IBA circling the drain as IOC moves to strip it of Olympic authority |
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The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today recommended withdrawing recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA), in accordance with Rule 3.7 of the Olympic Charter (OC). This decision is based on the IOC Comprehensive Report on the Situation of the IBA dated June 2nd, which the EB discussed and approved today. The report establishes that the IBA has failed to fulfil the conditions set by the IOC in its decision communicated to the IBA in December 2021 – which was not challenged by the IBA – for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition. In the preparation of this report, the IBA was granted the right to be heard and to provide any information it deemed relevant. The EB also recommends to the IOC Session – in the interest of the boxing athletes and the sport of boxing – to maintain boxing on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 2022.
To discuss the matter and take a decision, the EB and the IOC President have convened an IOC session to be held remotely on Thursday June 22nd. Since this is an ongoing procedure, the IOC is not in a position to comment further on the situation.
Background information: In a decision made in June 2019, upon the EB’s recommendation, the IOC suspended the IOC’s recognition of AIBA (subsequently renamed IBA as of 2021), pursuant to OC Rules 3.7, 18.2.8, 18.2.11 and 25 §2. Such decision noted that, although there were sufficient grounds to withdraw AIBA’s recognition, for the protection of boxing athletes and the maintenance of boxing as a sport at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the IOC Session was willing to provide AIBA with an exceptional opportunity to restore its full compliance with OC Rule 25 and the IOC Code of Ethics.
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IBA circling the drain as IOC moves to strip it of Olympic authority
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today recommended withdrawing recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA), in accordance with Rule 3.7 of the Olympic Charter (OC). This decision is based on the IOC Comprehensive Report on the Situation of the IBA dated June 2nd, which the EB discussed and approved today. The report establishes that the IBA has failed to fulfil the conditions set by the IOC in its decision communicated to the IBA in December 2021 – which was not challenged by the IBA – for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition. In the preparation of this report, the IBA was granted the right to be heard and to provide any information it deemed relevant. The EB also recommends to the IOC Session – in the interest of the boxing athletes and the sport of boxing – to maintain boxing on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 2022.
To discuss the matter and take a decision, the EB and the IOC President have convened an IOC session to be held remotely on Thursday June 22nd. Since this is an ongoing procedure, the IOC is not in a position to comment further on the situation.
Background information: In a decision made in June 2019, upon the EB’s recommendation, the IOC suspended the IOC’s recognition of AIBA (subsequently renamed IBA as of 2021), pursuant to OC Rules 3.7, 18.2.8, 18.2.11 and 25 §2. Such decision noted that, although there were sufficient grounds to withdraw AIBA’s recognition, for the protection of boxing athletes and the maintenance of boxing as a sport at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the IOC Session was willing to provide AIBA with an exceptional opportunity to restore its full compliance with OC Rule 25 and the IOC Code of Ethics.
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Flyweight update: Andres Campos bids to become Chile's first boxing champ |
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Undefeated Chilean flyweight Andres Campos wants to create history by becoming his country’s first world champion when he locks horns with reigning IBF ruler Sunny Edwards at the OVO Arena Wembley this Saturday June 10th, live worldwide on DAZN. Campos’ clash with Edwards tops a triple-header of title action in the capital, with Nina Hughes (5-0, 2 KOs) defending her WBA bantamweight crown against Katie Healy (6-0) and Cherneka Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs) defending her IBF super bantamweight strap against Ellie Scotney (6-0). Edwards (19-0, 4 KOs) is set to make his eagerly anticipated Matchroom debut this weekend having penned a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn in March, but Campos (15-0, 4 KOs) – who has been calling Edwards out for over a year – plans on spoiling the party after finally landing his dream title shot.
“Sunny Edwards has never fought against anyone like me,” said Campos. “I am by far the best opponent that he will have faced. I have lots of experience fighting against and defeating undefeated guys from both the amateurs and pros. I am starving for success. I am so hungry to win this World Title and make history for Chile.
“Sunny Edwards is good, but he is not good enough to beat me. I know that I am better than him and I will show you all on Saturday night. I have three scenarios: scenario A, B and C. We have trained so hard for each one. Sunny won’t be able to run away from me like a dancer. He is just dancing and running all the time. I will send him to sleep before the twelfth round.”
Unbeaten Sheffield-based slickster Edwards makes his fourth defence of the IBF strap he landed in April 2021 against Moruti Mthalane in London, and ‘Showtime’ is gunning for unification clashes in the second half of the year and having seen off challenges from Felix Alvarado, Muhammad Waseem and Jayson Mama.
Campos, age 26, is hungry to create his own legacy, fuelled by the burning to desire to become his country’s first ever World Champion. Edwards is renowned for having one of the sharpest tongues in boxing, but Campos says he won’t be engaging in any back and forth with his opponent during a busy fight week.
“I never trash talk,“ said Campos. “I always do my talking in the ring and let my fists take care of business. Sunny is famous for his trash talking, not for his boxing. Chile doesn’t have any world champions and I will make history for my country and my continent of South America. I will be the first one. The IBF title is very special to me. “Fighting in the UK for the first time as a professional doesn’t faze me at all. As a pro I have fought in Australia and in Argentina. It is not such a big change for me. Remember, I have done almost all of my 95 fights outside of my country. I have represented Chile all over the world. I don’t feel the pressure. To fight here in the UK is nothing big for me.”
Campos is managed by Australian Tony Tolj and trained by Hernan Gauto from Argentina and Nicolas Orellana from Chile. ‘The Pride of Barnechea’ says he also has the backing of UK fans who want to see Edwards defeated for the first time. “Since I arrived in the UK last week, everyone that I have met in the gyms, malls and streets – everyone has told me that I have to beat that trash talker Sunny Edwards. Everyone that talks to me about Sunny Edwards wants me to beat him. They all want me to become the first man to beat him. It’s crazy – nobody cares about Sunny Edwards here in England. I have the support of Chilean fans and all of the English fans who I have met. Everyone on my social media is telling me that I have to beat this clown.”
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke (5-0, 4 KOs) looks to close in on a British title tilt as he faces David Jamieson (10-2, 7 KOs) in a final eliminator for the famous Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt...
Youssef Khoumari (15-1-1, 6 KOs) and Reece Bellotti (15-5, 13 KOs) meet in an eliminator for British super featherweight Title,.
The ‘Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher (8-0, 7 KOs) will bring his Bull Army to Wembley for the third time as the 24-year-old Heavyweight fights for the ninth time in the pros against Emilio Salas (7-4-1, 3 KOs)...
Anthony Joshua-managed Shannon Ryan (4-0) returns to the venue of her March 2022 debut to continue her pro journey, and George Liddard (2-0, 2 KOs) and Muhammad Ali (1-0) feature on Before the Bell.
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Flyweight update: Andres Campos bids to become Chile's first boxing champ
Undefeated Chilean flyweight Andres Campos wants to create history by becoming his country’s first world champion when he locks horns with reigning IBF ruler Sunny Edwards at the OVO Arena Wembley this Saturday June 10th, live worldwide on DAZN. Campos’ clash with Edwards tops a triple-header of title action in the capital, with Nina Hughes (5-0, 2 KOs) defending her WBA bantamweight crown against Katie Healy (6-0) and Cherneka Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs) defending her IBF super bantamweight strap against Ellie Scotney (6-0). Edwards (19-0, 4 KOs) is set to make his eagerly anticipated Matchroom debut this weekend having penned a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn in March, but Campos (15-0, 4 KOs) – who has been calling Edwards out for over a year – plans on spoiling the party after finally landing his dream title shot.
