhetorical. It is structural.
Meanwhile, rhetoric continues. White projects inevitability. Public exchanges escalate. But institutional behavior tells a quieter story. Eddie Hearn extends Matchroom's long-term broadcast backing through DAZN. Oscar De La Hoya asserts Golden Boy's contractual rights in court in a dispute involving Vergil Ortiz Jr. Different personalities.
Different styles. Same posture. None have walked out of the industry's door. That matters.
Because in boxing, survival is not declared. It is demonstrated. There is a moment in every fight when the corner watches closely. The fighter has absorbed punishment. The legs tremble. The breath shortens. There is a similar moment in institutions — when pressure mounts, when critics grow louder, when markets shift.
Some walk away... Some rise... Survival is not always a door slammed shut.. Sometimes it is the quiet refusal to lie down. The ten count does not define a warrior. The response to it does. And in boxing, the legends are not the ones who never touch the canvas. They are the ones who rise before ten.
|
Crocker injury delays title shot for Paro |
|
IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker has been forced to delay his first title defense through injury issues, postponing his bout against ex-junior welterweight champ Liam Paro. The pair were expected to meet in the latter's native Australia in early April, with the Belfast man making the first defense of belt. Instead, they are now likely to meet in May or June after Crocker sustained a hand ligament injury during training for his trip down under.
It marks the second cancellation Paro has faced this year, as Paro was previously set to face Paddy Donovan. The star's promoters No Limit Boxing received a medical certificate from Crocker's Matchroom Boxing team, confirming the nature of the injury.
The pair had been expected to fight on the same bill, either in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, as local favourite Tim Tszyu as he plots his own return. The latter is due to face Errol Spence Jr. in an intriguing clash later this year, and is widely thought to be eyeing an imminent tune-up on home soil. The wait goes on for Liam Paro then, as the Australian faces his second aborted bout in the space of four months, much to his irritation.
|
|
|
|
Crocker injury delays title shot for Paro
IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker has been forced to delay his first title defense through injury issues, postponing his bout against ex-junior welterweight champ Liam Paro. The pair were expected to meet in the latter's native Australia in early April, with the Belfast man making the first defense of belt. Instead, they are now likely to meet in May or June after Crocker sustained a hand ligament injury during training for his trip down under.
It marks the second cancellation Paro has faced this year, as Paro was previously set to face Paddy Donovan. The star's promoters No Limit Boxing received a medical certificate from Crocker's Matchroom Boxing team, confirming the nature of the injury.
The pair had been expected to fight on the same bill, either in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, as local favourite Tim Tszyu as he plots his own return. The latter is due to face Errol Spence Jr. in an intriguing clash later this year, and is widely thought to be eyeing an imminent tune-up on home soil. The wait goes on for Liam Paro then, as the Australian faces his second aborted bout in the space of four months, much to his irritation.
|
Australian update |
|
At 1 AM Eastern time on February 26th, TrillerTV will stream boxing action directly from the Bella Vista Hotel in Sydney, Australia. The action is headlined by a battle for the Australian welterweight title, as Marco Romeo (8-1) squares off against Jason Mallia (10-0). In the chief support, Emiliano Tissera (3-1) takes on Alex Naman (9-0) at super bantamweight. Also on the card, are female super bantamweights as Shannel Dargan (10-2-2) and Shannon O'Connell (26-8-1) go toe-to-toe.
|
|
|
|
Australian update
At 1 AM Eastern time on February 26th, TrillerTV will stream boxing action directly from the Bella Vista Hotel in Sydney, Australia. The action is headlined by a battle for the Australian welterweight title, as Marco Romeo (8-1) squares off against Jason Mallia (10-0). In the chief support, Emiliano Tissera (3-1) takes on Alex Naman (9-0) at super bantamweight. Also on the card, are female super bantamweights as Shannel Dargan (10-2-2) and Shannon O'Connell (26-8-1) go toe-to-toe.
|
Liddard to defend British title vs. Denny |
|
George Liddard insists he is confident of victory over Tyler Denny to kickstart his long-term mission to become a future world champion. The ‘Billericay Bomber’ defends his British & Commonwealth middleweight championship for the first time at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday, March 21st – live on DAZN. And just a stone’s throw from his beloved West Ham United Football Club’s home of the London Stadium – where he dreams of headlining one day for a world title – Liddard (13-0, 8 KOs) is relishing the opportunity to put his skills to the test against the former European champion Denny (21-3-3, 1 KO) in less than four weeks time.
