News - BoxingTalk

BoxingTalk Latest Stories

Press Release | December 01, 2020

Claressa Shields transitioning to mixed-martial arts!
Multi-division champion Claressa Shields, whose boxing career stalled when UFC backed out of a proposed deal with her, has signed with UFC rival the Professional Fighters League (PFL). She’ll make her MMA debut in 2021. Here is the press release: The 25 year-old Shields is a three-division boxing world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Shields, who has won all 10 of her bouts since turning pro after the 2016 Games, chose to make her MMA debut in the PFL, and will look to enter the 2022 PFL Season after a series of special attraction fights in 2021. Shields [along with Katie Taylor] is the consensus top female pound-for-pound boxer in the world today, and has long expressed her intentions to compete in the sport of mixed martial arts as well, with aspirations of becoming the greatest two-sport athlete of all time and simultaneously holding world championships in boxing and MMA. In addition to her two Olympic golds, Shields is a two-time amateur world champion and the fastest boxer to earn titles in three different divisions. Apart from her accolades inside the boxing ring, Shields is an advocate for youth development and women’s rights. In 2016, Shields was voted as the SportsWoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King. “I am thrilled to announce that the PFL has signed Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic Boxing gold medalist and three-division pro boxing world champion,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “She has transcended sports and has become a global icon, and an inspiration to aspiring young athletes. Claressa is an incredible human being, a bonafide star athlete, and has an amazing story. Claressa will continue to box professionally as she embarks on her multi-year PFL MMA career. Fans will get to experience her professional MMA debut in 2021, which can be seen across the United States via ESPN, as well as in 160 countries all over the world,” Murray added. “I want to thank Professional Fighters League and Peter Murray for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity. What drew me to the PFL is that it is definitely a fighter-first organization, and I can’t wait to be a part of that. Since turning pro it has been my goal to be the GWOAT and to be a two-sport star like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders,” said Claressa Shields. “I want to go where no man or woman has gone and hold championships in both boxing and MMA at the same time. The one-two punch of PFL in MMA and Salita Promotions in boxing will allow me to continue to show that there are no limits to what a woman can do. I can’t wait to get to work!” “We are delighted to enter MMA with the PFL — an innovative, progressive organization with the most compelling format in the industry,” said Shields’ manager, Mark Taffet. “Claressa is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete who has already accomplished in boxing what no man or woman has ever done. She now looks to continue to make history by becoming the first man or woman to hold championships in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. Now, with the PFL in MMA and Salita Promotions in boxing, she will be able to do that on a global stage while continuing to grow her worldwide audience of fans.” The PFL’s 2021 season begins on April 23rd, with the regular season continuing on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25. The 2021 season features the return of two-time reigning PFL Women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo.
	Claressa Shields transitioning to mixed-martial arts! Multi-division champion Claressa Shields, whose boxing career stalled when UFC backed out of a proposed deal with her, has signed with UFC rival the Professional Fighters League (PFL). She’ll make her MMA debut in 2021. Here is the press release: The 25 year-old Shields is a three-division boxing world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Shields, who has won all 10 of her bouts since turning pro after the 2016 Games, chose to make her MMA debut in the PFL, and will look to enter the 2022 PFL Season after a series of special attraction fights in 2021. Shields [along with Katie Taylor] is the consensus top female pound-for-pound boxer in the world today, and has long expressed her intentions to compete in the sport of mixed martial arts as well, with aspirations of becoming the greatest two-sport athlete of all time and simultaneously holding world championships in boxing and MMA. In addition to her two Olympic golds, Shields is a two-time amateur world champion and the fastest boxer to earn titles in three different divisions. Apart from her accolades inside the boxing ring, Shields is an advocate for youth development and women’s rights. In 2016, Shields was voted as the SportsWoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King. “I am thrilled to announce that the PFL has signed Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic Boxing gold medalist and three-division pro boxing world champion,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “She has transcended sports and has become a global icon, and an inspiration to aspiring young athletes. Claressa is an incredible human being, a bonafide star athlete, and has an amazing story. Claressa will continue to box professionally as she embarks on her multi-year PFL MMA career. Fans will get to experience her professional MMA debut in 2021, which can be seen across the United States via ESPN, as well as in 160 countries all over the world,” Murray added. “I want to thank Professional Fighters League and Peter Murray for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity. What drew me to the PFL is that it is definitely a fighter-first organization, and I can’t wait to be a part of that. Since turning pro it has been my goal to be the GWOAT and to be a two-sport star like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders,” said Claressa Shields. “I want to go where no man or woman has gone and hold championships in both boxing and MMA at the same time. The one-two punch of PFL in MMA and Salita Promotions in boxing will allow me to continue to show that there are no limits to what a woman can do. I can’t wait to get to work!” “We are delighted to enter MMA with the PFL — an innovative, progressive organization with the most compelling format in the industry,” said Shields’ manager, Mark Taffet. “Claressa is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete who has already accomplished in boxing what no man or woman has ever done. She now looks to continue to make history by becoming the first man or woman to hold championships in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. Now, with the PFL in MMA and Salita Promotions in boxing, she will be able to do that on a global stage while continuing to grow her worldwide audience of fans.” The PFL’s 2021 season begins on April 23rd, with the regular season continuing on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25. The 2021 season features the return of two-time reigning PFL Women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo.

Edited Press Release | December 01, 2020

WBA suddenly wakes up, realizes Manuel Charr hasn't fought in three years
Manuel Charr is the WBA regular heavyweight champion even though he has not fought in three years. Trevor Bryan is the WBA interim heavyweight champion even though he has not fought in two years. The WBA finally got around to ordering them to fight in the next 60 days, likely because it wants to strip them of their two titles and let Deontay Wilder vs. TBA and Robert Helenius vs. Adam Kownacki fill the vacancies. Here is what the WBA ordered: The heavyweight title fight between champion Mahmoud Charr and the mandatory challenger Trevor Bryan will have to be held by January 29th, 2021, according to a statement issued by the WBA Championships Committee, and signed by Carlos Chávez. The [WBA] requested Don King Promotions to send the contracts signed by both boxers as soon as possible with details on the fight venue and date. The bidding for this mandatory fight took place last March 2nd in Panama City and according to the organization’s rules, specifically rule D.11: Purse Offer Contracts, The Promoter winning the Purse Bid shall have all bout contracts properly signed and delivered to the Championships Committee Chairman no later than twenty (20) days from the date on which the winning bid is awarded. However, in this case, the pause in boxing due to the [coronavirus] pandemic prevented such procedure from being carried out normally, so it was put on hold. Now that most countries have opened their borders and boxing is taking place around the world in a considerable volume, it is a good time to resume the process. Should any or both fighters (Charr – Bryan) fail to sign the contract, he or they will lose their position as champion or/and mandatory challenger. The communication, which was sent to all parties via email, also highlights that the bout shall be conducted under the rules of the WBA, with the respective appointment of officials. It also states that that the laboratories to be used for anti-doping tests should be certified by VADA/WADA in order to be accepted. The WBA is waiting for a response from Don King Promotions and wishes that the fight can be carried out as arranged in the bidding.
	WBA suddenly wakes up, realizes Manuel Charr hasn't fought in three years Manuel Charr is the WBA regular heavyweight champion even though he has not fought in three years. Trevor Bryan is the WBA interim heavyweight champion even though he has not fought in two years. The WBA finally got around to ordering them to fight in the next 60 days, likely because it wants to strip them of their two titles and let Deontay Wilder vs. TBA and Robert Helenius vs. Adam Kownacki fill the vacancies. Here is what the WBA ordered: The heavyweight title fight between champion Mahmoud Charr and the mandatory challenger Trevor Bryan will have to be held by January 29th, 2021, according to a statement issued by the WBA Championships Committee, and signed by Carlos Chávez. The [WBA] requested Don King Promotions to send the contracts signed by both boxers as soon as possible with details on the fight venue and date. The bidding for this mandatory fight took place last March 2nd in Panama City and according to the organization’s rules, specifically rule D.11: Purse Offer Contracts, The Promoter winning the Purse Bid shall have all bout contracts properly signed and delivered to the Championships Committee Chairman no later than twenty (20) days from the date on which the winning bid is awarded. However, in this case, the pause in boxing due to the [coronavirus] pandemic prevented such procedure from being carried out normally, so it was put on hold. Now that most countries have opened their borders and boxing is taking place around the world in a considerable volume, it is a good time to resume the process. Should any or both fighters (Charr – Bryan) fail to sign the contract, he or they will lose their position as champion or/and mandatory challenger. The communication, which was sent to all parties via email, also highlights that the bout shall be conducted under the rules of the WBA, with the respective appointment of officials. It also states that that the laboratories to be used for anti-doping tests should be certified by VADA/WADA in order to be accepted. The WBA is waiting for a response from Don King Promotions and wishes that the fight can be carried out as arranged in the bidding.

Compiled By Scott Shaffer | December 01, 2020

Daniel Dubois post-loss reaction
British heavyweight Daniel Dubois on taking a knee and allowing himself to be counted out against Joe Joyce last weekend: "Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support over the weekend. All my respect to Joe Joyce, he boxed well and won fair and square. I thought I was winning the fight. I tried to fight through the injury but I couldn’t in the end. I’m out of the hospital and will wait now for the fracture to heal. I’ll be back to prove my daughters wrong and my fans right." Dubois suffered a broken orbital bone and nerve damage. Two former champions weighed in on the criticism Dubois is receiving for quitting... Former WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno: "People have made negative comments on Dubois going to one knee to finish the fight. As someone who has problems with my eyes [due to] boxing, I feel Dubois did the right thing to save further damage. You may not agree which I respect, but its my personal point of view." Former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Macarinelli: "My view on Dubois: he’s 23. [If] he was in pain and scared about his health and his eyesight, then absolutely [he] done the right thing and will come back stronger. But if he looked for a way out as things weren’t going his way and found it too hard, [then] it’ll be harder to comeback for him. Only he knows."
	Daniel Dubois post-loss reaction British heavyweight Daniel Dubois on taking a knee and allowing himself to be counted out against Joe Joyce last weekend: "Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support over the weekend. All my respect to Joe Joyce, he boxed well and won fair and square. I thought I was winning the fight. I tried to fight through the injury but I couldn’t in the end. I’m out of the hospital and will wait now for the fracture to heal. I’ll be back to prove my daughters wrong and my fans right." Dubois suffered a broken orbital bone and nerve damage. Two former champions weighed in on the criticism Dubois is receiving for quitting... Former WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno: "People have made negative comments on Dubois going to one knee to finish the fight. As someone who has problems with my eyes [due to] boxing, I feel Dubois did the right thing to save further damage. You may not agree which I respect, but its my personal point of view." Former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Macarinelli: "My view on Dubois: he’s 23. [If] he was in pain and scared about his health and his eyesight, then absolutely [he] done the right thing and will come back stronger. But if he looked for a way out as things weren’t going his way and found it too hard, [then] it’ll be harder to comeback for him. Only he knows."

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

By Scott Shaffer | December 01, 2020

Two hockey players call out Jake Paul
Two hockey players have called out Youtuber-turned-cruiserweight Jake Paul for a boxing match. Paul is now 2-0 as a boxer after annihilating ex-NBA player Nate Robinson into a state of unconsciousness last Saturday. The more interesting call-out came from San Jose Sharks' forward Evander Kane. Age 29, Kane made his NHL debut as a teenager and has some boxing bloodlines-- his father Perry Kane was an amateur boxer who named his son after Evander Holyfield. Kane tweeted, "Yo Jake Paul, I’d wreck ya. Easy to beat up guys with no experience and much smaller. August 31st 2021 Vegas... we can see if you really about that action. Your move." Kane is listed at 6'2", 210 pounds. Paul weighed in at 189 against Robinson. The second NHL player who wants to fight Paul is Las Vegas Golden Knight Robin Lehner, a goalie who is 6'4". 240. Although goalie fights are rare in hockey, Lehner has one fight on record where he scored a knockdown of Rico "Don't call me Robert" Helenius." Lehner was born in Sweden and was a 2019 finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL's most outstanding goaltender. Lehner was less explicit in his offer to fight Paul, tweeting simply, "I would **** you up."
	Two hockey players call out Jake Paul Two hockey players have called out Youtuber-turned-cruiserweight Jake Paul for a boxing match. Paul is now 2-0 as a boxer after annihilating ex-NBA player Nate Robinson into a state of unconsciousness last Saturday. The more interesting call-out came from San Jose Sharks' forward Evander Kane. Age 29, Kane made his NHL debut as a teenager and has some boxing bloodlines-- his father Perry Kane was an amateur boxer who named his son after Evander Holyfield. Kane tweeted, "Yo Jake Paul, I’d wreck ya. Easy to beat up guys with no experience and much smaller. August 31st 2021 Vegas... we can see if you really about that action. Your move." Kane is listed at 6'2", 210 pounds. Paul weighed in at 189 against Robinson. The second NHL player who wants to fight Paul is Las Vegas Golden Knight Robin Lehner, a goalie who is 6'4". 240. Although goalie fights are rare in hockey, Lehner has one fight on record where he scored a knockdown of Rico "Don't call me Robert" Helenius." Lehner was born in Sweden and was a 2019 finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL's most outstanding goaltender. Lehner was less explicit in his offer to fight Paul, tweeting simply, "I would **** you up."