“Sunny Edwards has never fought against anyone like me,” said Campos. “I am by far the best opponent that he will have faced. I have lots of experience fighting against and defeating undefeated guys from both the amateurs and pros. I am starving for success. I am so hungry to win this World Title and make history for Chile.
“Sunny Edwards is good, but he is not good enough to beat me. I know that I am better than him and I will show you all on Saturday night. I have three scenarios: scenario A, B and C. We have trained so hard for each one. Sunny won’t be able to run away from me like a dancer. He is just dancing and running all the time. I will send him to sleep before the twelfth round.”
Unbeaten Sheffield-based slickster Edwards makes his fourth defence of the IBF strap he landed in April 2021 against Moruti Mthalane in London, and ‘Showtime’ is gunning for unification clashes in the second half of the year and having seen off challenges from Felix Alvarado, Muhammad Waseem and Jayson Mama.
Campos, age 26, is hungry to create his own legacy, fuelled by the burning to desire to become his country’s first ever World Champion. Edwards is renowned for having one of the sharpest tongues in boxing, but Campos says he won’t be engaging in any back and forth with his opponent during a busy fight week.
“I never trash talk,“ said Campos. “I always do my talking in the ring and let my fists take care of business. Sunny is famous for his trash talking, not for his boxing. Chile doesn’t have any world champions and I will make history for my country and my continent of South America. I will be the first one. The IBF title is very special to me. “Fighting in the UK for the first time as a professional doesn’t faze me at all. As a pro I have fought in Australia and in Argentina. It is not such a big change for me. Remember, I have done almost all of my 95 fights outside of my country. I have represented Chile all over the world. I don’t feel the pressure. To fight here in the UK is nothing big for me.”
Campos is managed by Australian Tony Tolj and trained by Hernan Gauto from Argentina and Nicolas Orellana from Chile. ‘The Pride of Barnechea’ says he also has the backing of UK fans who want to see Edwards defeated for the first time. “Since I arrived in the UK last week, everyone that I have met in the gyms, malls and streets – everyone has told me that I have to beat that trash talker Sunny Edwards. Everyone that talks to me about Sunny Edwards wants me to beat him. They all want me to become the first man to beat him. It’s crazy – nobody cares about Sunny Edwards here in England. I have the support of Chilean fans and all of the English fans who I have met. Everyone on my social media is telling me that I have to beat this clown.”
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke (5-0, 4 KOs) looks to close in on a British title tilt as he faces David Jamieson (10-2, 7 KOs) in a final eliminator for the famous Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt...
Youssef Khoumari (15-1-1, 6 KOs) and Reece Bellotti (15-5, 13 KOs) meet in an eliminator for British super featherweight Title,.
The ‘Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher (8-0, 7 KOs) will bring his Bull Army to Wembley for the third time as the 24-year-old Heavyweight fights for the ninth time in the pros against Emilio Salas (7-4-1, 3 KOs)...
Anthony Joshua-managed Shannon Ryan (4-0) returns to the venue of her March 2022 debut to continue her pro journey, and George Liddard (2-0, 2 KOs) and Muhammad Ali (1-0) feature on Before the Bell.
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Big talk: Trainer thinks Izmailov can beat Bivol, Beterbiev and Alvarez |
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Light heavyweight Ali Izmailov has set his sights on the top of the 175-pound division as he hopes to improve his credentials with a victory over fellow unbeaten Charles Foster this Friday, June 9th in the ten-round main event headlining ShoBox: The New Generation from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. “I’m coming for everyone at 175 pounds,” said Izmailov, age 30. “I plan on making a statement on Friday night. I’m going to showcase my power and boxing ability against a world-rated fighter. When the opportunity for the knockout comes, I’m taking it and I’m ending his night early.”
Izmailov’s confidence is echoed by his renowned trainer John David Jackson and promoter Dmitriy Salita, who both believe he’ll stamp his place in the division in the near future. “Ali is one of the best fighters I’ve trained with and he has tremendous power that you can only be born with,” said Jackson. “I believe he’s going to be beating Dmitriy Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, Canelo Alvarez, or whoever is holding the world titles when the time comes. Friday night during the Boxing Hall of Fame weekend is the perfect stage for him to make his grand entrance against a very good opponent.”
“I believe that Ali is the best light heavyweight in the world,” said Salita, the President of Salita Promotions. “We’re putting him on the fast-track to success. He’s facing a very experienced and capable opponent who has more than twice the amount of fights as Ali. It’s the perfect fight for him to take the next step on his way to a world title shot.”
Izmailov (10-0, 7 KOs) has shown tremendous power in stopping six of his last seven opponents, with his only distance fight in that stretch coming via a ten-round unanimous decision over then-unbeaten Eric Murgui last August. As he’s continued to train with Jackson, Izmailov believes his other boxing attributes have continued to grow and will soon be recognized by the rest of the sport. “I’m known for my power, but offensive and defensive techniques and my ring IQ have all improved and I’m going to show everyone that on Friday night,” said Izmailov. “John David Jackson has taught me how to train like a professional, and I’ve seen the difference in what I can do. I’m learning every day because of the experience that my coach brings into camp.”
In the 33 year-old Foster (22-0, 12 KOs), Izmailov will face his toughest pro competition to date, as the New Haven, Connecticut-native is unbeaten in his career that dates back to 2011. With both fighters in position to rocket-boost their careers with a win on Friday, Izmailov knows that Foster’s hunger will match his own. “I know that he’s experienced on this stage and that like me, he’s looking for a breakout performance,” said Izmailov. “I want him to come to fight. I want to give the fans something exciting for as long as he can take it.”
Now just days away from stepping into the ring, Izmailov knows the stakes for this battle of unbeatens and is confident that he’ll live up to the promise that his team sees in his boxing future.
“This is my moment to graduate to the elite level of the light heavyweight division,” said Izmailov. “I’m very grateful to SHOWTIME and to my promoter Salita Promotions. I’ve put in the hard work in training camp and I know that nobody watching is going to be disappointed with what I do in the ring on Friday night.”
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Big talk: Trainer thinks Izmailov can beat Bivol, Beterbiev and Alvarez
Light heavyweight Ali Izmailov has set his sights on the top of the 175-pound division as he hopes to improve his credentials with a victory over fellow unbeaten Charles Foster this Friday, June 9th in the ten-round main event headlining ShoBox: The New Generation from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. “I’m coming for everyone at 175 pounds,” said Izmailov, age 30. “I plan on making a statement on Friday night. I’m going to showcase my power and boxing ability against a world-rated fighter. When the opportunity for the knockout comes, I’m taking it and I’m ending his night early.”
Izmailov’s confidence is echoed by his renowned trainer John David Jackson and promoter Dmitriy Salita, who both believe he’ll stamp his place in the division in the near future. “Ali is one of the best fighters I’ve trained with and he has tremendous power that you can only be born with,” said Jackson. “I believe he’s going to be beating Dmitriy Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, Canelo Alvarez, or whoever is holding the world titles when the time comes. Friday night during the Boxing Hall of Fame weekend is the perfect stage for him to make his grand entrance against a very good opponent.”
“I believe that Ali is the best light heavyweight in the world,” said Salita, the President of Salita Promotions. “We’re putting him on the fast-track to success. He’s facing a very experienced and capable opponent who has more than twice the amount of fights as Ali. It’s the perfect fight for him to take the next step on his way to a world title shot.”