“Listen, I’m always ready. I don’t play games – I’m an old school fighter,” said Liddard, speaking to Matchroom Boxing. “I’m always ready for it and I’m looking forward to a good fight. Four weeks to go, and it can’t come soon enough. I’m ready to get the job done. This is a leap towards world titles now. I’m chasing everything. If I can get the European title after this, that would be great. Tyler Denny is a good opponent. He’s a former European champion. But I have no doubt I will get the job done – and I’ll do it in style on March 21st.”
Liddard also revealed he is aiming high with his ambitions of winning more titles, now that Matchroom Boxing has secured a new, long-term five-year deal with DAZN. “Either at 160, 168 or 175, I believe I will one day become an undisputed world champion,” Liddard added. “At some point it will happen. And I hope one day that I will sell out a fight at the London Stadium, live on DAZN.”
The undercard sees Liddard’s Tony Sims-trained stablemate Jimmy Sains (11-0, 10 KOs) put his English middleweight title on the line against Derrick Osaze (13-3-0, 3 KOs), who’s last fight was a defeat by Liddard in January 2025. Earlier in the night, Leli Buttigieg (11-0, 3 KOs) faces Jake Goodwin (8-2-1, 1 KO) in a final eliminator for Sains’ strap.
Elsewhere, Giorgio Visioli (10-0, 6 KOs) defends his English lightweight championship against Levi Giles (17-2-1, 4 KOs), and Taylor Bevan (7-0, 7 KOs), Adam Maca (4-0, 4 KOs) and Connor Mitchell (1-0, 1 KO) all look to catch the eye as young Louie Ward – trained by Tony Sims – makes his professional debut in the junior lightweight division.
|
|
|
|
Liddard to defend British title vs. Denny
George Liddard insists he is confident of victory over Tyler Denny to kickstart his long-term mission to become a future world champion. The ‘Billericay Bomber’ defends his British & Commonwealth middleweight championship for the first time at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday, March 21st – live on DAZN. And just a stone’s throw from his beloved West Ham United Football Club’s home of the London Stadium – where he dreams of headlining one day for a world title – Liddard (13-0, 8 KOs) is relishing the opportunity to put his skills to the test against the former European champion Denny (21-3-3, 1 KO) in less than four weeks time.
“Listen, I’m always ready. I don’t play games – I’m an old school fighter,” said Liddard, speaking to Matchroom Boxing. “I’m always ready for it and I’m looking forward to a good fight. Four weeks to go, and it can’t come soon enough. I’m ready to get the job done. This is a leap towards world titles now. I’m chasing everything. If I can get the European title after this, that would be great. Tyler Denny is a good opponent. He’s a former European champion. But I have no doubt I will get the job done – and I’ll do it in style on March 21st.”
Liddard also revealed he is aiming high with his ambitions of winning more titles, now that Matchroom Boxing has secured a new, long-term five-year deal with DAZN. “Either at 160, 168 or 175, I believe I will one day become an undisputed world champion,” Liddard added. “At some point it will happen. And I hope one day that I will sell out a fight at the London Stadium, live on DAZN.”
The undercard sees Liddard’s Tony Sims-trained stablemate Jimmy Sains (11-0, 10 KOs) put his English middleweight title on the line against Derrick Osaze (13-3-0, 3 KOs), who’s last fight was a defeat by Liddard in January 2025. Earlier in the night, Leli Buttigieg (11-0, 3 KOs) faces Jake Goodwin (8-2-1, 1 KO) in a final eliminator for Sains’ strap.
Elsewhere, Giorgio Visioli (10-0, 6 KOs) defends his English lightweight championship against Levi Giles (17-2-1, 4 KOs), and Taylor Bevan (7-0, 7 KOs), Adam Maca (4-0, 4 KOs) and Connor Mitchell (1-0, 1 KO) all look to catch the eye as young Louie Ward – trained by Tony Sims – makes his professional debut in the junior lightweight division.
|
Sampson Boxing coming to Atlantic City on April 11th |
|
Power-punching Dominican junior welterweight Heidan Martinez Morillo, a/k/a “Sugar Martinez” (17-0, 17 KOs), will make his United States ring debut against Philadelphia's Daiyaan “Badshah” Butt (20-3, 10 KOs) on the ProBoxTV-televised “Homecoming” event, Saturday, April 11th at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show will be broadcast live on ProBoxTV (7:00 pm ET). In the ten-round main event, middleweight Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. (22-1, 13 KOs) of Roseland, New Jersey, will face Omar Ulises “La Bala” Huerta (15-0-1, 13 KOs) of San Ysidro, California, originally from Tijuana. In the 10-round co-featured, Cuban junior middleweight Yan Marcos (14-0, 10 KOs) of Miami via Havana takes on fellow undefeated local favorite Dwyke Flemmings Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) Paterson.