Press Release | December 01, 2020

Saunders says he's not overlooking Murray
Billy Joe Saunders insists that he hasn’t overlooked four-time title challenger Martin Murray (39-5-1, 17 KOs) as he prepares to put his WBO 168-pound crown on the line this Friday at The SSE Arena in Wembley, England, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN. Hatfield star Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) was on the verge of securing a mega-fight with Mexican pound-for-pound icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez earlier this year before the coronavirus pandemic turned the sporting world on its head. Saunders, who was scheduled to face Murray twice in 2018, has expressed his desire to take on the winner of Alvarez vs. Callum Smith in a huge unification battle in 2021, but the 31 year-old two-weight champion has refused to underestimate St Helens man Murray. “I just want to get one in before the end of the year,” said Saunders. “There’s a lot of fighters struggling to get out. I’ve had a major disappointment. The Canelo fight fell through in May. On Friday we’ll rock and roll. If you want to go on professional experience, he’s had more fights than me. He’s challenged for the World Title four times. He should have been World Champion in two of those fights. I’ve promised him a chance. There’s always a risk I could get in there and get knocked out in one round. There’s a risk to people’s lives. I haven’t overlooked Martin. I’ve trained myself the best I can for the date. I know he doesn’t lay down, I can’t afford that kind of performance. Martin has his own mind. He’s prepared how he wants to prepare, whether he wants to train on emotion, grit or experience. He has to find a way to beat me and that will be difficult for any fighters on the planet. I can sense frustration from Martin’s camp. We had two fights that fell through. I would be disappointed if I went in there and blew him away in one round. I need rounds for next year. I need to get in there, in the real thing, to go into the big fights next year. To get over that bridge I need to beat Martin Murray. He’s not one of those fighters you can ever completely right off.” Saunders vs. Murray tops of big night of action in London, Belfast’s James Tennyson (27-3, 23 KOs) meets Canada’s Josh O’Reilly (16-0, 6 KOs) in a WBA lightweight eliminator ... super bantamweight Shannon Courtenay (5-1, 2 KOs) looks to return to winning ways against Poland’s Dorota Nurek (6-1, 1 KO)... Derby’s Zach Parker (19-0, 13 KOs) takes on Spain’s Cesar Nunez (17-2-1, 9 KOs) at super middleweigh... New Malden super middleweight talent Lerrone Richards (13-0, 3 KOs) makes his Matchroom debut... Southamptons’ Lewis Edmondson (3-0) clashes with Manchester’s John Telford (11-2-1, 2 KOs) over six rounds also at super middleweight and... exciting Sheffield featherweight Donte Dixon (4-0, 3 KOs) meets Welshman Angelo Dragone (5-1) over six rounds.
	Saunders says he's not overlooking Murray Billy Joe Saunders insists that he hasn’t overlooked four-time title challenger Martin Murray (39-5-1, 17 KOs) as he prepares to put his WBO 168-pound crown on the line this Friday at The SSE Arena in Wembley, England, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN. Hatfield star Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) was on the verge of securing a mega-fight with Mexican pound-for-pound icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez earlier this year before the coronavirus pandemic turned the sporting world on its head. Saunders, who was scheduled to face Murray twice in 2018, has expressed his desire to take on the winner of Alvarez vs. Callum Smith in a huge unification battle in 2021, but the 31 year-old two-weight champion has refused to underestimate St Helens man Murray. “I just want to get one in before the end of the year,” said Saunders. “There’s a lot of fighters struggling to get out. I’ve had a major disappointment. The Canelo fight fell through in May. On Friday we’ll rock and roll. If you want to go on professional experience, he’s had more fights than me. He’s challenged for the World Title four times. He should have been World Champion in two of those fights. I’ve promised him a chance. There’s always a risk I could get in there and get knocked out in one round. There’s a risk to people’s lives. I haven’t overlooked Martin. I’ve trained myself the best I can for the date. I know he doesn’t lay down, I can’t afford that kind of performance. Martin has his own mind. He’s prepared how he wants to prepare, whether he wants to train on emotion, grit or experience. He has to find a way to beat me and that will be difficult for any fighters on the planet. I can sense frustration from Martin’s camp. We had two fights that fell through. I would be disappointed if I went in there and blew him away in one round. I need rounds for next year. I need to get in there, in the real thing, to go into the big fights next year. To get over that bridge I need to beat Martin Murray. He’s not one of those fighters you can ever completely right off.” Saunders vs. Murray tops of big night of action in London, Belfast’s James Tennyson (27-3, 23 KOs) meets Canada’s Josh O’Reilly (16-0, 6 KOs) in a WBA lightweight eliminator ... super bantamweight Shannon Courtenay (5-1, 2 KOs) looks to return to winning ways against Poland’s Dorota Nurek (6-1, 1 KO)... Derby’s Zach Parker (19-0, 13 KOs) takes on Spain’s Cesar Nunez (17-2-1, 9 KOs) at super middleweigh... New Malden super middleweight talent Lerrone Richards (13-0, 3 KOs) makes his Matchroom debut... Southamptons’ Lewis Edmondson (3-0) clashes with Manchester’s John Telford (11-2-1, 2 KOs) over six rounds also at super middleweight and... exciting Sheffield featherweight Donte Dixon (4-0, 3 KOs) meets Welshman Angelo Dragone (5-1) over six rounds.

Press Release Courtesy of PBC | December 01, 2020

Danny Garcia: just a regular guy
It was almost three in the afternoon and Danny Garcia was already dressed for his afternoon workout. Before he could start hitting the bags and skipping rope, he first had to field a series of ten-minute phone calls from various members of the media. Most of the questions that day – that week – revolved around his next fight. The 32 year-old Garcia (36-2 with 21 KOs), who faces undefeated two-belt welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) in one of the more anticipated matches of the year on Saturday, December 5th, on Fox Sports PBC pay-per-view (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), answered each question with the same measured approach he uses in the ring. Training camp was good, he said, though he admitted that there was more “urgency” during this camp than any of the others. “I want to be champ again,” Garcia said. His father, Angel, who could be heard speaking loudly in the background, wants that as well. “He’s always amped,” Garcia said of his father. “But this time, he’s a little more amped.” Both father and son realize that Garcia is on the wrong side of thirty. There’s a young crop of welterweights punching their way into contention and another loss, even a disputed one, could put Garcia at the back of a growing line. He recognizes why the decisions went against him in his losses to Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman and though he disagrees with both results, he knows what he has to do to avoid letting another close one get away. By the time Garcia got around to answering my call, he had answered these questions several times. I asked him to tell me something different, something fans did not know about him. “There isn’t anything to tell – I’m just a regular guy.” He spoke a little bit about his clothing line and a pair of new items that were dropping fight week. He spoke about his barbershop and the possibility that they would need to close down again due to coronavirus restrictions. He talked about wanting to grow his real estate holdings and mentioned a desire to expand his portfolio outside of Pennsylvania. After mentioning all of that, he insisted he was just a regular guy. It wasn’t until I told Garcia that I had a few pro fights that he got out of character and opened up a bit. When he walks to the ring ready to do battle, he’s thinking about the pain and obstacles he had to face while growing up in Philadelphia. Some of those crucial formative years were spent without his father, who did a few years behind bars for drug related charges. I could relate to him having grown up with similar circumstances a few dozen miles northeast of him. When he climbs into the ring, he has his family, friends, and yes, all of Philadelphia on his mind. “All of that is on my mind – the street smarts, the Philly attitude – it’s who I am.” A Philly-fighter through and through, he talked about winning the Golden Gloves at the Blue Horizon, an arena cozy enough that, along the sides, the guy in the back row could have a conversation with the cornermen. He spoke about the influence that Bernard Hopkins has had on him. But Garcia brings more than just a Philly influence with him whenever he fights. He’s part of a relatively new breed of Philadelphian, one with dual identities. He’s Philly and he’s Puerto Rican. While there are some members of the white boxing media who have adopted Saul "Canelo" Alvarez as white but not his darker haired brother Rigoberto, the color of Garcia’s skin does not matter. Garcia can be included on lists with names like Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins because he is from Philadelphia. And he can be included on lists that include names like Felix Trinidad and Pedro Montanez because his genes are Borinquen. He listens to music in both Spanish and English and when he’s not put on the spot, his Spanish is a lot more fluent than those seen on internet memes. I did not get the chance to ask Garcia if he knew that he was the first Philly Latino to come up through the Philadelphia amateur system and become a champion. Our time was up and he had other calls to get to. Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn’t. In those few minutes I got to speak with him, he gave me the impression that even if he did know about his groundbreaking accomplishments, he probably would still say that he’s just a regular guy.' PBC Press Release written by Jose Corpas
	Danny Garcia: just a regular guy It was almost three in the afternoon and Danny Garcia was already dressed for his afternoon workout. Before he could start hitting the bags and skipping rope, he first had to field a series of ten-minute phone calls from various members of the media. Most of the questions that day – that week – revolved around his next fight. The 32 year-old Garcia (36-2 with 21 KOs), who faces undefeated two-belt welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) in one of the more anticipated matches of the year on Saturday, December 5th, on Fox Sports PBC pay-per-view (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), answered each question with the same measured approach he uses in the ring. Training camp was good, he said, though he admitted that there was more “urgency” during this camp than any of the others. “I want to be champ again,” Garcia said. His father, Angel, who could be heard speaking loudly in the background, wants that as well. “He’s always amped,” Garcia said of his father. “But this time, he’s a little more amped.” Both father and son realize that Garcia is on the wrong side of thirty. There’s a young crop of welterweights punching their way into contention and another loss, even a disputed one, could put Garcia at the back of a growing line. He recognizes why the decisions went against him in his losses to Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman and though he disagrees with both results, he knows what he has to do to avoid letting another close one get away. By the time Garcia got around to answering my call, he had answered these questions several times. I asked him to tell me something different, something fans did not know about him. “There isn’t anything to tell – I’m just a regular guy.” He spoke a little bit about his clothing line and a pair of new items that were dropping fight week. He spoke about his barbershop and the possibility that they would need to close down again due to coronavirus restrictions. He talked about wanting to grow his real estate holdings and mentioned a desire to expand his portfolio outside of Pennsylvania. After mentioning all of that, he insisted he was just a regular guy. It wasn’t until I told Garcia that I had a few pro fights that he got out of character and opened up a bit. When he walks to the ring ready to do battle, he’s thinking about the pain and obstacles he had to face while growing up in Philadelphia. Some of those crucial formative years were spent without his father, who did a few years behind bars for drug related charges. I could relate to him having grown up with similar circumstances a few dozen miles northeast of him. When he climbs into the ring, he has his family, friends, and yes, all of Philadelphia on his mind. “All of that is on my mind – the street smarts, the Philly attitude – it’s who I am.” A Philly-fighter through and through, he talked about winning the Golden Gloves at the Blue Horizon, an arena cozy enough that, along the sides, the guy in the back row could have a conversation with the cornermen. He spoke about the influence that Bernard Hopkins has had on him. But Garcia brings more than just a Philly influence with him whenever he fights. He’s part of a relatively new breed of Philadelphian, one with dual identities. He’s Philly and he’s Puerto Rican. While there are some members of the white boxing media who have adopted Saul "Canelo" Alvarez as white but not his darker haired brother Rigoberto, the color of Garcia’s skin does not matter. Garcia can be included on lists with names like Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins because he is from Philadelphia. And he can be included on lists that include names like Felix Trinidad and Pedro Montanez because his genes are Borinquen. He listens to music in both Spanish and English and when he’s not put on the spot, his Spanish is a lot more fluent than those seen on internet memes. I did not get the chance to ask Garcia if he knew that he was the first Philly Latino to come up through the Philadelphia amateur system and become a champion. Our time was up and he had other calls to get to. Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn’t. In those few minutes I got to speak with him, he gave me the impression that even if he did know about his groundbreaking accomplishments, he probably would still say that he’s just a regular guy.' PBC Press Release written by Jose Corpas

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

Zurdo Ramirez presents huge opportunity for Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez

Press Release | December 01, 2020

Zurdo Ramirez presents huge opportunity for Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez
There is a Texas showdown coming December 18th called the "Battle of Rio Grande," in which undefeated former IBF super middleweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (40-0, 26 KOs) challenges light heavyweight Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez (32-3, 25 KOs), live on pay-per-view from Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas (suggested price: $24.99). Lopez has been self-promoting in Texas for several years. He will be riding a ten-fight win streak into the ring in the twelve-round main event. His most recent fight was 13 months ago, when he won a ten-round decision over 19-9-1 Denis Grachev. Before that, Lopez won via fourth-round stoppage against 21-3 Alex Theran. "Maybe a little but it's not a big deal," Lopez responded to being asked if he was undervalued. "I've always said that in this business, everybody has the opportunity to be seen. Gilberto's beaten quality guys and he's a world champion. I've promoted myself, mostly in Texas, and I'm well respected within the industry. If they really want to see who Gilberto is fighting, tune in, and then make decisions at the end of the fight and maybe they'll change their mind. Otherwise, they should keep their opinions to themselves instead of reading about me on social media or matching up who we've fought." Ramirez has a marquee name, and he represents a career-changing opportunity for Lopez. "El Tigre" holds victories over solid opponents other than Grachev and Theran, such as Dyah Davis and Rubin Williams, and in 2011 Lopez extended Kelly Pavlik the distance in a loss by way of a ten-round majority decision. Lopez isn't fighting Ramirez simply for a payday. "Nobody walks into the ring thinking they're just happy to be there," he explained. "This fight will establish me as a world-class fighter. I feel that the winner will be the best in our division and the guys walking around with their belts should fight the winner. Gilberto is a great fighter who has a lot of experience as a world champion. He has physical attributes that him difficult to fight. He's strong and always in great condition. I need to be intelligent, able to read him, and in great shape. "The fight will be about adjustments. We've both been in this game a long time and at this high level of boxing, you need to be smart and strategic, but both of us being Mexican, it could turn into a brawl at any time. People will see why nobody wants to fight either of us. I'm excited and I know he is, too. Boxing fans don't want to miss it!"
	Zurdo Ramirez presents huge opportunity for Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez There is a Texas showdown coming December 18th called the "Battle of Rio Grande," in which undefeated former IBF super middleweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (40-0, 26 KOs) challenges light heavyweight Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez (32-3, 25 KOs), live on pay-per-view from Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas (suggested price: $24.99). Lopez has been self-promoting in Texas for several years. He will be riding a ten-fight win streak into the ring in the twelve-round main event. His most recent fight was 13 months ago, when he won a ten-round decision over 19-9-1 Denis Grachev. Before that, Lopez won via fourth-round stoppage against 21-3 Alex Theran. "Maybe a little but it's not a big deal," Lopez responded to being asked if he was undervalued. "I've always said that in this business, everybody has the opportunity to be seen. Gilberto's beaten quality guys and he's a world champion. I've promoted myself, mostly in Texas, and I'm well respected within the industry. If they really want to see who Gilberto is fighting, tune in, and then make decisions at the end of the fight and maybe they'll change their mind. Otherwise, they should keep their opinions to themselves instead of reading about me on social media or matching up who we've fought." Ramirez has a marquee name, and he represents a career-changing opportunity for Lopez. "El Tigre" holds victories over solid opponents other than Grachev and Theran, such as Dyah Davis and Rubin Williams, and in 2011 Lopez extended Kelly Pavlik the distance in a loss by way of a ten-round majority decision. Lopez isn't fighting Ramirez simply for a payday. "Nobody walks into the ring thinking they're just happy to be there," he explained. "This fight will establish me as a world-class fighter. I feel that the winner will be the best in our division and the guys walking around with their belts should fight the winner. Gilberto is a great fighter who has a lot of experience as a world champion. He has physical attributes that him difficult to fight. He's strong and always in great condition. I need to be intelligent, able to read him, and in great shape. "The fight will be about adjustments. We've both been in this game a long time and at this high level of boxing, you need to be smart and strategic, but both of us being Mexican, it could turn into a brawl at any time. People will see why nobody wants to fight either of us. I'm excited and I know he is, too. Boxing fans don't want to miss it!"