Izmailov (10-0, 7 KOs) has shown tremendous power in stopping six of his last seven opponents, with his only distance fight in that stretch coming via a ten-round unanimous decision over then-unbeaten Eric Murgui last August. As he’s continued to train with Jackson, Izmailov believes his other boxing attributes have continued to grow and will soon be recognized by the rest of the sport. “I’m known for my power, but offensive and defensive techniques and my ring IQ have all improved and I’m going to show everyone that on Friday night,” said Izmailov. “John David Jackson has taught me how to train like a professional, and I’ve seen the difference in what I can do. I’m learning every day because of the experience that my coach brings into camp.”
In the 33 year-old Foster (22-0, 12 KOs), Izmailov will face his toughest pro competition to date, as the New Haven, Connecticut-native is unbeaten in his career that dates back to 2011. With both fighters in position to rocket-boost their careers with a win on Friday, Izmailov knows that Foster’s hunger will match his own. “I know that he’s experienced on this stage and that like me, he’s looking for a breakout performance,” said Izmailov. “I want him to come to fight. I want to give the fans something exciting for as long as he can take it.”
Now just days away from stepping into the ring, Izmailov knows the stakes for this battle of unbeatens and is confident that he’ll live up to the promise that his team sees in his boxing future.
“This is my moment to graduate to the elite level of the light heavyweight division,” said Izmailov. “I’m very grateful to SHOWTIME and to my promoter Salita Promotions. I’ve put in the hard work in training camp and I know that nobody watching is going to be disappointed with what I do in the ring on Friday night.”
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Samuel Castaneda to headline in Robstown, Texas |
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Reyna Promotions will present an evening of professional boxing action this Saturday June 10th in Robstown, Texas. "Battle in the City" will consist of seven bouts in total. In the co-feature, Travis Crawford (3-2) of Corpus Christi, Texas looks to continue his three fight win streak against Michael Haynes (1-4) of San Antonio in a four rounder in the lightweight division. The main event will consist of Samuel Castaneda (10-0-1) of Mercedes, Texas against Julio Chavez Infante (4-2) of Matamoras, Tamaulipas, Mexico scheduled for six rounds in the junior welterweight division. Also on the show, lightweight hopeful Xavier Nunez (5-0) of Corpus Christi is set for action against Tyler Pacheco (1-4) of San Angelo, Texas in a four-round battle. Weigh-ins will take place at noon on Friday June 9th at House of Rock in downtown Corpus Christi and the public is invited. Opening bell is scheduled for 7PM at the Robstown Fairgrounds at Exhibit Hall A in Robstown, Texas. For ticket information contact Sabas (361) 249-0449 or Krystal at (361)434-7750. Boxingtalk.com writer Christian Schmidt set to be the ring announcer.
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Samuel Castaneda to headline in Robstown, Texas
Reyna Promotions will present an evening of professional boxing action this Saturday June 10th in Robstown, Texas. "Battle in the City" will consist of seven bouts in total. In the co-feature, Travis Crawford (3-2) of Corpus Christi, Texas looks to continue his three fight win streak against Michael Haynes (1-4) of San Antonio in a four rounder in the lightweight division. The main event will consist of Samuel Castaneda (10-0-1) of Mercedes, Texas against Julio Chavez Infante (4-2) of Matamoras, Tamaulipas, Mexico scheduled for six rounds in the junior welterweight division. Also on the show, lightweight hopeful Xavier Nunez (5-0) of Corpus Christi is set for action against Tyler Pacheco (1-4) of San Angelo, Texas in a four-round battle. Weigh-ins will take place at noon on Friday June 9th at House of Rock in downtown Corpus Christi and the public is invited. Opening bell is scheduled for 7PM at the Robstown Fairgrounds at Exhibit Hall A in Robstown, Texas. For ticket information contact Sabas (361) 249-0449 or Krystal at (361)434-7750. Boxingtalk.com writer Christian Schmidt set to be the ring announcer.
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IBF schedules purse bid for Opetaia vs. Masternak |
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IBF cruierweight champion Jai Opetaia (22-0) won his title in July, but still has not even booked his first defense. On Tuesday, the IBF scheduled a purse bid for a mandatory defense between the 2012 Australian Olympian and Poland's Mateusz Masternak. The IBF purse bid will take place on Thursday, June 15th at noon Eastern time. The 36 year-old Masternak is 47-5 with six straight wins since a 2018 loss to former WBA title holder Yuniel Dorticos. The other three reigning 200-pound champions are Arsen Goulamirian (WBA), Badou Jack (WBC) and Chris Billam-Smith (WBO).
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
JULY 22, 2022: Yahoo! Sports reports that 2012 Australian Olympian Jai Opetaia overcame an injured jaw to claims Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksadr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision on Saturday in Broadbeach, Australia. Official scores were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improves to 22-0 with 17 KOs. Opetaia joined Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
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IBF schedules purse bid for Opetaia vs. Masternak
IBF cruierweight champion Jai Opetaia (22-0) won his title in July, but still has not even booked his first defense. On Tuesday, the IBF scheduled a purse bid for a mandatory defense between the 2012 Australian Olympian and Poland's Mateusz Masternak. The IBF purse bid will take place on Thursday, June 15th at noon Eastern time. The 36 year-old Masternak is 47-5 with six straight wins since a 2018 loss to former WBA title holder Yuniel Dorticos. The other three reigning 200-pound champions are Arsen Goulamirian (WBA), Badou Jack (WBC) and Chris Billam-Smith (WBO).
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
JULY 22, 2022: Yahoo! Sports reports that 2012 Australian Olympian Jai Opetaia overcame an injured jaw to claims Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksadr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision on Saturday in Broadbeach, Australia. Official scores were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improves to 22-0 with 17 KOs. Opetaia joined Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
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Boxingtalk salutes Anthony Fowler on his retirement |
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British junior middleweight Anthony Fowler announced is retirement on Twitter, explaining, "I’m now officially retired. Big thanks to everyone who’s helped and supported me in my career, it’s a tough tough sport an I respect every fighter and you all should too. I’m excited for the rest my life watching my gorgeous family grow up." Fowler walks away from a six-year career with a record of 16-2 and several quality wins. Still only 32 years old, Fowler reportedly has a CBD delivery business. Boxingtalk wishes him a prosperous and fulfilling retirement.
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Boxingtalk salutes Anthony Fowler on his retirement
British junior middleweight Anthony Fowler announced is retirement on Twitter, explaining, "I’m now officially retired. Big thanks to everyone who’s helped and supported me in my career, it’s a tough tough sport an I respect every fighter and you all should too. I’m excited for the rest my life watching my gorgeous family grow up." Fowler walks away from a six-year career with a record of 16-2 and several quality wins. Still only 32 years old, Fowler reportedly has a CBD delivery business. Boxingtalk wishes him a prosperous and fulfilling retirement.
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Oscar Collazo gets championship belt in San Juan |
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At a crowded celebration, the new WBO minimumweight champion Oscar 'El Pupilo' Collazo received his world belt from WBO president Francisco 'Paco' Varcárcel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Collazo won the title last Saturday, May 27th at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California and became [according to the WBO] the 65th world champion in the history of Puerto Rico. Collazo accomplished this via technical knockout of former champion Melvin Jerusalem who retired in his corner at the end of the seventh round. Collazo made history by becoming a champion in just seven pro fights, a Puerto Rican record.
Valcarcel lauded Collazo, “at the WBO we are very happy with our new champion, a compatriot from Puerto Rico. He is a very talented young man, very dedicated and he showed it by defeating and winning the championship against Melvin Jerusalem of the Philippines in forceful fashion. Oscar Collazo is very talented and we are only seeing him grow."