The show will be presented by Sampson Boxing, in partnership with Paco Presents. The ten-round rumble between Martinez, age 21 and the rugged Philly veteran Butt, will serve as the toughest test of young Martinez’s career and help gauge his talent on the international stage. From a neighborhood called La Isabelita in Santo Domingo, Martinez grew up near WBC middleweight champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames, junior middlleweight Elvis Rodriguez and former Olympian Rohan Polanco.
Originally from Los Angeles, the 6-foot-tall, 28 year-old Butt has won 10 of his last 11 bouts dating back to 2022 and will be looking to spring the upset against the unproven Dominican slugger.
Also on the show, Mexico City light flyweight Erick Badillo (19-0, 8 KOs) is scheduled to appear against an opponent that is TBA. Several more bouts featuring local and international talent will be announced shortly.
|
|
|
|
Sampson Boxing coming to Atlantic City on April 11th
Power-punching Dominican junior welterweight Heidan Martinez Morillo, a/k/a “Sugar Martinez” (17-0, 17 KOs), will make his United States ring debut against Philadelphia's Daiyaan “Badshah” Butt (20-3, 10 KOs) on the ProBoxTV-televised “Homecoming” event, Saturday, April 11th at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show will be broadcast live on ProBoxTV (7:00 pm ET). In the ten-round main event, middleweight Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. (22-1, 13 KOs) of Roseland, New Jersey, will face Omar Ulises “La Bala” Huerta (15-0-1, 13 KOs) of San Ysidro, California, originally from Tijuana. In the 10-round co-featured, Cuban junior middleweight Yan Marcos (14-0, 10 KOs) of Miami via Havana takes on fellow undefeated local favorite Dwyke Flemmings Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) Paterson.
The show will be presented by Sampson Boxing, in partnership with Paco Presents. The ten-round rumble between Martinez, age 21 and the rugged Philly veteran Butt, will serve as the toughest test of young Martinez’s career and help gauge his talent on the international stage. From a neighborhood called La Isabelita in Santo Domingo, Martinez grew up near WBC middleweight champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames, junior middlleweight Elvis Rodriguez and former Olympian Rohan Polanco.
Originally from Los Angeles, the 6-foot-tall, 28 year-old Butt has won 10 of his last 11 bouts dating back to 2022 and will be looking to spring the upset against the unproven Dominican slugger.
Also on the show, Mexico City light flyweight Erick Badillo (19-0, 8 KOs) is scheduled to appear against an opponent that is TBA. Several more bouts featuring local and international talent will be announced shortly.
|
Spotlight on Garcia vs. Newman |
|
|
Opening up the PBC pay-per-view show on March 28th will be a super middleweight bout between 22 year-old Elijah Garcia and streaking veteran Kevin Newman II, who enters this ten-round fight on a seven-bout winning streak. The show takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, headnied by a junior middleweight title fight between WBC champion Sebastian Fundora and former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman. Fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, García (17-1, 13 KOs) most recently rose from the canvas to take home a split-decision against Terrell Gausha last March, getting back in the win column after coming up short on the cards against Kyrone Davis in June 2024. Garcia had previously burst onto the scene as a teenager by earning three victories in 2023. He kicked off that memorable campaign in March with a knockout of the previously unbeaten Amilcar Vidal and followed that up with a pair of performances on the undercards of two of the biggest events of the year. He first defeated Kevin Salgado on the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia pay-per-view in April before knocking out current super middleweight champion Armando Resendiz on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo pay-per-view in September.
This will be Garcia's first fight as a full-fledged super middleweight. “I’m excited to kick off this pay-per-view on March 28,” said Garcia. “I’m working hard and can’t wait to show everything we’ve been working on in camp. This is a big opportunity to make a statement at super middleweight and I’m gonna make the most of it.”