Press Release | December 01, 2020

Harlem Eubank: "I’ve gone through a fight week behind closed doors"
British junior welterweight Harlem Eubank is relishing the chance to show how much he has developed within the sport when he goes up against Daniel Egbunike on Wednesday’s Golden Contract undercard. Eubank (10-0, 3 KOs) faces Egbunike (6-0, 3 KOs) at Production Park Studios in Wakefield, England live on Sky Sports and on ESPN+. After training alongside the likes of Michael Conlan and Josh Kelly, Eubank is seen as one of the most improved fighters in the UK, and he’s planning to show his latest improvements this week. Eubank said: “I’m focused on this fight and I’m not looking beyond Egbunike, but it’s all about further progressing in the artform and continuing to develop my skills at a higher level. We’ve all been pushing each other hard at the gym at a high intensity. We have some big fights lined up in the gym and training next to the people in there is great. Egbunike has been out of the ring for a while, but I don’t think that time away will be a disadvantage. He will have prepared hard and will be as excited for this fight as I am. I’ve gone through a fight week behind closed doors already so that is great experience, and knowing the surroundings is always good for preparation.”
	Harlem Eubank: "I’ve gone through a fight week behind closed doors" British junior welterweight Harlem Eubank is relishing the chance to show how much he has developed within the sport when he goes up against Daniel Egbunike on Wednesday’s Golden Contract undercard. Eubank (10-0, 3 KOs) faces Egbunike (6-0, 3 KOs) at Production Park Studios in Wakefield, England live on Sky Sports and on ESPN+. After training alongside the likes of Michael Conlan and Josh Kelly, Eubank is seen as one of the most improved fighters in the UK, and he’s planning to show his latest improvements this week. Eubank said: “I’m focused on this fight and I’m not looking beyond Egbunike, but it’s all about further progressing in the artform and continuing to develop my skills at a higher level. We’ve all been pushing each other hard at the gym at a high intensity. We have some big fights lined up in the gym and training next to the people in there is great. Egbunike has been out of the ring for a while, but I don’t think that time away will be a disadvantage. He will have prepared hard and will be as excited for this fight as I am. I’ve gone through a fight week behind closed doors already so that is great experience, and knowing the surroundings is always good for preparation.”

Source: WBF | December 01, 2020

Jose Luis Roa wins in Mexico
Jose Luis Roa W10 Giovannie Gonzalez... On Sunday in Tijuana, lightweight Jose Luis Roa passed the biggest test of his professional career by defeating Giovannie Gonzalez. In a gruelling fight at the Nuevo Plaza De Torros, where many rounds appeared difficult to score, this was two hard-as-nails fighters who fought hard for the entire ten rounds. Gonzalez probably landed the harder shots, while Roa connected at a higher volume. In the end, two judges favored Roa, 98-92 and 97-93, while one saw the Stockton, California-based “King Gio” Gonzalez as the winner by 97-93. Going undefeated since losing his pro debut in 2014, Roa is now 10-1-1. Gonzalez, who has been unlucky in some close fights, falls to a very deceiving 10-6-1. source: wbf
	Jose Luis Roa wins in Mexico Jose Luis Roa W10 Giovannie Gonzalez... On Sunday in Tijuana, lightweight Jose Luis Roa passed the biggest test of his professional career by defeating Giovannie Gonzalez. In a gruelling fight at the Nuevo Plaza De Torros, where many rounds appeared difficult to score, this was two hard-as-nails fighters who fought hard for the entire ten rounds. Gonzalez probably landed the harder shots, while Roa connected at a higher volume. In the end, two judges favored Roa, 98-92 and 97-93, while one saw the Stockton, California-based “King Gio” Gonzalez as the winner by 97-93. Going undefeated since losing his pro debut in 2014, Roa is now 10-1-1. Gonzalez, who has been unlucky in some close fights, falls to a very deceiving 10-6-1. source: wbf

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

Bohachuk out but Ring City quickly finds replacement

Edited Press Release | November 30, 2020

Bohachuk out but Ring City quickly finds replacement
Serheii Bohachuk is off this week's Ring City show due to illness (possibly coronavirus). The undefeated Bohachuk was slated to face Brandon Adams (21-3), but the the show will go on with Adams instead facing Florida's Sonny Duversonne (11-2-2). Ring City's announcement of the new match-up stated: Chasing a dream doesn’t mean you get to avoid all of life’s nightmares. Sonny Duversonne learned this lesson the hard way. As a second generation fighter, boxing was always in Sonny’s blood. But so was the violent streak that led to trouble in his teenage years, and eventually, time in prison. It was there that Sonny learned vital lessons in self-discipline, and saw how penitentiary rules could actually help him navigate life in South Florida once he was released. Essential to that new life was his childhood love for boxing. Despite being a “late starter” at 27, Duversonne's resilience, punching power, and 80-inch reach have all contributed to his 11-2-2 record with 8 KOs. His only losses include a split-decision versus Chordale Booker in November, and a losing decision against Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson in October, where Duversonne scored a fifth-round knockdown. As for Adams, “battle tested” is his badge of honor he wears it proudly. As the seventh out of nine children, Adams has been fighting his whole life. As a child, he fought against gangs and drugs that ran rampant on the streets in his hometown of Watts, California. Once he found boxing, he fought his way through the amateurs, and then, when he went pro, through a cadre of world-class sparring partners including Shawn Porter and Gennadiy Golovkin. He fought his way through the Epix Television Series “The Contender,” where he defeated Shane Mosley Jr. to win the title, all while personally coping with the sudden passing of his longtime trainer. Now trained by Dub Huntley, Adams returns to the ring for the first time since challenging Jermall Charlo for the WBC regular belt in 2019.
	Bohachuk out but Ring City quickly finds replacement Serheii Bohachuk is off this week's Ring City show due to illness (possibly coronavirus). The undefeated Bohachuk was slated to face Brandon Adams (21-3), but the the show will go on with Adams instead facing Florida's Sonny Duversonne (11-2-2). Ring City's announcement of the new match-up stated: Chasing a dream doesn’t mean you get to avoid all of life’s nightmares. Sonny Duversonne learned this lesson the hard way. As a second generation fighter, boxing was always in Sonny’s blood. But so was the violent streak that led to trouble in his teenage years, and eventually, time in prison. It was there that Sonny learned vital lessons in self-discipline, and saw how penitentiary rules could actually help him navigate life in South Florida once he was released. Essential to that new life was his childhood love for boxing. Despite being a “late starter” at 27, Duversonne's resilience, punching power, and 80-inch reach have all contributed to his 11-2-2 record with 8 KOs. His only losses include a split-decision versus Chordale Booker in November, and a losing decision against Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson in October, where Duversonne scored a fifth-round knockdown. As for Adams, “battle tested” is his badge of honor he wears it proudly. As the seventh out of nine children, Adams has been fighting his whole life. As a child, he fought against gangs and drugs that ran rampant on the streets in his hometown of Watts, California. Once he found boxing, he fought his way through the amateurs, and then, when he went pro, through a cadre of world-class sparring partners including Shawn Porter and Gennadiy Golovkin. He fought his way through the Epix Television Series “The Contender,” where he defeated Shane Mosley Jr. to win the title, all while personally coping with the sudden passing of his longtime trainer. Now trained by Dub Huntley, Adams returns to the ring for the first time since challenging Jermall Charlo for the WBC regular belt in 2019.

Press Release | November 30, 2020

Junior welterweight John Bauza joins Split-T
Split-T Management announce the signing of New Jersey junior welterweight John Bauza. From North Bergen, New Jersey by way of Puerto Rico, Bauza has a professional record of 14-0 with five knockouts. Bauza is coming off a eight-round unanimous decision over Larry Fryers (11-2) on June 30th in Las Vegas. He is promoted by Top Rank. The 22 year-old began boxing at the age of nine went he walked into a gym and loved the sport immediately. "My dad did not like it at first, but I was good at it and stuck with it," said Bauza. That started a heralded amateur career that saw Bauza rack up an impressive record of 178-8. Bauza captured many tournament victories which included the USA Junior Olympic Qualifier, Diamond Gloves, Regional Golden Gloves and Ringside World Championships. Bauza turned pro on April 23, 2016 with a first-round stoppage over over LeRoy Padilla in Puerto Rico. "I have followed John Bauza since the amateurs, and I always have been impressed. He won the best fighter award at the best tournament I ever went to beating out the likes of Ryan Garcia, Tiger Johnson, Marc Castro, Otha Jones, Keyshawn Davis and so many more top fighters. I believe that he has the opportunity to be as big a star in New York as he already is in Puerto Rico, and he is on the path to a world title," said David McWater of Split-T Management. "I am excited to sign with Split-T Management because they have a lot of great fighters, and I see what they have done with them in terms of advancing their careers. I was looking for somebody to bring me to another level, and Split-T Management is just the company that will do that for me," said Bauza. "I want to keep training hard. Now that I have good management, I can see that my dreams can come true, and that is to be a world champion." Bauza lists going to the beach and watching documentaries on boxing as his hobbies.
	Junior welterweight John Bauza joins Split-T Split-T Management announce the signing of New Jersey junior welterweight John Bauza. From North Bergen, New Jersey by way of Puerto Rico, Bauza has a professional record of 14-0 with five knockouts. Bauza is coming off a eight-round unanimous decision over Larry Fryers (11-2) on June 30th in Las Vegas. He is promoted by Top Rank. The 22 year-old began boxing at the age of nine went he walked into a gym and loved the sport immediately. "My dad did not like it at first, but I was good at it and stuck with it," said Bauza. That started a heralded amateur career that saw Bauza rack up an impressive record of 178-8. Bauza captured many tournament victories which included the USA Junior Olympic Qualifier, Diamond Gloves, Regional Golden Gloves and Ringside World Championships. Bauza turned pro on April 23, 2016 with a first-round stoppage over over LeRoy Padilla in Puerto Rico. "I have followed John Bauza since the amateurs, and I always have been impressed. He won the best fighter award at the best tournament I ever went to beating out the likes of Ryan Garcia, Tiger Johnson, Marc Castro, Otha Jones, Keyshawn Davis and so many more top fighters. I believe that he has the opportunity to be as big a star in New York as he already is in Puerto Rico, and he is on the path to a world title," said David McWater of Split-T Management. "I am excited to sign with Split-T Management because they have a lot of great fighters, and I see what they have done with them in terms of advancing their careers. I was looking for somebody to bring me to another level, and Split-T Management is just the company that will do that for me," said Bauza. "I want to keep training hard. Now that I have good management, I can see that my dreams can come true, and that is to be a world champion." Bauza lists going to the beach and watching documentaries on boxing as his hobbies.

Press Release | November 30, 2020

Catterall in catbird's seat for 2021 world title challenge
Jack Catterall moved one step closer to a junior welterweight world title shot with a dominant ten-round points wins over France's Abderrazak Houya on Saturday. Catterall (26-0, 13 KOs) defeated Houya (14-3, 2 KOs) at Church Hourse in Westminster, England. Caterall dropped his opponent in both the sixth and the ninth rounds. The fight went the distance, with the referee scoring it 99-90 in Catterall’s favor. Catterall is now on the verge of a crack at world honors, with the current mandatory challenger for the WBO title set to fight for possibly four belts in 2021. Catterall said: “I enjoyed that. It’s been a year out of the ring for me, so that’s ten good rounds in the bank. Now we’ll move to next year and get some big fights. I’m set to face the winner of [IBF/WBA champion] Josh Taylor vs. [WBC/WBO champion] Jose Ramirez, so it’s exciting times.”
	Catterall in catbird's seat for 2021 world title challenge Jack Catterall moved one step closer to a junior welterweight world title shot with a dominant ten-round points wins over France's Abderrazak Houya on Saturday. Catterall (26-0, 13 KOs) defeated Houya (14-3, 2 KOs) at Church Hourse in Westminster, England. Caterall dropped his opponent in both the sixth and the ninth rounds. The fight went the distance, with the referee scoring it 99-90 in Catterall’s favor. Catterall is now on the verge of a crack at world honors, with the current mandatory challenger for the WBO title set to fight for possibly four belts in 2021. Catterall said: “I enjoyed that. It’s been a year out of the ring for me, so that’s ten good rounds in the bank. Now we’ll move to next year and get some big fights. I’m set to face the winner of [IBF/WBA champion] Josh Taylor vs. [WBC/WBO champion] Jose Ramirez, so it’s exciting times.”

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

Sixteen year-old Phoobadin Yoohanngoh making noise in Thailand

Courtesy of Asian Boxing | November 30, 2020

Sixteen year-old Phoobadin Yoohanngoh making noise in Thailand
Phoobadin Yoohanngoh TKO6 Thai Atchariya Wirojanasunobol ... Sixteen year-old from Phoobadin Yoohanngoh a/k/a Sangarthit Looksaikongdin handed the first professional defeat to the career of fellow Thai Atchariya Wirojanasunobol a/k/a Atchariya Tor Chantaroj. Yoohanngoh (10-0) turns seventeen in January. The 31 year-old Wirojanasunobol (13-1) had spent time in jail during 2019-2020 for drug charges before being acquitted. By round five of the 140-pound contest, Yoohanngoh's effective counter punches caused Atchariya to slow his offense. In round six, Yoohanngoh opened up without waiting for countering opportunities, and floored Atchariya twice. The second time, Atchariya's corner stopped the fight. source: asianboxing.info
	Sixteen year-old Phoobadin Yoohanngoh making noise in Thailand Phoobadin Yoohanngoh TKO6 Thai Atchariya Wirojanasunobol ... Sixteen year-old from Phoobadin Yoohanngoh a/k/a Sangarthit Looksaikongdin handed the first professional defeat to the career of fellow Thai Atchariya Wirojanasunobol a/k/a Atchariya Tor Chantaroj. Yoohanngoh (10-0) turns seventeen in January. The 31 year-old Wirojanasunobol (13-1) had spent time in jail during 2019-2020 for drug charges before being acquitted. By round five of the 140-pound contest, Yoohanngoh's effective counter punches caused Atchariya to slow his offense. In round six, Yoohanngoh opened up without waiting for countering opportunities, and floored Atchariya twice. The second time, Atchariya's corner stopped the fight. source: asianboxing.info

Courtesy of Asian Boxing | November 30, 2020

Kevin Mendoza, 1997-2020
According to Asian Boxing, Suruga Boys Gym in Japan tweeted that professional featherweight Kevin Mendoza died in a car accident at the young age of 22. Mendoza was a Peruvian trying to make his way in the world of Japanese professional boxing. He had a record of 4-4-1 with his last fight coming in April 2019. Boxingtalk sends its condolences to the friends and family of Kevin Mendoza.
	Kevin Mendoza, 1997-2020 According to Asian Boxing, Suruga Boys Gym in Japan tweeted that professional featherweight Kevin Mendoza died in a car accident at the young age of 22. Mendoza was a Peruvian trying to make his way in the world of Japanese professional boxing. He had a record of 4-4-1 with his last fight coming in April 2019. Boxingtalk sends its condolences to the friends and family of Kevin Mendoza.