Collazo gave an extensive message where he made sure not to leave out any of the people who helped him on the road to becoming a champion. he gave special thanks to his parent for being with him every day and being his greatest support. “I am extremely happy to see all this and I cannot believe it, I have worked very hard to obtain this title. I want to thank my family, my parents, my wife and my team. [Also thanks to] Miguel Cotto Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and the WBO for guiding me as they have. I am a champion and now I will work harder to defend it for the pride of my family, my town of Villalba and all of Puerto Rico."
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Oscar Collazo gets championship belt in San Juan
At a crowded celebration, the new WBO minimumweight champion Oscar 'El Pupilo' Collazo received his world belt from WBO president Francisco 'Paco' Varcárcel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Collazo won the title last Saturday, May 27th at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California and became [according to the WBO] the 65th world champion in the history of Puerto Rico. Collazo accomplished this via technical knockout of former champion Melvin Jerusalem who retired in his corner at the end of the seventh round. Collazo made history by becoming a champion in just seven pro fights, a Puerto Rican record.
Valcarcel lauded Collazo, “at the WBO we are very happy with our new champion, a compatriot from Puerto Rico. He is a very talented young man, very dedicated and he showed it by defeating and winning the championship against Melvin Jerusalem of the Philippines in forceful fashion. Oscar Collazo is very talented and we are only seeing him grow."
Collazo gave an extensive message where he made sure not to leave out any of the people who helped him on the road to becoming a champion. he gave special thanks to his parent for being with him every day and being his greatest support. “I am extremely happy to see all this and I cannot believe it, I have worked very hard to obtain this title. I want to thank my family, my parents, my wife and my team. [Also thanks to] Miguel Cotto Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and the WBO for guiding me as they have. I am a champion and now I will work harder to defend it for the pride of my family, my town of Villalba and all of Puerto Rico."
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Saturday sees Rozicki vs. Olivier in Nova Scotia |
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On Saturday at the Halifax Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada's Ryan Rozicki will face France's Jean Jacques Olivier in a cruiserweight bout. Rozicki (17-1) comes into this bout after defeating Latvian Arturs Gorlovs by third round knockout in February. His only loss was in a bridgerweight title fight to now-retired Oscar Rivas. Last December in France, Olivier (15-2-1) defeated Argentina's Roberto Dionicio Moreno by decision. Olivier has not lost since 2018. The Nova Scotian card is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Eastern time / 10 p.m. m. BST and will be broadcast on the Fite TV platform.
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Saturday sees Rozicki vs. Olivier in Nova Scotia
On Saturday at the Halifax Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada's Ryan Rozicki will face France's Jean Jacques Olivier in a cruiserweight bout. Rozicki (17-1) comes into this bout after defeating Latvian Arturs Gorlovs by third round knockout in February. His only loss was in a bridgerweight title fight to now-retired Oscar Rivas. Last December in France, Olivier (15-2-1) defeated Argentina's Roberto Dionicio Moreno by decision. Olivier has not lost since 2018. The Nova Scotian card is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Eastern time / 10 p.m. m. BST and will be broadcast on the Fite TV platform.
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Prograis talks New Orleans and Rougarou Promotions |
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Regis Prograis is ready to bring big-time boxing back home to New Orleans – starting with his WBC 140-pound title defense against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday June 17th at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans live worldwide on DAZN. Prograis (28-1 24 KOs) is looking to shine in his first fight at home since beating Terry Flanagan in October 2018 as he aims to land the unification fights he craves in the second half of 2023, with undisputed on his mind in 2024. ‘Rougarou’ fights under the Matchroom banner for the first time on June 17th, and with his new partnership with Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, the 34-year old is heavily involved in the rest of the card, ensuring an all-Lousiana bout between New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) takes on Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) over eight at lightweight, and Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO), being advised by Prograis, fights for the third time in the paid ranks on the card against Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) over eight rounds at super flyweight.
Prograis admits that fighter management and promotion could be in his future, but the WBC king says that there are many more chapters to be written in his own fighting career first, starting with a long-awaited return to the Big Easy. “The last time I fought in New Orleans it was nice, but this is the Smoothie King Center, it’s on a different level, I’m ecstatic,” said Prograis. “You can’t soak up the moment too much because I still have to go out there and fight, I still need to do that, but it’s really a dream come true because coming up, when I first started boxing, I wanted to fight there – it was a two-part dream, fight at the Smoothie King Center and then at the Superdome, so this is the first big step towards doing something huge in my city.
“We’re starting Rougarou Promotions with this card and with my partnership with Eddie, I feel we’re taking more control and direction not just of my future in the ring, but with other fighters. I said for the undercard ‘I want this guy, I want Ginny’ – that’s what I want to do. It makes sense if we’re bringing big time boxing to New Orleans that we have some fighters from here on the card.
“I don’t know if I want to be a promoter per se, and I feel that I have a long way left in my own career, but right now at home, I do want to have NOLA fighters on the card and to help them shine. I’m in the gym in New Orleans and Houston, I see the talent out there, so when I fight, I want people to see them.
“It’s going to blow it up. We did the Lakefront in 2018, but this is big. Eddie said ‘listen, if we do good, we’re going to keep coming back’. So that’s why we need everyone to come out because it can be a regular thing. This used to be a boxing town, but it faded over the years, so if we do good, I think this will become a regular thing.
“As the champion, you must be even hungrier as those contenders are coming for you and that they want what you got. There are wolves behind me all day long, so my mindset has to be that there’s fighters all over the world that are coming for me and I need to outwork them, out train them, be hungrier than them – I have to be on my A-game every day."
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Prograis talks New Orleans and Rougarou Promotions
Regis Prograis is ready to bring big-time boxing back home to New Orleans – starting with his WBC 140-pound title defense against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday June 17th at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans live worldwide on DAZN. Prograis (28-1 24 KOs) is looking to shine in his first fight at home since beating Terry Flanagan in October 2018 as he aims to land the unification fights he craves in the second half of 2023, with undisputed on his mind in 2024. ‘Rougarou’ fights under the Matchroom banner for the first time on June 17th, and with his new partnership with Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, the 34-year old is heavily involved in the rest of the card, ensuring an all-Lousiana bout between New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) takes on Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) over eight at lightweight, and Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO), being advised by Prograis, fights for the third time in the paid ranks on the card against Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) over eight rounds at super flyweight.
Prograis admits that fighter management and promotion could be in his future, but the WBC king says that there are many more chapters to be written in his own fighting career first, starting with a long-awaited return to the Big Easy. “The last time I fought in New Orleans it was nice, but this is the Smoothie King Center, it’s on a different level, I’m ecstatic,” said Prograis. “You can’t soak up the moment too much because I still have to go out there and fight, I still need to do that, but it’s really a dream come true because coming up, when I first started boxing, I wanted to fight there – it was a two-part dream, fight at the Smoothie King Center and then at the Superdome, so this is the first big step towards doing something huge in my city.
“We’re starting Rougarou Promotions with this card and with my partnership with Eddie, I feel we’re taking more control and direction not just of my future in the ring, but with other fighters. I said for the undercard ‘I want this guy, I want Ginny’ – that’s what I want to do. It makes sense if we’re bringing big time boxing to New Orleans that we have some fighters from here on the card.
“I don’t know if I want to be a promoter per se, and I feel that I have a long way left in my own career, but right now at home, I do want to have NOLA fighters on the card and to help them shine. I’m in the gym in New Orleans and Houston, I see the talent out there, so when I fight, I want people to see them.