Originally from Los Angeles and now fighting out of Las Vegas, Newman (18-3-1, 11 KOs) has put together seven consecutive victories dating back to 2021. This run includes two 2025 triumphs that saw him beat Alan Campa by unanimous decision last March before most recently defeating Malcolm Jones by seventh-round stoppage last July. The 34-year-old put together this run after a pair of close decision defeats to Genc Plllana and Manuel Gallegos. Newman’s first blemish came via a decision loss to Marcos Hernandez, which he later avenged in near shutout fashion. Newman turned pro in 2014, reeling off seven-straight wins after a split-draw in his pro debut.
“I want to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible,” said Newman. “I’m looking forward to getting into the ring on March 28 and showcasing my skills. I’m coming to put on a dominant performance from start to finish.”
|
|
|
|
Spotlight on Garcia vs. Newman
Opening up the PBC pay-per-view show on March 28th will be a super middleweight bout between 22 year-old Elijah Garcia and streaking veteran Kevin Newman II, who enters this ten-round fight on a seven-bout winning streak. The show takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, headnied by a junior middleweight title fight between WBC champion Sebastian Fundora and former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman. Fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, García (17-1, 13 KOs) most recently rose from the canvas to take home a split-decision against Terrell Gausha last March, getting back in the win column after coming up short on the cards against Kyrone Davis in June 2024. Garcia had previously burst onto the scene as a teenager by earning three victories in 2023. He kicked off that memorable campaign in March with a knockout of the previously unbeaten Amilcar Vidal and followed that up with a pair of performances on the undercards of two of the biggest events of the year. He first defeated Kevin Salgado on the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia pay-per-view in April before knocking out current super middleweight champion Armando Resendiz on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo pay-per-view in September.
This will be Garcia's first fight as a full-fledged super middleweight. “I’m excited to kick off this pay-per-view on March 28,” said Garcia. “I’m working hard and can’t wait to show everything we’ve been working on in camp. This is a big opportunity to make a statement at super middleweight and I’m gonna make the most of it.”
Originally from Los Angeles and now fighting out of Las Vegas, Newman (18-3-1, 11 KOs) has put together seven consecutive victories dating back to 2021. This run includes two 2025 triumphs that saw him beat Alan Campa by unanimous decision last March before most recently defeating Malcolm Jones by seventh-round stoppage last July. The 34-year-old put together this run after a pair of close decision defeats to Genc Plllana and Manuel Gallegos. Newman’s first blemish came via a decision loss to Marcos Hernandez, which he later avenged in near shutout fashion. Newman turned pro in 2014, reeling off seven-straight wins after a split-draw in his pro debut.
“I want to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible,” said Newman. “I’m looking forward to getting into the ring on March 28 and showcasing my skills. I’m coming to put on a dominant performance from start to finish.”
|
BKB bare knuckle update |
|
On Saturday, February 23rd, BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing returned to London when it hosted BKB 51. In the main event, fans saw another dominating performance by BKB bridgerweight champion Marko Martinjak of Zagreb, Croatia. Martinjak successfully defended his title against former BKB heavyweight champion and UFC veteran Ike Villanueva of Houston. Martinjak's speed overwhelmed Villanueva, knocking him down multiple times in the round, before scoring the first-round knockout... In the co-feature, a rematch from 2022, veteran Scott McHugh once again defeated Martin Reffell, this time by split decision... former Bellator MMA fighter Adel Altamimi kept his bare knuckle record perfect in his trigon debut with a highlight reel first-round knockout of Jay Eggleston... Joe Cokayne remained unbdefeated, besting fellow heavyweight Ant Scotford in the fight of the night with a fourth-round knockout.
|
|
|
|
BKB bare knuckle update
On Saturday, February 23rd, BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing returned to London when it hosted BKB 51. In the main event, fans saw another dominating performance by BKB bridgerweight champion Marko Martinjak of Zagreb, Croatia. Martinjak successfully defended his title against former BKB heavyweight champion and UFC veteran Ike Villanueva of Houston. Martinjak's speed overwhelmed Villanueva, knocking him down multiple times in the round, before scoring the first-round knockout... In the co-feature, a rematch from 2022, veteran Scott McHugh once again defeated Martin Reffell, this time by split decision... former Bellator MMA fighter Adel Altamimi kept his bare knuckle record perfect in his trigon debut with a highlight reel first-round knockout of Jay Eggleston... Joe Cokayne remained unbdefeated, besting fellow heavyweight Ant Scotford in the fight of the night with a fourth-round knockout.
|