Source: WBC | November 30, 2020

Late result: Badou Jack gets first win since 2017
Badou Jack W8 Blake McKernan... After nearly a year of inactivity, former super middleweight title holder Badou Jack (23-3-3) returned to defeat previously undefeated Blake McKernan on the undercard of the exhibition between legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. The eight-round fight was held in the cruiserweight division. Jack had no difficulty taking a wide win via unanimous decision. He used body combinations, shedding ring rust to get his first victory after drawing with Adonis Stevenson and being defeated by Marcus Browne and Jean Pascal. Hampered by a bloodied nose, McKernan (13-1) fought on to the final bell with courage. source: wbc
	Late result: Badou Jack gets first win since 2017 Badou Jack W8 Blake McKernan... After nearly a year of inactivity, former super middleweight title holder Badou Jack (23-3-3) returned to defeat previously undefeated Blake McKernan on the undercard of the exhibition between legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. The eight-round fight was held in the cruiserweight division. Jack had no difficulty taking a wide win via unanimous decision. He used body combinations, shedding ring rust to get his first victory after drawing with Adonis Stevenson and being defeated by Marcus Browne and Jean Pascal. Hampered by a bloodied nose, McKernan (13-1) fought on to the final bell with courage. source: wbc

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

Walsh and Hyland to battle for vacant British title

Press Release | November 30, 2020

Walsh and Hyland to battle for vacant British title
MTK Global recently won a purse bid and announced that Liam Walsh will go up against Paul Hyland Jr. for the vacant British lightweight title on Friday February 19th. [James Tennyson won the title in August and vacated it wothout a defense]. The event will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ and worldwide on IFL TV. Walsh (23-1, 15 KOs) lost a world title challenge to Gervonta Davis in 2017, took all of 2018 off and had two wins in 2019, but hasn't fought at all in 2020. He looks to become a two-weight British champion after previously holding the belt at super featherweight. Belfast fighter Hyland Jnr (20-2, 7 KOs) is just as keen to add a championship to his collection, having challenged for the European and British titles over the past 18 months. Walsh said: “I’m grateful to be fighting so early in the new year especially with the current conditions. Big shout out to MTK Global for continuing to put shows on in these hard times. I was pencilled in to fight in March this year but the show eventually got pulled due to the coronavirus. It’s been frustrating not fighting but on the positive side I’ve managed to train throughout and spend time with my family, and now I’m ready for this fight. I know a lot about Paul Hyland Jr. He is someone I’ve always kept an eye on as I thought our paths might cross one day. I’m expecting a very hard fight.” Hyland said: “I’m very excited to have a date and a shot at the British title again. I’ve got this chance to be back in the ring against Liam Walsh, so I can’t wait. Walsh is a world level fighter and is a former British and Commonwealth champion, so he’s very good, but I’m confident for this fight.” Promoter Lee Eaton added: “We’re thrilled to announce the date for this tremendous fight between Liam Walsh and Paul Hyland Jnr for the British lightweight title. Liam has been desperate for a big fight for a while, so it’s great to get him in the ring with Paul Hyland Jnr, who will provide a serious test for him. It’s our second massive event announced for 2021, following on from the great show taking place in January that features Karim Guerfi vs. Lee McGregor for the European title, and Sean McComb vs. Gavin Gwynne for the Commonwealth title, so we can’t wait to kick off the year in style.”
	Walsh and Hyland to battle for vacant British title MTK Global recently won a purse bid and announced that Liam Walsh will go up against Paul Hyland Jr. for the vacant British lightweight title on Friday February 19th. [James Tennyson won the title in August and vacated it wothout a defense]. The event will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ and worldwide on IFL TV. Walsh (23-1, 15 KOs) lost a world title challenge to Gervonta Davis in 2017, took all of 2018 off and had two wins in 2019, but hasn't fought at all in 2020. He looks to become a two-weight British champion after previously holding the belt at super featherweight. Belfast fighter Hyland Jnr (20-2, 7 KOs) is just as keen to add a championship to his collection, having challenged for the European and British titles over the past 18 months. Walsh said: “I’m grateful to be fighting so early in the new year especially with the current conditions. Big shout out to MTK Global for continuing to put shows on in these hard times. I was pencilled in to fight in March this year but the show eventually got pulled due to the coronavirus. It’s been frustrating not fighting but on the positive side I’ve managed to train throughout and spend time with my family, and now I’m ready for this fight. I know a lot about Paul Hyland Jr. He is someone I’ve always kept an eye on as I thought our paths might cross one day. I’m expecting a very hard fight.” Hyland said: “I’m very excited to have a date and a shot at the British title again. I’ve got this chance to be back in the ring against Liam Walsh, so I can’t wait. Walsh is a world level fighter and is a former British and Commonwealth champion, so he’s very good, but I’m confident for this fight.” Promoter Lee Eaton added: “We’re thrilled to announce the date for this tremendous fight between Liam Walsh and Paul Hyland Jnr for the British lightweight title. Liam has been desperate for a big fight for a while, so it’s great to get him in the ring with Paul Hyland Jnr, who will provide a serious test for him. It’s our second massive event announced for 2021, following on from the great show taking place in January that features Karim Guerfi vs. Lee McGregor for the European title, and Sean McComb vs. Gavin Gwynne for the Commonwealth title, so we can’t wait to kick off the year in style.”

Press Release | November 30, 2020

Alberto Puello to headline in Santo Domingo on Dec. 17th
Dominican junior welterweight Alberto “La Avispa” Puello (17-0) will return to the ring on December 17th in his home country to face Argentinean Cristian Rafael Coria (29-7-2) at the Catalonia Malecon Center Hotel in Santo Domingo. At stake will be Puello's WBA interim belt. Puello came close to a fight in the United States a couple of months ago but visa problems prevented him from doing so. The San Juan de la Maguana native won the interim belt in July 2019 against Jonathan Alonso. His first defense will be against a the 38 year-old Coria, coming off a quality victory over Joel Diaz, Jr.
	Alberto Puello to headline in Santo Domingo on Dec. 17th Dominican junior welterweight Alberto “La Avispa” Puello (17-0) will return to the ring on December 17th in his home country to face Argentinean Cristian Rafael Coria (29-7-2) at the Catalonia Malecon Center Hotel in Santo Domingo. At stake will be Puello's WBA interim belt. Puello came close to a fight in the United States a couple of months ago but visa problems prevented him from doing so. The San Juan de la Maguana native won the interim belt in July 2019 against Jonathan Alonso. His first defense will be against a the 38 year-old Coria, coming off a quality victory over Joel Diaz, Jr.

Press Release | November 30, 2020

Matchroom signs welterweight Florian Marku
London-based Albanian welterweight Florian Marku has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing. The former MMA fighter turned to pro boxing in December 2018 and has won all seven of his contests, with five of those wins coming inside the distance. Trained by Don Charles and managed by S-JAM Boxing, Marku hasn’t been shy in calling out the top welterweights in the UK, with Conor Benn and Chris Kongo sitting at the top of his hit list. Boasting a huge following, the 28 year-old southpaw sold out London’s iconic 1200-seater York Hall for his UK debut in March 2019 before luring over 800 fans to The O2 for his fourth round KO of Tommy Broadbent in July, and he now hopes to welcome his growing army of fans back to arenas across the UK in 2021. The "Albanian King" was last seen making short work of Muma Mweemba last month, flooring the Sheffield-based fighter twice before ending proceedings in the opening round with a left hook that sent his opponent crashing into the ropes. Possessing power in both hands, the 5'8" Marku is determined to shake up the domestic welterweight division before targeting world honors. “I am very excited to join Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing,” said Marku. “This is where the big boys play, and I will show I am the most dangerous Welterweight in the country. The Albanian king is coming.” “I’m delighted to welcome Florian to the team,” said Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn. “He has an astonishing and loyal fan base that are one of the most fanatical I have seen in boxing and a fan friendly style that is going to light up arenas and front rooms all over the country. I’m looking forward to plenty of fun with Florian and S-JAM, stay tuned for some exciting announcements.” Sam Jones of S-JAM Boxing said: “Myself and Adam Morallee are delighted to be teaming up with Matchroom Boxing again. We believe Florian can become World Champion and we know Eddie and Matchroom are the ones to deliver it for him. We are looking forward to some huge nights ahead.”
	Matchroom signs welterweight Florian Marku London-based Albanian welterweight Florian Marku has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing. The former MMA fighter turned to pro boxing in December 2018 and has won all seven of his contests, with five of those wins coming inside the distance. Trained by Don Charles and managed by S-JAM Boxing, Marku hasn’t been shy in calling out the top welterweights in the UK, with Conor Benn and Chris Kongo sitting at the top of his hit list. Boasting a huge following, the 28 year-old southpaw sold out London’s iconic 1200-seater York Hall for his UK debut in March 2019 before luring over 800 fans to The O2 for his fourth round KO of Tommy Broadbent in July, and he now hopes to welcome his growing army of fans back to arenas across the UK in 2021. The "Albanian King" was last seen making short work of Muma Mweemba last month, flooring the Sheffield-based fighter twice before ending proceedings in the opening round with a left hook that sent his opponent crashing into the ropes. Possessing power in both hands, the 5'8" Marku is determined to shake up the domestic welterweight division before targeting world honors. “I am very excited to join Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing,” said Marku. “This is where the big boys play, and I will show I am the most dangerous Welterweight in the country. The Albanian king is coming.” “I’m delighted to welcome Florian to the team,” said Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn. “He has an astonishing and loyal fan base that are one of the most fanatical I have seen in boxing and a fan friendly style that is going to light up arenas and front rooms all over the country. I’m looking forward to plenty of fun with Florian and S-JAM, stay tuned for some exciting announcements.” Sam Jones of S-JAM Boxing said: “Myself and Adam Morallee are delighted to be teaming up with Matchroom Boxing again. We believe Florian can become World Champion and we know Eddie and Matchroom are the ones to deliver it for him. We are looking forward to some huge nights ahead.”

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

Report: Dubois suffered broken eye socket

By Scott Shaffer | November 29, 2020

Report: Dubois suffered broken eye socket
According to BBC reports, Daniel Dubois suffered a broken orbital bone and nerve damage around his left eye in Saturday's heavyweight loss to Joe Joyce. Dubois is only 23 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to recover and resume his career, but there is real concern Dubois may become a modern-day Michael Grant. (In the late 1990s, Grant was considered the future of the heavyweight division before fighting heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. Grant went on to a decent career but nowhere near what was expected. Dubois had similarly high expectations as the so-called future of the division). Fight report: Joyce stopped Dubois in a massive all-British heavyweight fight on Saturday. It was a very close fight with both men landing hard punches. Dubois' left eye closed and the 23 year-old seemed uncertain in his corner as the fight wore on. By round ten, the eye was nearly completely closed but Dubois was still fighting well right up until the moment Joyce landed a clean jab directly on the eye. Dubois seemed to panic. He touched his eye and took a knee, allowing himself to be counted out. At time of the stoppage, Dubois was ahead on two cards, 88-83 and 86-85, and trailing on the third 84-87. With the win, Joyce picked up a trio of straps: the European, British and Commonwealth championship. The 35 year-old Joyce showed a great chin and earned a spot in the top five or six heavyweights in the world. Next up could be a fight vs. Oleksandr Usyk, one of the two men to beat Joyce in a World Series of Boxing contest. (Usyk won a five-round decision over Joyce in 2013). source: ESPN+
	Report: Dubois suffered broken eye socket According to BBC reports, Daniel Dubois suffered a broken orbital bone and nerve damage around his left eye in Saturday's heavyweight loss to Joe Joyce. Dubois is only 23 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to recover and resume his career, but there is real concern Dubois may become a modern-day Michael Grant. (In the late 1990s, Grant was considered the future of the heavyweight division before fighting heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. Grant went on to a decent career but nowhere near what was expected. Dubois had similarly high expectations as the so-called future of the division). Fight report: Joyce stopped Dubois in a massive all-British heavyweight fight on Saturday. It was a very close fight with both men landing hard punches. Dubois' left eye closed and the 23 year-old seemed uncertain in his corner as the fight wore on. By round ten, the eye was nearly completely closed but Dubois was still fighting well right up until the moment Joyce landed a clean jab directly on the eye. Dubois seemed to panic. He touched his eye and took a knee, allowing himself to be counted out. At time of the stoppage, Dubois was ahead on two cards, 88-83 and 86-85, and trailing on the third 84-87. With the win, Joyce picked up a trio of straps: the European, British and Commonwealth championship. The 35 year-old Joyce showed a great chin and earned a spot in the top five or six heavyweights in the world. Next up could be a fight vs. Oleksandr Usyk, one of the two men to beat Joyce in a World Series of Boxing contest. (Usyk won a five-round decision over Joyce in 2013). source: ESPN+

By Scott Shaffer | November 29, 2020

Tyson-Jones exhibition-- "time to get back to real fights"
The Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones exhibition is over, and not a minute too soon. An out-of-shape Jones could barely make it through the eight two-minute rounds and only Tyson's failure to go for the kill saved the once-great but now 51 year-old Jones from embarrassment. Jones had one gimmick move he used a couple of times each round but spent the rest of the time tying up Tyson. The 54 year-old Tyson looked the part, getting down to his prime fighting weight of 220 for this show, and the two men exchanged just enough punches to keep fans resonably entertained. Trainer Kevin Cunningham described it best, tweeting, "Mike and Roy put on a decent show for two guys over 50. It’s time to get back to real fights." The obviously pre-arranged WBC scorecards had it a draw with Chad Dawson calling it 76-76, Christy Martin seeing it 79-73 Tyson, and Vinny Paz with a fictitional score of 80-76 Jones. Since the pay-per-view appears to have done good business, can a Tyson-Holyfield exhibition be far behind?
	Tyson-Jones exhibition-- "time to get back to real fights" The Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones exhibition is over, and not a minute too soon. An out-of-shape Jones could barely make it through the eight two-minute rounds and only Tyson's failure to go for the kill saved the once-great but now 51 year-old Jones from embarrassment. Jones had one gimmick move he used a couple of times each round but spent the rest of the time tying up Tyson. The 54 year-old Tyson looked the part, getting down to his prime fighting weight of 220 for this show, and the two men exchanged just enough punches to keep fans resonably entertained. Trainer Kevin Cunningham described it best, tweeting, "Mike and Roy put on a decent show for two guys over 50. It’s time to get back to real fights." The obviously pre-arranged WBC scorecards had it a draw with Chad Dawson calling it 76-76, Christy Martin seeing it 79-73 Tyson, and Vinny Paz with a fictitional score of 80-76 Jones. Since the pay-per-view appears to have done good business, can a Tyson-Holyfield exhibition be far behind?