“It’s going to blow it up. We did the Lakefront in 2018, but this is big. Eddie said ‘listen, if we do good, we’re going to keep coming back’. So that’s why we need everyone to come out because it can be a regular thing. This used to be a boxing town, but it faded over the years, so if we do good, I think this will become a regular thing.
“As the champion, you must be even hungrier as those contenders are coming for you and that they want what you got. There are wolves behind me all day long, so my mindset has to be that there’s fighters all over the world that are coming for me and I need to outwork them, out train them, be hungrier than them – I have to be on my A-game every day."
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DiBella Entertainment signs featherweight Edward “Kid” Vazquez |
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DiBella Entertainment has inked a promotional agreement with Texas featherweight Edward “Kid” Vazquez (14-1, 3 KOs). From Fort Worth, Vazquez hails from a fighting family. His grandfather and uncle were both fighters, along with several cousins. On his seventh birthday, Vazquez asked his father to take him to the local boxing gym in Fort Worth; a birthday present that would change the trajectory of his life. This trip to the gym would lead to an amateur record of 82-8, including eight Fort Worth Golden Gloves gold medals, a Texas Golden Gloves gold medal, a win at the Ringside World Championships and a runner-up spot in the 2012 Junior Olympics in Mobile, AL.
At 18, and fresh out of high school, Vazquez was transitioning to turn professional and traveled up the coast of California looking for sparring and inspiration. He found both, spending time training and sparring with Oscar Valdez and Ryan Garcia, among others. Vazquez made his professional debut in 2016, winning a unanimous decision versus Willie Miller.
He has been with his current trainer, Ray Barrera, out of FHG Boxing Gym, in Fort Worth, ever since his third pro fight. Vazquez would go on to win 11 bouts before suffering his lone defeat at the hands of Raymond Ford in February 2022. It was a fight that would result in a close win for Ford, who is now 14-01 in the pros. Vazquez rebounded from that split decision loss with two wins to close out the year.
In March 2020, Vazquez’s life would change dramatically with the birth of his daughter, Saylor. The pandemic was just getting underway, and becoming a father was both exhilarating and scary for the young fighter. “It forced me to level up,” Vazquez said. “I always knew I would make it happen with boxing, but now I have to because I have my daughter.”
In December 2022, Vazquez would get the call to fight DiBella prospect Misael Lopez on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series. “I was hesitant to take the fight because I knew I would be coming in as the ‘B-side,’” said Vazquez. “I was robbed in my fight versus Raymond Ford, and didn’t want that to happen again, but I ultimately accepted the fight."
“It was a good, action-packed fight,” Vazquez continued. “He definitely tested my IQ. He was game, and wasn’t going to back down. He was coming to beat me and was 100% confident he was going to do so. I spoiled the plan.” Vazquez would earn a split decision win against Lopez after ten rounds of action, on February 17th in Topeka, Kansas.
“I'm thrilled to be working with Edward Vazquez,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He's one of the best featherweights in the world and he proved that when he beat Raymond Ford, no matter what the scorecards read. Ford's now #2 in the world and despite the zero on his record, Edward Vazquez beat him on international television. An interesting and well-spoken kid, Edward has the potential to be a world champion. He should be undefeated and highly world ranked right now. This was a no-brainer signing for DiBella Entertainment.”
“I’m so excited to be a part of DiBella Entertainment,” said Vazquez of the signing. “We’ve worked our entire lives to land a deal with someone as prominent as Lou DiBella. I've been fighting for almost 21 years. It's been a grind. You're not really sure if it's going to pay off and it finally seems like it's going to pay off.
“Now, we finally have the platform to go after the top 10 featherweights, the top 20 guys,” Vazquez continued. “Lou is finally the guy that can get me in the door. I'm coming for them.”
“We knew we had something special going into the fight with Lopez,” said DKO Boxing’s Dave Dubinsky, who manages Vazquez along with Jim Kurtz. “We’re thrilled that Lou sees what we do in Vazquez, and we’re looking forward to working with DiBella Entertainment to take Edward to the next level.”
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DiBella Entertainment signs featherweight Edward “Kid” Vazquez
DiBella Entertainment has inked a promotional agreement with Texas featherweight Edward “Kid” Vazquez (14-1, 3 KOs). From Fort Worth, Vazquez hails from a fighting family. His grandfather and uncle were both fighters, along with several cousins. On his seventh birthday, Vazquez asked his father to take him to the local boxing gym in Fort Worth; a birthday present that would change the trajectory of his life. This trip to the gym would lead to an amateur record of 82-8, including eight Fort Worth Golden Gloves gold medals, a Texas Golden Gloves gold medal, a win at the Ringside World Championships and a runner-up spot in the 2012 Junior Olympics in Mobile, AL.
At 18, and fresh out of high school, Vazquez was transitioning to turn professional and traveled up the coast of California looking for sparring and inspiration. He found both, spending time training and sparring with Oscar Valdez and Ryan Garcia, among others. Vazquez made his professional debut in 2016, winning a unanimous decision versus Willie Miller.
He has been with his current trainer, Ray Barrera, out of FHG Boxing Gym, in Fort Worth, ever since his third pro fight. Vazquez would go on to win 11 bouts before suffering his lone defeat at the hands of Raymond Ford in February 2022. It was a fight that would result in a close win for Ford, who is now 14-01 in the pros. Vazquez rebounded from that split decision loss with two wins to close out the year.
In March 2020, Vazquez’s life would change dramatically with the birth of his daughter, Saylor. The pandemic was just getting underway, and becoming a father was both exhilarating and scary for the young fighter. “It forced me to level up,” Vazquez said. “I always knew I would make it happen with boxing, but now I have to because I have my daughter.”
In December 2022, Vazquez would get the call to fight DiBella prospect Misael Lopez on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series. “I was hesitant to take the fight because I knew I would be coming in as the ‘B-side,’” said Vazquez. “I was robbed in my fight versus Raymond Ford, and didn’t want that to happen again, but I ultimately accepted the fight."
“It was a good, action-packed fight,” Vazquez continued. “He definitely tested my IQ. He was game, and wasn’t going to back down. He was coming to beat me and was 100% confident he was going to do so. I spoiled the plan.” Vazquez would earn a split decision win against Lopez after ten rounds of action, on February 17th in Topeka, Kansas.
“I'm thrilled to be working with Edward Vazquez,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He's one of the best featherweights in the world and he proved that when he beat Raymond Ford, no matter what the scorecards read. Ford's now #2 in the world and despite the zero on his record, Edward Vazquez beat him on international television. An interesting and well-spoken kid, Edward has the potential to be a world champion. He should be undefeated and highly world ranked right now. This was a no-brainer signing for DiBella Entertainment.”
“I’m so excited to be a part of DiBella Entertainment,” said Vazquez of the signing. “We’ve worked our entire lives to land a deal with someone as prominent as Lou DiBella. I've been fighting for almost 21 years. It's been a grind. You're not really sure if it's going to pay off and it finally seems like it's going to pay off.
“Now, we finally have the platform to go after the top 10 featherweights, the top 20 guys,” Vazquez continued. “Lou is finally the guy that can get me in the door. I'm coming for them.”
“We knew we had something special going into the fight with Lopez,” said DKO Boxing’s Dave Dubinsky, who manages Vazquez along with Jim Kurtz. “We’re thrilled that Lou sees what we do in Vazquez, and we’re looking forward to working with DiBella Entertainment to take Edward to the next level.”