By Scott Shaffer | November 29, 2020

Joyce defeats Dubois in battle of wills
Joe Joyce KO10 Daniel Dubois...Joe Joyce stopped Daniel Dubois in a massive all-British heavyweight fight on Saturday. It was a very close fight with both men landing hard punches. Dubois' left eye closed and the 23 year-old seemed uncertain in his corner as the fight wore on. By round ten, the eye was nearly completely closed but Dubois was still fighting well right up until the moment Joyce landed a clean jab directly on the eye. Dubois seemed to panic. He touched his eye and took a knee, allowing himself to be counted out. At time of the stoppage, Dubois was ahead on two cards, 88-83 and 86-85, and trailing on the third 84-87. With the win, Joyce picked up a trio of straps: the European, British and Commonwealth championship. The 35 year-old Joyce showed a great chin and earned a spot in the top five or six heavyweights in the world. Next up could be a fight vs. Oleksandr Usyk, one of the men to beat Joyce in a World Series of Boxing contest. (Usyk won a five-round decision over Joyce in 2013). source: ESPN+
	Joyce defeats Dubois in battle of wills Joe Joyce KO10 Daniel Dubois...Joe Joyce stopped Daniel Dubois in a massive all-British heavyweight fight on Saturday. It was a very close fight with both men landing hard punches. Dubois' left eye closed and the 23 year-old seemed uncertain in his corner as the fight wore on. By round ten, the eye was nearly completely closed but Dubois was still fighting well right up until the moment Joyce landed a clean jab directly on the eye. Dubois seemed to panic. He touched his eye and took a knee, allowing himself to be counted out. At time of the stoppage, Dubois was ahead on two cards, 88-83 and 86-85, and trailing on the third 84-87. With the win, Joyce picked up a trio of straps: the European, British and Commonwealth championship. The 35 year-old Joyce showed a great chin and earned a spot in the top five or six heavyweights in the world. Next up could be a fight vs. Oleksandr Usyk, one of the men to beat Joyce in a World Series of Boxing contest. (Usyk won a five-round decision over Joyce in 2013). source: ESPN+

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

By Scott Shaffer | November 29, 2020

Jake Paul ragdolls Nate Robinson
Jake Paul KO2 Nate Robinson... On the Tyson-Jones pay-per-view show, Youtuber Jake Paul ragdolled former NBA player Nate Robinson in round two of their cruiserweight contest. Paul (2-0) put Robinson down hard in round two. It was surprising to see Robinson (0-1) beat the ten count and absolutely shocking to see the referee allow the badly hurt Robinson continue. Paul imediately hammered Robinson the canvas face first. Robinson is taking a pounding on social media. As one Twitter pundit joked, Robinson woke up in the hospital where he saw Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. fighting on TV, then asked doctor, “Did Jake Paul knock me into the year 1993?” Its a pretty safe bet we will not be seeing Robinson back in a pro boxing ring.
	Jake Paul ragdolls Nate Robinson Jake Paul KO2 Nate Robinson... On the Tyson-Jones pay-per-view show, Youtuber Jake Paul ragdolled former NBA player Nate Robinson in round two of their cruiserweight contest. Paul (2-0) put Robinson down hard in round two. It was surprising to see Robinson (0-1) beat the ten count and absolutely shocking to see the referee allow the badly hurt Robinson continue. Paul imediately hammered Robinson the canvas face first. Robinson is taking a pounding on social media. As one Twitter pundit joked, Robinson woke up in the hospital where he saw Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. fighting on TV, then asked doctor, “Did Jake Paul knock me into the year 1993?” Its a pretty safe bet we will not be seeing Robinson back in a pro boxing ring.

By Scott Shaffer | November 29, 2020

Al Bernstein contracts coronavirus
Beloved boxing announcer Al Bernstein said he has the coronavirus: "For those of you wondering why I was not on hand for tonight’s [Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones' pay-per-view] event, as planned—this past week I tested positive for Covid. Other than a few symptoms here and there I am fine, but obviously I could not participate."
	Al Bernstein contracts coronavirus Beloved boxing announcer Al Bernstein said he has the coronavirus: "For those of you wondering why I was not on hand for tonight’s [Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones' pay-per-view] event, as planned—this past week I tested positive for Covid. Other than a few symptoms here and there I am fine, but obviously I could not participate."

Press Release | November 29, 2020

Jacobs on Rosado controversy: "I don’t think I gave the best performance”
Daniel Jacobs (pictured) edged out Gabe Rosado via split decision on Friday, in a fight that never caught fire despite the animosity in the build-up. As the final scorecards cards were read out, "from Philadelphia" was erroneously announced first, a false indication that Rosado won. A second later, "from Brooklyn, Daniel Jacobs" was declared the winner by split decision, and confirmed on official scorecards that read 115-113 Rosado, 115-113 Jacobs, 115-113 Jacobs. Jacobs (37-3 30 KOs) admitted he was below par on the night in his post-fight interview, while Rosado (25-13-1 14 KOs) believed he outboxed the former two-time World Middleweight champion. “I don’t think I gave the best performance,” said Jacobs. “I think I could have done a little bit better. The atmosphere was a little weird with no fans to pump you up, but it’s my fault, we had a great camp and I obviously didn’t show everything I needed to. My corner was instructing me but I was loading up with the right hand as I saw he was susceptible to it every time he would go down so I guess I got right hand happy – but I should have formulated a game plan and stuck to it, but I live to see another day. He’s a game opponent, I didn’t think it was that close, but me being a little stagnant didn’t help. “I was feeling him out early on to see what sort of fight he was going for and at the same time I wanted to pop out my jab and get acclimated and moving and get loose. In that time, I guess I let rounds slip out of the bag and the judges thought it was closer than I thought it was, but I had good communication in between rounds and they were telling me that I was winning rounds. So, I have to go back and watch the tape and go back to the drawing board, and apply a better effort next time around. “I guess I treated it like a sparring match more than an actual fight to my bad, I apologize to the fans who were expecting a more action-packed fight but there’s always next time and I look forward to bigger and better names. “A fight like this is a stepping stone and it allowed me to see that I have got a lot more to apply when I get inside the ring and there’s more to me that hasn’t been seen, but this wasn’t a valiant effort from myself. “It felt dry in there, I’m not going to lie to you. Even though I could hear what my corner was saying, it felt like a sparring session in the gym. But no excuses, I didn’t give my best effort but my effort was enough for the victory and next time I will give the fans a better show.” “I thought I won the fight,” said Rosado. “I surprised him. I outboxed him, out jabbed him, I countered him, I made him miss big shots. Even when they announced the decision, he was disappointed and I had my hands raised, he had the look of defeat on his face. That man did nothing to me, he put more hands on Canelo and GGG than he did to me, I caught him off-guard. I thought we boxed a great fight, jabbed him up and down, made him miss big shots, hit him with big shots. “They said ‘from Philadelphia’ and then announced him as the winner, and he was surprised, as surprised as I was. “I’m a veteran, I let him get riled up, get caught in the emotions. I fought a disciplined fight, a world class fight, I showed I can box. This guy went into battle with GGG, battle with Canelo, I made it look easy. I felt good. When it was time to exchange, he really didn’t want to, and he was the one doing the clinching. “I haven’t been cut since 2014. People look back to the GGG fight and that stands out but since 2014 I haven’t suffered any cuts really. Freddie Roach and I had a great camp, we knew we could box, I let him get emotional about the fight and used it against him. He came in with emotions and I outboxed him, no doubt. He walked away like he was defeated at first, he knew it. “It’s a shame, I don’t know why they don’t give me the decision. Of course I can compete with anyone at 168lbs, I thought I beat him and my face is clean.”
	Jacobs on Rosado controversy: "I don’t think I gave the best performance” Daniel Jacobs (pictured) edged out Gabe Rosado via split decision on Friday, in a fight that never caught fire despite the animosity in the build-up. As the final scorecards cards were read out, "from Philadelphia" was erroneously announced first, a false indication that Rosado won. A second later, "from Brooklyn, Daniel Jacobs" was declared the winner by split decision, and confirmed on official scorecards that read 115-113 Rosado, 115-113 Jacobs, 115-113 Jacobs. Jacobs (37-3 30 KOs) admitted he was below par on the night in his post-fight interview, while Rosado (25-13-1 14 KOs) believed he outboxed the former two-time World Middleweight champion. “I don’t think I gave the best performance,” said Jacobs. “I think I could have done a little bit better. The atmosphere was a little weird with no fans to pump you up, but it’s my fault, we had a great camp and I obviously didn’t show everything I needed to. My corner was instructing me but I was loading up with the right hand as I saw he was susceptible to it every time he would go down so I guess I got right hand happy – but I should have formulated a game plan and stuck to it, but I live to see another day. He’s a game opponent, I didn’t think it was that close, but me being a little stagnant didn’t help. “I was feeling him out early on to see what sort of fight he was going for and at the same time I wanted to pop out my jab and get acclimated and moving and get loose. In that time, I guess I let rounds slip out of the bag and the judges thought it was closer than I thought it was, but I had good communication in between rounds and they were telling me that I was winning rounds. So, I have to go back and watch the tape and go back to the drawing board, and apply a better effort next time around. “I guess I treated it like a sparring match more than an actual fight to my bad, I apologize to the fans who were expecting a more action-packed fight but there’s always next time and I look forward to bigger and better names. “A fight like this is a stepping stone and it allowed me to see that I have got a lot more to apply when I get inside the ring and there’s more to me that hasn’t been seen, but this wasn’t a valiant effort from myself. “It felt dry in there, I’m not going to lie to you. Even though I could hear what my corner was saying, it felt like a sparring session in the gym. But no excuses, I didn’t give my best effort but my effort was enough for the victory and next time I will give the fans a better show.” “I thought I won the fight,” said Rosado. “I surprised him. I outboxed him, out jabbed him, I countered him, I made him miss big shots. Even when they announced the decision, he was disappointed and I had my hands raised, he had the look of defeat on his face. That man did nothing to me, he put more hands on Canelo and GGG than he did to me, I caught him off-guard. I thought we boxed a great fight, jabbed him up and down, made him miss big shots, hit him with big shots. “They said ‘from Philadelphia’ and then announced him as the winner, and he was surprised, as surprised as I was. “I’m a veteran, I let him get riled up, get caught in the emotions. I fought a disciplined fight, a world class fight, I showed I can box. This guy went into battle with GGG, battle with Canelo, I made it look easy. I felt good. When it was time to exchange, he really didn’t want to, and he was the one doing the clinching. “I haven’t been cut since 2014. People look back to the GGG fight and that stands out but since 2014 I haven’t suffered any cuts really. Freddie Roach and I had a great camp, we knew we could box, I let him get emotional about the fight and used it against him. He came in with emotions and I outboxed him, no doubt. He walked away like he was defeated at first, he knew it. “It’s a shame, I don’t know why they don’t give me the decision. Of course I can compete with anyone at 168lbs, I thought I beat him and my face is clean.”

ADVERTISEMENT / SPONSORS

Daniyar Yeleussinov ready for welterweight title contention

Press Release | November 29, 2020

Daniyar Yeleussinov ready for welterweight title contention
Daniyar Yeleussinov TKO2 Julius Indongo ... On Friday, Daniyar Yeleussinov, a welterweight from Kazakhstan, scored two-round KO win over former two-belt 140-pound champion Julius Indongo (23-3 12 KOs). Yeleussinov (13-0 including the World Series of Boxing) lived up to his "Kazakh Thunder" nickname with an explosive start, flooring Indongo with a sharp left-hook counter, and it was all over in the second round as Indongo went to the canvas once again thanks to a Yeleussinov left hand. The 2016 Olympic gold medal man said he was hunting the big names at welterweight in 2021. “I’m very happy,” said Yeleussinov. “I prepared well, I told him, he said easy work for him, I’m a tough guy and one of the best in the divines – so I told him it was going to be easy work for me. My plan was to touch him and jab in the first round and wait for the openings and time the left hand. I want big fights and I think I did a good job tonight. I am going up step by step, this was my first [regional] title fight and now I am in the ratings so we will look up at who is next for me, and I will be ready.”
	Daniyar Yeleussinov ready for welterweight title contention Daniyar Yeleussinov TKO2 Julius Indongo ... On Friday, Daniyar Yeleussinov, a welterweight from Kazakhstan, scored two-round KO win over former two-belt 140-pound champion Julius Indongo (23-3 12 KOs). Yeleussinov (13-0 including the World Series of Boxing) lived up to his "Kazakh Thunder" nickname with an explosive start, flooring Indongo with a sharp left-hook counter, and it was all over in the second round as Indongo went to the canvas once again thanks to a Yeleussinov left hand. The 2016 Olympic gold medal man said he was hunting the big names at welterweight in 2021. “I’m very happy,” said Yeleussinov. “I prepared well, I told him, he said easy work for him, I’m a tough guy and one of the best in the divines – so I told him it was going to be easy work for me. My plan was to touch him and jab in the first round and wait for the openings and time the left hand. I want big fights and I think I did a good job tonight. I am going up step by step, this was my first [regional] title fight and now I am in the ratings so we will look up at who is next for me, and I will be ready.”

Press Release | November 29, 2020

Undercard results from Los Angeles
Jamaine Ortiz KO7 Sulaiman Segawa... Fighting on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition at Los Angeles' Staples Center, lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (14-0, 8 KOs) scored a seventh-round knockout win over Sulaiman Segawa (13-3-1), stopping his opponent with a well-placed liver shot. By defeating the hard-charging southpaw Segawa, who had never been stopped in 16 pro fights, Ortiz not only had to adjust to a late change in opponent after his original foe withdrew due to an injury, he willingly accepted the challenge against a dangerous southpaw. Segawa recently upset previously-unbeaten Gadwin Rosa and Elijah Pierce. Irvin Gonzalez Jr. W8 Edward Vazquez... Also on the undercard, Irvin Gonzalez Jr. (14-3), who like Ortiz is from Worcester, Massachusetts, won an eight rounder against undefeated Texan Edward Vazquez (9-0) in a featherweight bout. This fight kicked off the free portion of the pay-per-view stream and gave fans an early glimpse of what to expect. Vazquez earned the win by split decision, 77-75, 75-77, 77-75 – a close, hard-fought bout that could’ve gone either way. Gonzalez was the aggressor early, using his reach and effective jab to keep Vazquez, but once Vazquez worked his way to the inside and turned the fight into a brawl, Gonzalez occasionally strayed from the game plan. Vazquez was at his best as the pressure intensified, and Gonzalez’s output waned in the later rounds, which allowed Vazquez to eke out the decision to keep his perfect record intact. Juiseppe Cusumano TKO6 Greg Corbin... Heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano (19-3, 17 KOs) stopped veteran Greg Corbin (15-4) of Dallas in the sixth round of their scheduled eight-round bout. The win was Cusumano’s first since February of 2019. "The Italian Nightmare" has now earned knockouts in each of his last 13 victories dating back to 2014. This fight was also a departure from the norm for Cusumano, a Sicily native and Virginia resident who spent two months in Rhode Island training under the guidance of Roland Estrada and his son, former Olympian Jason "Big Six" Estrada and clocked in at his lightest weight in six years at Friday’s weigh-in. source for all results: ces press release
	Undercard results from Los Angeles Jamaine Ortiz KO7 Sulaiman Segawa... Fighting on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition at Los Angeles' Staples Center, lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (14-0, 8 KOs) scored a seventh-round knockout win over Sulaiman Segawa (13-3-1), stopping his opponent with a well-placed liver shot. By defeating the hard-charging southpaw Segawa, who had never been stopped in 16 pro fights, Ortiz not only had to adjust to a late change in opponent after his original foe withdrew due to an injury, he willingly accepted the challenge against a dangerous southpaw. Segawa recently upset previously-unbeaten Gadwin Rosa and Elijah Pierce. Irvin Gonzalez Jr. W8 Edward Vazquez... Also on the undercard, Irvin Gonzalez Jr. (14-3), who like Ortiz is from Worcester, Massachusetts, won an eight rounder against undefeated Texan Edward Vazquez (9-0) in a featherweight bout. This fight kicked off the free portion of the pay-per-view stream and gave fans an early glimpse of what to expect. Vazquez earned the win by split decision, 77-75, 75-77, 77-75 – a close, hard-fought bout that could’ve gone either way. Gonzalez was the aggressor early, using his reach and effective jab to keep Vazquez, but once Vazquez worked his way to the inside and turned the fight into a brawl, Gonzalez occasionally strayed from the game plan. Vazquez was at his best as the pressure intensified, and Gonzalez’s output waned in the later rounds, which allowed Vazquez to eke out the decision to keep his perfect record intact. Juiseppe Cusumano TKO6 Greg Corbin... Heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano (19-3, 17 KOs) stopped veteran Greg Corbin (15-4) of Dallas in the sixth round of their scheduled eight-round bout. The win was Cusumano’s first since February of 2019. "The Italian Nightmare" has now earned knockouts in each of his last 13 victories dating back to 2014. This fight was also a departure from the norm for Cusumano, a Sicily native and Virginia resident who spent two months in Rhode Island training under the guidance of Roland Estrada and his son, former Olympian Jason "Big Six" Estrada and clocked in at his lightest weight in six years at Friday’s weigh-in. source for all results: ces press release

By Scott Shaffer | November 29, 2020

The Boxingtalk Scoreboard
Hamzah Sheeraz TKO10 Guido Nicholas Pitto... Rising junior middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Guido Nicholas Pitto in the tenth round of the Dubois-Joyce chief supporting bout. Sheeraz, a rangy 6'1", was pounding Pitto against the ropes when the referee justifiably stopped the bout with about two minutes to go. Sheeraz steps up to 12-0 while the Argentinean Pitto falls to 26-8-2. source: espn+ Onkarabile Mothibedi W12 Tshepang Babui ... At the Grand Palm in Gaborone, Botswana, super bantamweight Onkarabile “Scara” Mothibedi (6-2) defeated compatriot Tshepang “Gear Box” Babui (7-4-2) by unanimous decision after twelve hard-fought and entertaining rounds. Both boxers were ready to go toe-to-toe from the first bell, and both had their moments where they appeared to be taking over, but in the end Mothibedi had done more and deserved the victory. The three judges scored the fight for Mothbedi: 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111. source: wbf
	The Boxingtalk Scoreboard Hamzah Sheeraz TKO10 Guido Nicholas Pitto... Rising junior middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Guido Nicholas Pitto in the tenth round of the Dubois-Joyce chief supporting bout. Sheeraz, a rangy 6'1", was pounding Pitto against the ropes when the referee justifiably stopped the bout with about two minutes to go. Sheeraz steps up to 12-0 while the Argentinean Pitto falls to 26-8-2. source: espn+ Onkarabile Mothibedi W12 Tshepang Babui ... At the Grand Palm in Gaborone, Botswana, super bantamweight Onkarabile “Scara” Mothibedi (6-2) defeated compatriot Tshepang “Gear Box” Babui (7-4-2) by unanimous decision after twelve hard-fought and entertaining rounds. Both boxers were ready to go toe-to-toe from the first bell, and both had their moments where they appeared to be taking over, but in the end Mothibedi had done more and deserved the victory. The three judges scored the fight for Mothbedi: 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111. source: wbf

By Scott Shaffer | November 28, 2020

Gabe Rosado dealt a cruel blow in split decision loss to Danny Jacobs
Boxing dealt Philadelphia warrior Gabriel Rosado [pictured] a cruel blow last night in Southern Florida. After coming into Friday's main event as a big underdog to former middleweight title holder Danny Jacobs, Rosado seemed to do enough to earn a career-defining win, or at least a draw. He fought Jacobs on even terms over twelve rounds, so much so that Jacobs' trainer actually asked between rounds if Jacobs had bet money on the fight. Rosado was absolutely justified in believing he won, and for a second, his feelings were confirmed when DAZN ring announcer Jeremiah Gallegos read the verdict as a split decision in favor of the winner "from Philadelphia." As Rosado began his celebration, Gallegos quicky corrected himself and said the winner was "from Brooklyn," namely Jacobs. It was a thoroughly dissatisfying performance from Jacobs, who is considered far more skilled than Rosado, but barely showed up for the fight. According toCompubox, both men landed 78 punches over the twelve rounds, but Jacobs threw just 339 punches (not even thorty a round!) compared to 549 for Rosado. The judges all scored it 115-133, one of them goiung for Rosado but the other two for Jacobs. Rosado was understandably annoyed afterwards, tweeting, "Thank you for the love y’all [boxing fans]. Jacobs knows he got an L tonight. King Gabriel Rosado all day!!! I'm disappointed in [DAZN announcers] Chris Mannix and Todd Grisham for not giving me credit for outboxing Jacobs. You guys called a horrible fight. I had a game plan and was fighting a disciplined fight. You guys don’t know a boxing lesson when you see one. Thank you Sergio Mora [the third DAZN announcer] for calling it right. I schooled that man tonight." Mora tweeted his support: "Gabe Rosado won more in losing than Jacobs did in winning. Unlike what Jacobs said, tonight they were on the same level." Promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted that, "The MC [Gallegos'] mistake was the highlight of that fight..I felt neither deserved to win!"
	Gabe Rosado dealt a cruel blow in split decision loss to Danny Jacobs Boxing dealt Philadelphia warrior Gabriel Rosado [pictured] a cruel blow last night in Southern Florida. After coming into Friday's main event as a big underdog to former middleweight title holder Danny Jacobs, Rosado seemed to do enough to earn a career-defining win, or at least a draw. He fought Jacobs on even terms over twelve rounds, so much so that Jacobs' trainer actually asked between rounds if Jacobs had bet money on the fight. Rosado was absolutely justified in believing he won, and for a second, his feelings were confirmed when DAZN ring announcer Jeremiah Gallegos read the verdict as a split decision in favor of the winner "from Philadelphia." As Rosado began his celebration, Gallegos quicky corrected himself and said the winner was "from Brooklyn," namely Jacobs. It was a thoroughly dissatisfying performance from Jacobs, who is considered far more skilled than Rosado, but barely showed up for the fight. According toCompubox, both men landed 78 punches over the twelve rounds, but Jacobs threw just 339 punches (not even thorty a round!) compared to 549 for Rosado. The judges all scored it 115-133, one of them goiung for Rosado but the other two for Jacobs. Rosado was understandably annoyed afterwards, tweeting, "Thank you for the love y’all [boxing fans]. Jacobs knows he got an L tonight. King Gabriel Rosado all day!!! I'm disappointed in [DAZN announcers] Chris Mannix and Todd Grisham for not giving me credit for outboxing Jacobs. You guys called a horrible fight. I had a game plan and was fighting a disciplined fight. You guys don’t know a boxing lesson when you see one. Thank you Sergio Mora [the third DAZN announcer] for calling it right. I schooled that man tonight." Mora tweeted his support: "Gabe Rosado won more in losing than Jacobs did in winning. Unlike what Jacobs said, tonight they were on the same level." Promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted that, "The MC [Gallegos'] mistake was the highlight of that fight..I felt neither deserved to win!"

Edited Press Release | November 28, 2020

Weigh-in report from Los Angeles: Tyson comes in at a ready 220!
Pound-for-pound legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. are set to face one another Saturday at Los Angeles' Staples Center for the [beyond stupid] WBC Frontline title. Tyson weighed in at 220 pounds, quite an accomplishment for a 54-year old who weighed 218 when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 1988. Tyson-Jones will be a pay-per-view exhibition consisting of eight two-minute rounds. The festivities, presented by Triller and Tyson’s Legends Only League, begin at 5 pm ET with a free hour of live boxing before the start of the pay-per-view main card at 6 PM ET. You can stream the entire event for $49.99 via FITE.tv or through the Triller app. Here are the weigh-in results: Mike Tyson, 220.4 pounds -vs.- Roy Jones Jr., 210 Jake Paul, 189 -vs.- Nate Robinson, 181 Badou Jack, 188.9 -vs.- Blake McKernan, 186.8 Jamaine Ortiz, 133.5 -vs.- Sulaiman Segawa, 131.8 Irvin Gonzalez, 124.4 -vs.- Edward Vazquez, 125.4 Juiseppe Cusumano, 224.5 -vs.- Greg Corbin, 291.8
	Weigh-in report from Los Angeles: Tyson comes in at a ready 220! Pound-for-pound legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. are set to face one another Saturday at Los Angeles' Staples Center for the [beyond stupid] WBC Frontline title. Tyson weighed in at 220 pounds, quite an accomplishment for a 54-year old who weighed 218 when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 1988. Tyson-Jones will be a pay-per-view exhibition consisting of eight two-minute rounds. The festivities, presented by Triller and Tyson’s Legends Only League, begin at 5 pm ET with a free hour of live boxing before the start of the pay-per-view main card at 6 PM ET. You can stream the entire event for $49.99 via FITE.tv or through the Triller app. Here are the weigh-in results: Mike Tyson, 220.4 pounds -vs.- Roy Jones Jr., 210 Jake Paul, 189 -vs.- Nate Robinson, 181 Badou Jack, 188.9 -vs.- Blake McKernan, 186.8 Jamaine Ortiz, 133.5 -vs.- Sulaiman Segawa, 131.8 Irvin Gonzalez, 124.4 -vs.- Edward Vazquez, 125.4 Juiseppe Cusumano, 224.5 -vs.- Greg Corbin, 291.8

By Scott Shaffer | November 28, 2020

Emmanuel Tagoe defeats Mason Menard
Emmanuel Tagoe W10 Mason Menard... Lightweight action kicked off DAZN's show in Southern Florida on Friday with Ghanaian contender Emmanuel Tagoe taking on Mason Menard over ten rounds. Tagoe damaged Menard's left eye midway through the fight and defeated Menard by majority decision. Official scores were 95-95, 98-92 and 96-94 with most believing the even score card was unfair to the Tagoe, the proper winner. Tagoe's promoter, Lou DiBella, tweeted, "Geeeeeeeeezzzzzz!!! That any judge could have scored Tagoe-Menard 5-5 is an abomination." Tagoe is a legitimate lightweight contender from Ghana whos is now 32-1, having gon eundefeated since his pro debut in 2004. He badly needed this win, having been inactive since mid-2019. Menard, a former prospect, is now 36-5.
	Emmanuel Tagoe defeats Mason Menard Emmanuel Tagoe W10 Mason Menard... Lightweight action kicked off DAZN's show in Southern Florida on Friday with Ghanaian contender Emmanuel Tagoe taking on Mason Menard over ten rounds. Tagoe damaged Menard's left eye midway through the fight and defeated Menard by majority decision. Official scores were 95-95, 98-92 and 96-94 with most believing the even score card was unfair to the Tagoe, the proper winner. Tagoe's promoter, Lou DiBella, tweeted, "Geeeeeeeeezzzzzz!!! That any judge could have scored Tagoe-Menard 5-5 is an abomination." Tagoe is a legitimate lightweight contender from Ghana whos is now 32-1, having gon eundefeated since his pro debut in 2004. He badly needed this win, having been inactive since mid-2019. Menard, a former prospect, is now 36-5.