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Introducing welterweight Freudis Rojas Jr. |
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Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing has announced the signing of Mexican-American welterweight Freudis Rojas Jr. (10-0, 10 KOs) to an exclusive promotional contract. The 24-year old Rojas, known as Freddy to his friends, was an accomplished amateur boxer for the United States on the international stage, winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships, as well as serving as a 2020 Olympic Alternate. Standing 6′ 2″, the powerful Vegas-based southpaw turned professional in January 2021 and hasn’t had to go more than four rounds while amassing his perfect record. Rojas’ first ring appearance under the Sampson Boxing banner will be in July. In his most recent outing, he knocked out durable veteran Gilbert Venegas in less than a round in February of this year. Despite having faced a list of prospects and contenders, Venegas hadn’t been stopped in six years previous to facing Rojas. “I feel blessed for the opportunity and deal with Sampson Boxing,” said Rojas. “Me and my manager Marlon Johnson felt strongly that Sampson was the right fit to take my career to the next level. I will be the next superstar of boxing and a world champion. I want to fight the best and put on spectacular fights for the fans. I thank God for blessing my career.” “Freddy is blessed with a very knowledgeable and strong team of Freudis Rojas Sr., Kay Karoma, Evins Tobler, and Kevin Smalls, and we all feel that signing with Sampson is a very strong career move,” added manager Johnson. “With Sampson, the sky is the limit. He is a great promoter with years of experience and boxing knowledge, and he has an innate ability for spotting and developing boxing talent. With Freddy’s hard work, dedication, faith in God and Sampson’s guidance. He will become the next star in boxing.” Lewkowicz hopes signing Rojas Jr. will add to the list of world champions he's worked with.“Freudis Rojas will be a future star in the welterweight division and more,” said a happy Lewkowicz. “This young Mexican American has the team and the experience, power and skills to move quickly up the ladder to a world championship, and I am proud to be able to help him get there. Welcome to the Sampson family.”
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Introducing welterweight Freudis Rojas Jr.
Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing has announced the signing of Mexican-American welterweight Freudis Rojas Jr. (10-0, 10 KOs) to an exclusive promotional contract. The 24-year old Rojas, known as Freddy to his friends, was an accomplished amateur boxer for the United States on the international stage, winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships, as well as serving as a 2020 Olympic Alternate. Standing 6′ 2″, the powerful Vegas-based southpaw turned professional in January 2021 and hasn’t had to go more than four rounds while amassing his perfect record. Rojas’ first ring appearance under the Sampson Boxing banner will be in July. In his most recent outing, he knocked out durable veteran Gilbert Venegas in less than a round in February of this year. Despite having faced a list of prospects and contenders, Venegas hadn’t been stopped in six years previous to facing Rojas. “I feel blessed for the opportunity and deal with Sampson Boxing,” said Rojas. “Me and my manager Marlon Johnson felt strongly that Sampson was the right fit to take my career to the next level. I will be the next superstar of boxing and a world champion. I want to fight the best and put on spectacular fights for the fans. I thank God for blessing my career.” “Freddy is blessed with a very knowledgeable and strong team of Freudis Rojas Sr., Kay Karoma, Evins Tobler, and Kevin Smalls, and we all feel that signing with Sampson is a very strong career move,” added manager Johnson. “With Sampson, the sky is the limit. He is a great promoter with years of experience and boxing knowledge, and he has an innate ability for spotting and developing boxing talent. With Freddy’s hard work, dedication, faith in God and Sampson’s guidance. He will become the next star in boxing.” Lewkowicz hopes signing Rojas Jr. will add to the list of world champions he's worked with.“Freudis Rojas will be a future star in the welterweight division and more,” said a happy Lewkowicz. “This young Mexican American has the team and the experience, power and skills to move quickly up the ladder to a world championship, and I am proud to be able to help him get there. Welcome to the Sampson family.”
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WBA will not block unification hopes of Tapales |
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In the 122-pound division, Marlon Tapales of the Philippines holds the WBA and IBF titles, while Stephen Fulton of the United States holds the WBA and WBC versions. Next month, Fulton will fight world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue in one of the biggest fights in this weight division's history. Today, the WBA announced it will allow Tapales the opportunity unify against the Fulton-Inoue winner (there is no indication of the IBF's position on this matter). Meanwhile, the man Tapales defeated for the two titles, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, was ordered to face Tomoki Kameda in a WBA final eliminator. Tapales defeated Akhmadaliev last April 8th in a split decision verdict. Matchroom Boxing made a direct rematch request to the WBA and although there are elements that could support it, the WBA determined it is not feasible to do so at this time.
Tapales and his team asked the WBA for permission to fight the winner of Inoue and Fulton, whose bout will be on July 25th. Assuming the IBF goes along, this bout would be a unification of the WBA, IBF, WBC and WBO titles, which is a powerful reason to delay the WBA mandatory title defense for Tapales.
Kameda (40-3) already won a semi-final eliminator against Yonfrez Parejo in 2021.
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WBA will not block unification hopes of Tapales
In the 122-pound division, Marlon Tapales of the Philippines holds the WBA and IBF titles, while Stephen Fulton of the United States holds the WBA and WBC versions. Next month, Fulton will fight world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue in one of the biggest fights in this weight division's history. Today, the WBA announced it will allow Tapales the opportunity unify against the Fulton-Inoue winner (there is no indication of the IBF's position on this matter). Meanwhile, the man Tapales defeated for the two titles, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, was ordered to face Tomoki Kameda in a WBA final eliminator. Tapales defeated Akhmadaliev last April 8th in a split decision verdict. Matchroom Boxing made a direct rematch request to the WBA and although there are elements that could support it, the WBA determined it is not feasible to do so at this time.
Tapales and his team asked the WBA for permission to fight the winner of Inoue and Fulton, whose bout will be on July 25th. Assuming the IBF goes along, this bout would be a unification of the WBA, IBF, WBC and WBO titles, which is a powerful reason to delay the WBA mandatory title defense for Tapales.
Kameda (40-3) already won a semi-final eliminator against Yonfrez Parejo in 2021.
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Toussaint pressing for rematch vs. Holmes after controversial technical decision |
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Wndy Toussaint (now 14-2, 6 KOs) believes he was robbed of a win in Detroit on Saturday. Toussaint squared up with undefeated junior middleweight Ardreal Holmes, Jr. (14-0, 5 KOs) at Little Caesars Arena. The Holmes-Toussaint bout was the chief support of the DAZN -broadcast Claressa Shields vs. Maricela Cornejo undisputed middleweight bout. In the fourth round of Holmes-Toussaint, as Toussaint was working Holmes against the ropes, Holmes ducked to avoid a hook while Toussaint responded with a chopping right hand. Referee Gerard White questionably stopped the action and deducted a point from Toussaint for hitting to the back of the head, which would later turn out to be pivotal in the decision.
Things turned up a notch in the fifth round as Toussaint came out with vengeance, pressuring Holmes, who spent much of the fight against the ropes. In the sixth and seventh rounds, Holmes continued to backpedal, pawing with his lead left hand, as Toussaint applied the pressure, putting punches together to both the body and the head. By the eight round, Toussaint was controlling the action. In the eight round, Holmes, came out and met Toussaint at center of the ring when a clash of heads opened a bad gash across Toussaint’s forehead causing a waterfall of blood that splattered the canvas red.
The ringside doctor allowed Toussaint to continue but the referee was clearly concerned about the cut. The bout was allowed to briefly resume as Toussaint and Holmes unleashed a barrage of punches as blood sprayed. White stepped in seconds later and stopped the fight due to the cut caused by the accidental head butt.
With the stoppage happening after four full rounds, and the head butt being ruled accidental, the fight went to the scorecards. The judges ruled in favor of Holmes by split technical decision (76-75 Holmes, 77-74 Holmes and 77-74 Toussaint), with the pivotal fourth-round point deduction changing the fight from a draw to a split decision win for Holmes. After the scores were read, the entirety of Little Caesars Arena began to loudly boo the victory being awarded to their own hometown favorite.
Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia (Toussaint's promoter) plans to ask the IBF to order a rematch, because the bout was sanctioned for an IBF regional title. “We hope the USBA will order an immediate rematch and we will take the necessary steps to see that through. Wendy deserved the win last night in Detroit. It’s simple as that," said DeGuardia. It is rare to see hometown arena boo a decision against a hometown fighter - that’s all you need to know about the decision, and kudos to the Detroit fans. We are proud of the effort Wendy put forth. He made the fight, brought the action, controlled the tempo and exhibited a warrior mentality, begging the ref to continue the fight through a nasty cut, with his own blood pouring down his face. We feel Wendy should have been declared the winner and will look into all options available to us for him.”
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Toussaint pressing for rematch vs. Holmes after controversial technical decision
Wndy Toussaint (now 14-2, 6 KOs) believes he was robbed of a win in Detroit on Saturday. Toussaint squared up with undefeated junior middleweight Ardreal Holmes, Jr. (14-0, 5 KOs) at Little Caesars Arena. The Holmes-Toussaint bout was the chief support of the DAZN -broadcast Claressa Shields vs. Maricela Cornejo undisputed middleweight bout. In the fourth round of Holmes-Toussaint, as Toussaint was working Holmes against the ropes, Holmes ducked to avoid a hook while Toussaint responded with a chopping right hand. Referee Gerard White questionably stopped the action and deducted a point from Toussaint for hitting to the back of the head, which would later turn out to be pivotal in the decision.
Things turned up a notch in the fifth round as Toussaint came out with vengeance, pressuring Holmes, who spent much of the fight against the ropes. In the sixth and seventh rounds, Holmes continued to backpedal, pawing with his lead left hand, as Toussaint applied the pressure, putting punches together to both the body and the head. By the eight round, Toussaint was controlling the action. In the eight round, Holmes, came out and met Toussaint at center of the ring when a clash of heads opened a bad gash across Toussaint’s forehead causing a waterfall of blood that splattered the canvas red.
The ringside doctor allowed Toussaint to continue but the referee was clearly concerned about the cut. The bout was allowed to briefly resume as Toussaint and Holmes unleashed a barrage of punches as blood sprayed. White stepped in seconds later and stopped the fight due to the cut caused by the accidental head butt.
With the stoppage happening after four full rounds, and the head butt being ruled accidental, the fight went to the scorecards. The judges ruled in favor of Holmes by split technical decision (76-75 Holmes, 77-74 Holmes and 77-74 Toussaint), with the pivotal fourth-round point deduction changing the fight from a draw to a split decision win for Holmes. After the scores were read, the entirety of Little Caesars Arena began to loudly boo the victory being awarded to their own hometown favorite.
Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia (Toussaint's promoter) plans to ask the IBF to order a rematch, because the bout was sanctioned for an IBF regional title. “We hope the USBA will order an immediate rematch and we will take the necessary steps to see that through. Wendy deserved the win last night in Detroit. It’s simple as that," said DeGuardia. It is rare to see hometown arena boo a decision against a hometown fighter - that’s all you need to know about the decision, and kudos to the Detroit fans. We are proud of the effort Wendy put forth. He made the fight, brought the action, controlled the tempo and exhibited a warrior mentality, begging the ref to continue the fight through a nasty cut, with his own blood pouring down his face. We feel Wendy should have been declared the winner and will look into all options available to us for him.”
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Ex-Olympian Blanc wins in Argentina |
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Leandro Jose Blanc W10 Kervin Romero... 2016 Olympian Leandro Jose Blanc captured a unanimous decision win over Kervin Romero at the Club Atletico Huracan in Buenos Aires last weekend. The Argentinean flyweight prevailed on the scorecards by tallies of 99-90 and 97-92 (twice) over the Venezuelan visitor. Blanc knocked Romero down in the ninth round and dominated him for most of the fight. Fighting in his home country, the 30 year-old Blanc is listed as 8-0 but 14-5 is more accurate taking the World Series of Boxing into account. Romero's record drops to 7-4.
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Ex-Olympian Blanc wins in Argentina
Leandro Jose Blanc W10 Kervin Romero... 2016 Olympian Leandro Jose Blanc captured a unanimous decision win over Kervin Romero at the Club Atletico Huracan in Buenos Aires last weekend. The Argentinean flyweight prevailed on the scorecards by tallies of 99-90 and 97-92 (twice) over the Venezuelan visitor. Blanc knocked Romero down in the ninth round and dominated him for most of the fight. Fighting in his home country, the 30 year-old Blanc is listed as 8-0 but 14-5 is more accurate taking the World Series of Boxing into account. Romero's record drops to 7-4.
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Welcome to WBA KO Drugs fight week |
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The World Boxing Association’s KO Drugs International Boxing Festival, to be held on June 9th and 10th at the Buenos Aires Casino in the Argentine capital, promises two days of boxing with a WBA super bantamweight championship fight headlining one day-- Mayerlin Rivas and Nazarena Romero-- and a 108-poud eliminator between Daniel Matellón and Carlos Cañizalez headlining the second. There will also be an interesting heavyweight bout, as Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko (12-0, 11 KOs) battles Ariel Bracamonte (11-10, 6 KOs). Dychko, an Olympic medalist at Rio 2016, also starred in last year’s KO Drugs. Here is the full slate of bouts:
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
WBA light flyweight eliminator
Carlos Cañizales (VEN 25-1-1, 19 KOs) vs. Daniel Matellon (CUB 13-0-2, 7 KOs);
Middleweights:
Francisco Daniel Veron (ARG 11-0, 9 KO) vs. Timur Kerefov (RUS 13-0, 7 KOs);
Light heavyweights:
Gabriel Diaz (ARG 13-5, 2 KOs) vs. Robert Daniels Jr. (USA 8-0, 7 KOs); and
Flyweights
Sol Cudos (ARG 5-0-1, 1 KO) vs Olga Julio (COL 37-18-2, 27 KOs); and
Lightweights:
René Tellez Girón (MEX 17-2, 11 KOs) vs. Matías Romero (ARG 26-3, 9 KOs).
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
WBA Super bantamweight world title
Mayerlin Rivas (VEN 17-4-2, 11 KOs) vs. Nazarena Romero (ARG 12-0, 6 KOs)
Heavyweights:
Ivan Dychko (12-0, 11 KOs) vs. Ariel Bracamonte (11-10, 6 KOs);
Super flyweights:
Ramon Quiroga (ARG 4-1, 1 KO) vs. Afolabi Shittu (NIG 10-0, 10 KOs).
Featherweights:
Brian Arguello (ARG 6-2, 3 KOs) vs. Dominique Francis (USA 13-0, 9 KOs); and
Lightweights:
Ender Luces (VEN 19-0-0, 16 KOs) vs Javier Herrera (ARG 17-7-1, 8 KOs).