Source: DAZN social media | November 28, 2020

The Boxingtalk Scoreboard: DAZN undercard results
Former Olympic champion Daniyar Yeleussinov easily defeated former two-belt junior welterwight champion Julius Indongo via second-round technical knockout. Indongo looks to be done as a contender... In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, former amateur world champion Mahammadrasul Majidov destroyed an obese Sahret Delgado via third-round technical knockout. Delgado seemed to be badly concussed after the stoppage, in which he was out on his feet... Brooklyn welterweight Nikita Ababiy defeated Brandon Maddox by unanimous decision but did not impress.
	The Boxingtalk Scoreboard: DAZN undercard results Former Olympic champion Daniyar Yeleussinov easily defeated former two-belt junior welterwight champion Julius Indongo via second-round technical knockout. Indongo looks to be done as a contender... In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, former amateur world champion Mahammadrasul Majidov destroyed an obese Sahret Delgado via third-round technical knockout. Delgado seemed to be badly concussed after the stoppage, in which he was out on his feet... Brooklyn welterweight Nikita Ababiy defeated Brandon Maddox by unanimous decision but did not impress.

By Scott Shaffer | November 27, 2020

Yoka wins ugly in France
Tony Yoka W10 Christian Hammer. ... French heavyweight hopeful Tony Yoka went a full ten rounds for the first time in his career in Nantes, France on Saturday, winning a clear but ugly decision over Germany's Christian Hammer. Yoka won nearly every round but didn't use his jab often enough and got tied up frequently and hit a bit too much by Hammer. Yoka had the advantage of a sympathetic referee who penalized Hammer for holding but let Yoka use his head as a weapon. A Yoka butt gave Hammer a bad cut over his right eye. This fight was a learning experience for Yoka, a former Olympic champion, who will have to do better if he wants to enter the heavyweight top ten. source: espn+
	Yoka wins ugly in France Tony Yoka W10 Christian Hammer. ... French heavyweight hopeful Tony Yoka went a full ten rounds for the first time in his career in Nantes, France on Saturday, winning a clear but ugly decision over Germany's Christian Hammer. Yoka won nearly every round but didn't use his jab often enough and got tied up frequently and hit a bit too much by Hammer. Yoka had the advantage of a sympathetic referee who penalized Hammer for holding but let Yoka use his head as a weapon. A Yoka butt gave Hammer a bad cut over his right eye. This fight was a learning experience for Yoka, a former Olympic champion, who will have to do better if he wants to enter the heavyweight top ten. source: espn+

Source: WBC | November 27, 2020

New champion alert: Panya Pradabsri dethrones Wanheng Menayothin.
Panya Pradabsri W12 Wanheng Menayothin... After a six-year reign as WBC strawweight champion, Wanheng Menayothin a/k/a Chayaphon Moonsri was defeated by fellow Thai boxer Panya Pradabsri a/k/a Petchmanee CP Freshmart in what the WBC called "an authentic and fabulous battle of Thai warriors." The big story is that Menayothin entered the bout with a record of 54-0, a superior mark on paper, to Floyd Mayweather's 50-0 and Rocky Marciano's 49-0. However, Menayothin is famous for avoiding tough competition, and it finally caught up with him today. Pradabsri jumped out to an early lead, winning the first rounds. Menayothin responded well and managed to close the gap, but it was Pradabsri who got the best of him down the stretch. In the end, Pradabsri took the victory by unanimous decision with scores of 115-113 on all three judges scorecards. Pradabsri is now 35-1, with the only loss coming by way of majority decision in China to Chinese boxer Chaozhong Xiong, who later held the WBC strawweight title (prior to Menayothin). Menayothin recently tried to retire on social media, but his promoters quickly shut him down in order to keep the WBC title around his waist. Perhaps the ex-champ's mental focus was a factor in his deposement. source: wbc
	New champion alert: Panya Pradabsri dethrones Wanheng Menayothin. Panya Pradabsri W12 Wanheng Menayothin... After a six-year reign as WBC strawweight champion, Wanheng Menayothin a/k/a Chayaphon Moonsri was defeated by fellow Thai boxer Panya Pradabsri a/k/a Petchmanee CP Freshmart in what the WBC called "an authentic and fabulous battle of Thai warriors." The big story is that Menayothin entered the bout with a record of 54-0, a superior mark on paper, to Floyd Mayweather's 50-0 and Rocky Marciano's 49-0. However, Menayothin is famous for avoiding tough competition, and it finally caught up with him today. Pradabsri jumped out to an early lead, winning the first rounds. Menayothin responded well and managed to close the gap, but it was Pradabsri who got the best of him down the stretch. In the end, Pradabsri took the victory by unanimous decision with scores of 115-113 on all three judges scorecards. Pradabsri is now 35-1, with the only loss coming by way of majority decision in China to Chinese boxer Chaozhong Xiong, who later held the WBC strawweight title (prior to Menayothin). Menayothin recently tried to retire on social media, but his promoters quickly shut him down in order to keep the WBC title around his waist. Perhaps the ex-champ's mental focus was a factor in his deposement. source: wbc

Press Release | November 27, 2020

Results from France: Post-pregnancy Estelle Mossely continues to roll
Estelle Mossely W8 Emma Gongora... Estelle Mossely, an Olympic champion who also happens to be Tony Yoka's wife, defeated French kickboxer Emma Gongora by wide unanimous decision. The win was particularly impressive for Mossely because it was her second in the last two months, and she reportedly gave birth to her second child just six months ago. (Although if that fact is true, it would mean Mossely likely fought while pregnant in 2019). Even more impressive, Mossely remained at her pre-pregnancy weight class, lightweight. Mossely holds amateur wins over two resining champions: Katie Taylor and Mikaela Mayer. Gongora is just 0-2 as pro boxer, but as a kickboxer, she is a reported 30-3. Against Mossely, she fought competitively despite a cut over her left eye and deserves praise for her performance, given that she accepted the fight on late notice. There will certainly be other pro boxing opportunities for her if she wants them. Viktor Vykhyst W6 Kamil Sokolosky... Heavyweight hopeful Viktor Vykhyst a/k/a Viktor Faust continues to develop as a pro, defeating iron-tough trialhorse Kamil Sokolosky via six-round decision. Vykhyst knocked down Sokolsky and bloodied his nose en route to a wide verdict. Vykhyst was a Ukrainian Olympic candidate for 2021 but left the program and now fights out of Germany. Vykhyst is now 5-0 with all fights coming in 2020, but this was the first time he could not stop his opponent inside the distance. Sokolosky, who lost to Dillian Whyte in his second pro fight, is now 10-20-2. Volkan Gokcek W6 Aboubeker Bechelaghem...There was almost an upset on the undercard in Nantes, France as journeyman Aboubeker Bechelaghem was announced as the winner over Turkey's previously undefeated Volkan Gokcek by majority decision, but Gokcek remained in the ring while the scorecards were reviewed, and the verdict changed to a split-decision win for Gokcek (6-0). Bechelaghem sees his pro record even out at 12-12-2. source: espn+
	Results from France: Post-pregnancy Estelle Mossely continues to roll Estelle Mossely W8 Emma Gongora... Estelle Mossely, an Olympic champion who also happens to be Tony Yoka's wife, defeated French kickboxer Emma Gongora by wide unanimous decision. The win was particularly impressive for Mossely because it was her second in the last two months, and she reportedly gave birth to her second child just six months ago. (Although if that fact is true, it would mean Mossely likely fought while pregnant in 2019). Even more impressive, Mossely remained at her pre-pregnancy weight class, lightweight. Mossely holds amateur wins over two resining champions: Katie Taylor and Mikaela Mayer. Gongora is just 0-2 as pro boxer, but as a kickboxer, she is a reported 30-3. Against Mossely, she fought competitively despite a cut over her left eye and deserves praise for her performance, given that she accepted the fight on late notice. There will certainly be other pro boxing opportunities for her if she wants them. Viktor Vykhyst W6 Kamil Sokolosky... Heavyweight hopeful Viktor Vykhyst a/k/a Viktor Faust continues to develop as a pro, defeating iron-tough trialhorse Kamil Sokolosky via six-round decision. Vykhyst knocked down Sokolsky and bloodied his nose en route to a wide verdict. Vykhyst was a Ukrainian Olympic candidate for 2021 but left the program and now fights out of Germany. Vykhyst is now 5-0 with all fights coming in 2020, but this was the first time he could not stop his opponent inside the distance. Sokolosky, who lost to Dillian Whyte in his second pro fight, is now 10-20-2. Volkan Gokcek W6 Aboubeker Bechelaghem...There was almost an upset on the undercard in Nantes, France as journeyman Aboubeker Bechelaghem was announced as the winner over Turkey's previously undefeated Volkan Gokcek by majority decision, but Gokcek remained in the ring while the scorecards were reviewed, and the verdict changed to a split-decision win for Gokcek (6-0). Bechelaghem sees his pro record even out at 12-12-2. source: espn+

November 27, 2020

Joyce's trainer has the coronavirus, but Saturday's fight is still on
According to the BBC, Joe Joyce will compete in Saturday's British heavyweight blockbuster without his trainer Ismael Salas who tested positive for coronavirus. Joyce will need all the help he cam get against Daniel Dubois, considered by many to be the future of the heavyweight division. Joyce reportedly had not been exposed to Salas because "he had not been with Joyce since October."
	Joyce's trainer has the coronavirus, but Saturday's fight is still on According to the BBC, Joe Joyce will compete in Saturday's British heavyweight blockbuster without his trainer Ismael Salas who tested positive for coronavirus. Joyce will need all the help he cam get against Daniel Dubois, considered by many to be the future of the heavyweight division. Joyce reportedly had not been exposed to Salas because "he had not been with Joyce since October."

November 27, 2020

What does Oscar have in mind?
Oscar De La Hoya tweet on Thursday: "I wanna wish the best promoter, the man who taught me everything there is to know about the business a Happy Thanksgiving. Bob Arum, see you soon to talk some business."
	What does Oscar have in mind? Oscar De La Hoya tweet on Thursday: "I wanna wish the best promoter, the man who taught me everything there is to know about the business a Happy Thanksgiving. Bob Arum, see you soon to talk some business."

Press Release | November 27, 2020

Golovkin-Szeremeta officially announced for Dec. 18th
Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, the IBF/IBO middleweight champion returns to the ring on December 18th having worn a championship belt every year since 2010. Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs), from Kazakhstan, will face Kamil Szeremeta (21-0, 5 KOs), from Biaylstok, Poland behind closed doors at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. The Golovkin-Szeremeta bout, and its as yet unnanounced undercard, will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN in over 200 countries and territories. “This is not just any fight. It is a fight with great meaning. I always have the greatest respect for all of my opponents. I have really missed boxing and I wanted to fight this year. The goal — fighting for a record twenty-first successful world title defense.” Golovkin said. “I want this title for Poland and my family. GGG is a great champion, one of the best in history, but it is time for replacement. Thank you for the great chance, I must take my opportunity to be the first world middleweight champion from Poland,” Szeremeta said. “GGG is looking to make history this December on DAZN in front of a worldwide audience,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “We look forward to launching our Global platform with an action-packed opening month featuring boxing’s biggest stars.” “This is a historic moment for one of the best fighters of our generation. GGG has been providing explosive entertainment for many years now and we can expect a war on December 18 against Szeremeta. The Pole is the unbeaten mandatory challenger and I know the team really fancy their chances of an upset during these crazy times. As we have seen through Golovkin’s career — don’t blink and certainly don’t miss it,” said Eddie Hearn, managing director, Matchroom Sport. Golovkin, who shares the record for consecutive middleweight title defenses, returns to the ring in his second reign. In a battle of former Olympic medalists, Golovkin regained the IBF middleweight title on Oct. 5, 2019, with a unanimous decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, a slugfest at Madison Square Garden that some considered a Fight of the Year contender. Szeremetam the former EBU European middleweight champion, eight years younger than the defending champion, enters this fight like a hurricane gathering strength, having won three of his last five fights by knockout, including a second-round stoppage of Oscar Cortes on the undercard of Golovkin-Derevyanchenko. His reign as EBU European middleweight champion included victories over Alessandro Goddi, Ruben Diaz and Andrew Francillette, who had a combined record of 79-4-4 when he fought them — a winning percentage of 91%.
	Golovkin-Szeremeta officially announced for Dec. 18th Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, the IBF/IBO middleweight champion returns to the ring on December 18th having worn a championship belt every year since 2010. Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs), from Kazakhstan, will face Kamil Szeremeta (21-0, 5 KOs), from Biaylstok, Poland behind closed doors at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. The Golovkin-Szeremeta bout, and its as yet unnanounced undercard, will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN in over 200 countries and territories. “This is not just any fight. It is a fight with great meaning. I always have the greatest respect for all of my opponents. I have really missed boxing and I wanted to fight this year. The goal — fighting for a record twenty-first successful world title defense.” Golovkin said. “I want this title for Poland and my family. GGG is a great champion, one of the best in history, but it is time for replacement. Thank you for the great chance, I must take my opportunity to be the first world middleweight champion from Poland,” Szeremeta said. “GGG is looking to make history this December on DAZN in front of a worldwide audience,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “We look forward to launching our Global platform with an action-packed opening month featuring boxing’s biggest stars.” “This is a historic moment for one of the best fighters of our generation. GGG has been providing explosive entertainment for many years now and we can expect a war on December 18 against Szeremeta. The Pole is the unbeaten mandatory challenger and I know the team really fancy their chances of an upset during these crazy times. As we have seen through Golovkin’s career — don’t blink and certainly don’t miss it,” said Eddie Hearn, managing director, Matchroom Sport. Golovkin, who shares the record for consecutive middleweight title defenses, returns to the ring in his second reign. In a battle of former Olympic medalists, Golovkin regained the IBF middleweight title on Oct. 5, 2019, with a unanimous decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, a slugfest at Madison Square Garden that some considered a Fight of the Year contender. Szeremetam the former EBU European middleweight champion, eight years younger than the defending champion, enters this fight like a hurricane gathering strength, having won three of his last five fights by knockout, including a second-round stoppage of Oscar Cortes on the undercard of Golovkin-Derevyanchenko. His reign as EBU European middleweight champion included victories over Alessandro Goddi, Ruben Diaz and Andrew Francillette, who had a combined record of 79-4-4 when he fought them — a winning percentage of 91%.

Press Release | November 27, 2020

Spotlight on Bolotniks-Michel
Ricards Bolotniks has vowed to once again prove his doubters wrong when he faces Serge Michel in the Golden Contract light heavyweight final next week. Bolotniks (17-5-1, 7 KOs) battles Michel (11-1, 8 KOs) at Production Park Studios in Wakefield on Wednesday December 2nd, live on Sky Sports and on ESPN+. The Latvian has reached the final with victories over Hosea Burton and Steven Ward, and he’s promised to win the tournament in style. Bolotniks said: “At the beginning of the tournament, Hosea Burton was saying that he was the favourite, so I turned around and said he made a mistake. Even when I fought Steven Ward, the fans were saying he was the favourite for that fight, and I proved them wrong too. I love shocking the world and I can’t wait to shock the world again when I face Serge Michel. During this tournament I have found new UK fans who write to be and support me, so I will be happy to please them by fighting in the UK again. It’s a shame there will be no fans, but the main thing is that my team will be in my corner and my fans will still be supporting me, I can always feel their support no matter where I fight.” Michel, on the other hand, sees no possible way that Bolotniks can beat him. Both men are in confident moods head into the fight, but Michel has dismissed any possibility of Bolotniks claiming the victory. Michel said: “I can’t see how Ricards will win the fight against me. I’m the better technician, I’m the better puncher, and I know how my job should look. I’m very excited for the fight and I know I will win the final and take the WBO European title from Bolotniks. I’m very happy about fighting again in the UK too. Both of my past performances in the UK were great. I did a very good job on those guys and you saw my power in the last fight against Conroy. My next performance will be just as powerful, and if I wasn’t sure I could stop Bolotniks then I would not have this fight.”
	Spotlight on Bolotniks-Michel Ricards Bolotniks has vowed to once again prove his doubters wrong when he faces Serge Michel in the Golden Contract light heavyweight final next week. Bolotniks (17-5-1, 7 KOs) battles Michel (11-1, 8 KOs) at Production Park Studios in Wakefield on Wednesday December 2nd, live on Sky Sports and on ESPN+. The Latvian has reached the final with victories over Hosea Burton and Steven Ward, and he’s promised to win the tournament in style. Bolotniks said: “At the beginning of the tournament, Hosea Burton was saying that he was the favourite, so I turned around and said he made a mistake. Even when I fought Steven Ward, the fans were saying he was the favourite for that fight, and I proved them wrong too. I love shocking the world and I can’t wait to shock the world again when I face Serge Michel. During this tournament I have found new UK fans who write to be and support me, so I will be happy to please them by fighting in the UK again. It’s a shame there will be no fans, but the main thing is that my team will be in my corner and my fans will still be supporting me, I can always feel their support no matter where I fight.” Michel, on the other hand, sees no possible way that Bolotniks can beat him. Both men are in confident moods head into the fight, but Michel has dismissed any possibility of Bolotniks claiming the victory. Michel said: “I can’t see how Ricards will win the fight against me. I’m the better technician, I’m the better puncher, and I know how my job should look. I’m very excited for the fight and I know I will win the final and take the WBO European title from Bolotniks. I’m very happy about fighting again in the UK too. Both of my past performances in the UK were great. I did a very good job on those guys and you saw my power in the last fight against Conroy. My next performance will be just as powerful, and if I wasn’t sure I could stop Bolotniks then I would not have this fight.”

Press Release | November 27, 2020

McComb-Gwynne booked for Jan. 22nd
Sean McComb will fight Gavin Gwynne for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title on the MTK Fight Night's January 22nd show at Production Park Studios in Wakefield, England on the undercard of the European bantamweight title fight between Karim Guefi and Lee McGregor. It will be shown live in the US on ESPN+ and worldwide on IFL TV. Belfast hero McComb (11-0, 5 KOs) makes his long-awaited lightweight debut in a championship fight, as he goes up against tough Welshman Gwynne (12-2, 2 KOs), who has previously challenged for the British title on two occasions. McComb said: “I’m excited to be getting 2021 off to a good start. 2020 has been a horrendous year for everyone, but things are looking more positive than ever, and I’m pleased to get a good title fight to kick the year off. I’ve been wanting to drop to lightweight for a while but there was a delay while we were trying to get a suitable opponent. I had to stay at super-lightweight for one more fight, but now we can put that behind us and push towards big things at lightweight.” Gwynne said: “I’m really happy to start the year with a bang. I boxed for my first title within seven fights and I’ve been in with some good lads as well, so that stands me in good stead for this fight. I have learned a lot from the massive fights that I’ve been in during my career, and I’m going to win this fight in style.” Promoter Lee Eaton added: “We’re thrilled to add this superb fight for the Commonwealth title to our huge MTK Fight Night event in January. Sean McComb has had his sights set on dropping to lightweight for a while, and he has the chance to win a belt in this fantastic battle with Gavin Gwynne. We’ve seen Gwynne fight for the British title twice already, so it’s a tough test for Sean, but we’re excited to see how things unfold.” Further news on even more exciting additions to the #MTKFightNight card will be announced in due course.
	McComb-Gwynne booked for Jan. 22nd Sean McComb will fight Gavin Gwynne for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title on the MTK Fight Night's January 22nd show at Production Park Studios in Wakefield, England on the undercard of the European bantamweight title fight between Karim Guefi and Lee McGregor. It will be shown live in the US on ESPN+ and worldwide on IFL TV. Belfast hero McComb (11-0, 5 KOs) makes his long-awaited lightweight debut in a championship fight, as he goes up against tough Welshman Gwynne (12-2, 2 KOs), who has previously challenged for the British title on two occasions. McComb said: “I’m excited to be getting 2021 off to a good start. 2020 has been a horrendous year for everyone, but things are looking more positive than ever, and I’m pleased to get a good title fight to kick the year off. I’ve been wanting to drop to lightweight for a while but there was a delay while we were trying to get a suitable opponent. I had to stay at super-lightweight for one more fight, but now we can put that behind us and push towards big things at lightweight.” Gwynne said: “I’m really happy to start the year with a bang. I boxed for my first title within seven fights and I’ve been in with some good lads as well, so that stands me in good stead for this fight. I have learned a lot from the massive fights that I’ve been in during my career, and I’m going to win this fight in style.” Promoter Lee Eaton added: “We’re thrilled to add this superb fight for the Commonwealth title to our huge MTK Fight Night event in January. Sean McComb has had his sights set on dropping to lightweight for a while, and he has the chance to win a belt in this fantastic battle with Gavin Gwynne. We’ve seen Gwynne fight for the British title twice already, so it’s a tough test for Sean, but we’re excited to see how things unfold.” Further news on even more exciting additions to the #MTKFightNight card will be announced in due course.

Press Release | November 27, 2020

USA Boxing postpones the 2020 National Championships
USA Boxing has postponed the upcoming 2020 National Championships until the first quarter of 2021 due to the current coronavirus pandemic. Through this challenging year USA Boxing has made all decisions based on three guiding principles: 1) the health and safety of our boxers, coaches and officials; 2) the health and safety of administrators and USA Boxing staff; and 3) being responsible members of society to help battle coronavirus. During the following months our Local Boxing Committee (LBC) Leaders, boxers, coaches and officials worked to cautiously and responsibly begin boxing at the local and regional levels following our guiding principles. In September USA Boxing was forced to change the location of our Nationals after Hurricane Laura struck Lake Charles. USA Boxing quickly pivoted and partnered with the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, and with Mayor Perkins, Mayor of Shreveport, all of whom opened their arms to host our 2020 National Championships. COVID-19 has challenged our nation and our membership with illness and death but we continued to move forward like all great boxers. As we prepared for the 2020 National Championships, we again faced the uncertainty of COVID-19 and how it impacted our members and our nation. “After speaking with our dedicated USA Boxing physicians and local health care professionals, as well as the Shreveport-Bossier government and the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, we have all decided it is in the best interest and safety of our members and the Shreveport-Bossier community to postpone our 2020 National Championships until a later date,” stated Mike McAtee, USA Boxing Executive Director. “All parties agreed this decision is based on our three guiding principles and even though we have been knocked down by COVID-19, we are rising from the canvas to continue the fight. USA Boxing and our Louisiana partners are committed to a safe and successful National Championships in 2021. With that being said, again USA Boxing staff and our Louisiana partners are pivoting to provide a safe and successful event in early 2021.” Because of the Thanksgiving Holiday and the changing COVID-19 landscape, USA Boxing is requesting our members to understand as we gather more information regarding tournament and membership registrations in the coming days. USA Boxing is looking forward as we move into 2021 so we can support our LBC leaders regarding local, regional and ultimately our National Championships in the first quarter 2021 in Shreveport. All participants that have registered for the December tournament will have their event registration for the new dates transferred.
	USA Boxing postpones the 2020 National Championships USA Boxing has postponed the upcoming 2020 National Championships until the first quarter of 2021 due to the current coronavirus pandemic. Through this challenging year USA Boxing has made all decisions based on three guiding principles: 1) the health and safety of our boxers, coaches and officials; 2) the health and safety of administrators and USA Boxing staff; and 3) being responsible members of society to help battle coronavirus. During the following months our Local Boxing Committee (LBC) Leaders, boxers, coaches and officials worked to cautiously and responsibly begin boxing at the local and regional levels following our guiding principles. In September USA Boxing was forced to change the location of our Nationals after Hurricane Laura struck Lake Charles. USA Boxing quickly pivoted and partnered with the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, and with Mayor Perkins, Mayor of Shreveport, all of whom opened their arms to host our 2020 National Championships. COVID-19 has challenged our nation and our membership with illness and death but we continued to move forward like all great boxers. As we prepared for the 2020 National Championships, we again faced the uncertainty of COVID-19 and how it impacted our members and our nation. “After speaking with our dedicated USA Boxing physicians and local health care professionals, as well as the Shreveport-Bossier government and the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, we have all decided it is in the best interest and safety of our members and the Shreveport-Bossier community to postpone our 2020 National Championships until a later date,” stated Mike McAtee, USA Boxing Executive Director. “All parties agreed this decision is based on our three guiding principles and even though we have been knocked down by COVID-19, we are rising from the canvas to continue the fight. USA Boxing and our Louisiana partners are committed to a safe and successful National Championships in 2021. With that being said, again USA Boxing staff and our Louisiana partners are pivoting to provide a safe and successful event in early 2021.” Because of the Thanksgiving Holiday and the changing COVID-19 landscape, USA Boxing is requesting our members to understand as we gather more information regarding tournament and membership registrations in the coming days. USA Boxing is looking forward as we move into 2021 so we can support our LBC leaders regarding local, regional and ultimately our National Championships in the first quarter 2021 in Shreveport. All participants that have registered for the December tournament will have their event registration for the new dates transferred.

Claressa Shields transitioning to mixed-martial arts!

Claressa Shields transitioning to mixed-martial arts!

WBA suddenly wakes up, realizes Manuel Charr hasn't fought in three years

WBA suddenly wakes up, realizes Manuel Charr hasn't fought in three years

Daniel Dubois post-loss reaction

Daniel Dubois post-loss reaction

Two hockey players call out Jake Paul

Two hockey players call out Jake Paul

Saunders says he's not overlooking Murray

Saunders says he's not overlooking Murray

Danny Garcia: just a regular guy

Danny Garcia: just a regular guy

Zurdo Ramirez presents huge opportunity for Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez

Zurdo Ramirez presents huge opportunity for Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez

Harlem Eubank: "I’ve gone through a fight week behind closed doors"

Harlem Eubank: "I’ve gone through a fight week behind closed doors"

Jose Luis Roa wins in Mexico

Jose Luis Roa wins in Mexico

Bohachuk out but Ring City quickly finds replacement

Bohachuk out but Ring City quickly finds replacement

Junior welterweight John Bauza joins Split-T

Junior welterweight John Bauza joins Split-T

Catterall in catbird's seat for 2021 world title challenge

Catterall in catbird's seat for 2021 world title challenge

Sixteen year-old Phoobadin Yoohanngoh making noise in Thailand

Sixteen year-old Phoobadin Yoohanngoh making noise in Thailand

Kevin Mendoza, 1997-2020

Kevin Mendoza, 1997-2020

Late result: Badou Jack gets first win since 2017

Late result: Badou Jack gets first win since 2017

Walsh and Hyland to battle for vacant British title

Walsh and Hyland to battle for vacant British title

Alberto Puello to headline in Santo Domingo on Dec. 17th

Alberto Puello to headline in Santo Domingo on Dec. 17th

Matchroom signs welterweight Florian Marku

Matchroom signs welterweight Florian Marku

Report: Dubois suffered broken eye socket

Report: Dubois suffered broken eye socket

Tyson-Jones exhibition-- "time to get back to real fights"

Tyson-Jones exhibition-- "time to get back to real fights"

Joyce defeats Dubois in battle of wills

Joyce defeats Dubois in battle of wills

Jake Paul ragdolls Nate Robinson

Jake Paul ragdolls Nate Robinson

Al Bernstein contracts coronavirus

Al Bernstein contracts coronavirus

Jacobs on Rosado controversy: "I don’t think I gave the best performance”

Jacobs on Rosado controversy: "I don’t think I gave the best performance”

Daniyar Yeleussinov ready for welterweight title contention

Daniyar Yeleussinov ready for welterweight title contention

Undercard results from Los Angeles

Undercard results from Los Angeles

The Boxingtalk Scoreboard

The Boxingtalk Scoreboard

Gabe Rosado dealt a cruel blow in split decision loss to Danny Jacobs

Gabe Rosado dealt a cruel blow in split decision loss to Danny Jacobs

Weigh-in report from Los Angeles: Tyson comes in at a ready 220!

Weigh-in report from Los Angeles: Tyson comes in at a ready 220!

Emmanuel Tagoe defeats Mason Menard

Emmanuel Tagoe defeats Mason Menard

The Boxingtalk Scoreboard: DAZN undercard results

The Boxingtalk Scoreboard: DAZN undercard results

Yoka wins ugly in France

Yoka wins ugly in France

New champion alert: Panya Pradabsri dethrones Wanheng Menayothin.

New champion alert: Panya Pradabsri dethrones Wanheng Menayothin.

Results from France: Post-pregnancy Estelle Mossely continues to roll

Results from France: Post-pregnancy Estelle Mossely continues to roll

Joyce's trainer has the coronavirus, but Saturday's fight is still on

Joyce's trainer has the coronavirus, but Saturday's fight is still on

What does Oscar have in mind?

What does Oscar have in mind?

Golovkin-Szeremeta officially announced for Dec. 18th

Golovkin-Szeremeta officially announced for Dec. 18th

Spotlight on Bolotniks-Michel

Spotlight on Bolotniks-Michel

McComb-Gwynne booked for Jan. 22nd

McComb-Gwynne booked for Jan. 22nd

USA Boxing postpones the 2020 National Championships

USA Boxing postpones the 2020 National Championships