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Welcome to WBA KO Drugs fight week
The World Boxing Association’s KO Drugs International Boxing Festival, to be held on June 9th and 10th at the Buenos Aires Casino in the Argentine capital, promises two days of boxing with a WBA super bantamweight championship fight headlining one day-- Mayerlin Rivas and Nazarena Romero-- and a 108-poud eliminator between Daniel Matellón and Carlos Cañizalez headlining the second. There will also be an interesting heavyweight bout, as Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko (12-0, 11 KOs) battles Ariel Bracamonte (11-10, 6 KOs). Dychko, an Olympic medalist at Rio 2016, also starred in last year’s KO Drugs. Here is the full slate of bouts:
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
WBA light flyweight eliminator
Carlos Cañizales (VEN 25-1-1, 19 KOs) vs. Daniel Matellon (CUB 13-0-2, 7 KOs);
Middleweights:
Francisco Daniel Veron (ARG 11-0, 9 KO) vs. Timur Kerefov (RUS 13-0, 7 KOs);
Light heavyweights:
Gabriel Diaz (ARG 13-5, 2 KOs) vs. Robert Daniels Jr. (USA 8-0, 7 KOs); and
Flyweights
Sol Cudos (ARG 5-0-1, 1 KO) vs Olga Julio (COL 37-18-2, 27 KOs); and
Lightweights:
René Tellez Girón (MEX 17-2, 11 KOs) vs. Matías Romero (ARG 26-3, 9 KOs).
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
WBA Super bantamweight world title
Mayerlin Rivas (VEN 17-4-2, 11 KOs) vs. Nazarena Romero (ARG 12-0, 6 KOs)
Heavyweights:
Ivan Dychko (12-0, 11 KOs) vs. Ariel Bracamonte (11-10, 6 KOs);
Super flyweights:
Ramon Quiroga (ARG 4-1, 1 KO) vs. Afolabi Shittu (NIG 10-0, 10 KOs).
Featherweights:
Brian Arguello (ARG 6-2, 3 KOs) vs. Dominique Francis (USA 13-0, 9 KOs); and
Lightweights:
Ender Luces (VEN 19-0-0, 16 KOs) vs Javier Herrera (ARG 17-7-1, 8 KOs).
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Kacper Meyna wins in Poland |
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Kacper Meyna TKO9 Krzysztof Twardowski... In an all-Polish heavyweight bout, Kacper Meyna (11-1, 7KOs) defeated Krzysztof Twardowski (10-5,7 KOs) by ninth-round technical knockout in Zukowo. Twardowski’s strategy was to move, jab and try to avoid trading power punches, as Meyna had a weight advantage of close to 44 pounds and was coming off four quick stoppage wins. With this approach, Twardowski did reduce the dangerous moments and had some positive results with sharp jabs, but overall he lost rounds and couldn’t match his opponent’s work rate. Meyna imposed his power during the sporadic moments of short and medium distance, and he connected with the most significant punches against a too cautious Twardowski, who used his right hand very little. In the ninth round, Meyna landed a hard overhead right and a straight left that sent Twardowski to the canvas. The boxer was rocked by hooks to the head after the restart before the referee stopped the fight.
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Kacper Meyna wins in Poland
Kacper Meyna TKO9 Krzysztof Twardowski... In an all-Polish heavyweight bout, Kacper Meyna (11-1, 7KOs) defeated Krzysztof Twardowski (10-5,7 KOs) by ninth-round technical knockout in Zukowo. Twardowski’s strategy was to move, jab and try to avoid trading power punches, as Meyna had a weight advantage of close to 44 pounds and was coming off four quick stoppage wins. With this approach, Twardowski did reduce the dangerous moments and had some positive results with sharp jabs, but overall he lost rounds and couldn’t match his opponent’s work rate. Meyna imposed his power during the sporadic moments of short and medium distance, and he connected with the most significant punches against a too cautious Twardowski, who used his right hand very little. In the ninth round, Meyna landed a hard overhead right and a straight left that sent Twardowski to the canvas. The boxer was rocked by hooks to the head after the restart before the referee stopped the fight.
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Shields shuts out Cornejo |
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Claressa Shields W10 Maricela Cornejo... A crowd of 11,784 fans showed up at the first-ever boxing event at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to watch undisputed world middleweight champion Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields continue her domination of women’s boxing with a ten-round unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo of Los Angeles. Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) bested Cornejo (16-6, 6 KOs) in every possible category, while still making the fight an entertaining affair. True to her word, Shields tried for the elusive knockout, swinging several attempted homerun shots, many of which landed. But Cornejo’s toughness allowed her to make it through the portions of the fight where Shields’ speed and ability surpassed her defense. The scores were 100-90 (twice) and 100-89. With the victory, Shields retains her WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO belts.
“I feel great,” said Shields post-victory. “I was landing my shots. I won every round like I knew I could. I went for the knockout how many times this fight? Maricela is tough. She did a great job. Height doesn’t matter and power doesn’t matter either. It’s all about the skills and will and heart, and I always have more than the other girls.”
Shields said her game plan worked to perfection, but still added room for improvement. "Stay smart and not get hit with her big right hand,” she said of her strategy. “Hit bigger to the body and check her to the head. I knew I could win. Straight right for the money. When I would hit her harder, she would take off. I led off with the right too many times, so I will work on that when we get back to the gym. Maricela is super tough. She was in shape and able to take the shots and able to get away from them. It was a great fight. I can’t wait to go home and watch it and see what I can work on."
Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions, said, “Claressa showed why she’s the GWOAT [greatest woman of all time] tonight. Her fans showed up to support her and she put on an amazing show against a very tough opponent in Cornejo. And Little Caesars Arena was the perfect place for us to put on this event, which included a stacked undercard of talented local fighters that got to enjoy their night in front of their hometown fans as well. This was a great night for women’s boxing and Detroit boxing.”
A dejected Cornejo, who was hoping to pull off the upset, said she’s looking forward to continuing her improvements and fighting another day. “I'm good. I felt fine,” Cornejo said. “Obviously there is so much more I could work on. I want to see the fight again and see the mistakes that I’ve done just to improve on. I think I held my ground and I know I caught her with some good shots and I just need to work on much more to be able to continue those rights I know I landed on her. I’m not happy with the loss, I’m just disappointed,” she continued. “I need to just watch it. It’s intense the way she comes forward. I would have done better being more assertive going forward and not going straight back. That’s something I’ve worked on a lot."
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Shields shuts out Cornejo
Claressa Shields W10 Maricela Cornejo... A crowd of 11,784 fans showed up at the first-ever boxing event at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to watch undisputed world middleweight champion Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields continue her domination of women’s boxing with a ten-round unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo of Los Angeles. Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) bested Cornejo (16-6, 6 KOs) in every possible category, while still making the fight an entertaining affair. True to her word, Shields tried for the elusive knockout, swinging several attempted homerun shots, many of which landed. But Cornejo’s toughness allowed her to make it through the portions of the fight where Shields’ speed and ability surpassed her defense. The scores were 100-90 (twice) and 100-89. With the victory, Shields retains her WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO belts.
“I feel great,” said Shields post-victory. “I was landing my shots. I won every round like I knew I could. I went for the knockout how many times this fight? Maricela is tough. She did a great job. Height doesn’t matter and power doesn’t matter either. It’s all about the skills and will and heart, and I always have more than the other girls.”
Shields said her game plan worked to perfection, but still added room for improvement. "Stay smart and not get hit with her big right hand,” she said of her strategy. “Hit bigger to the body and check her to the head. I knew I could win. Straight right for the money. When I would hit her harder, she would take off. I led off with the right too many times, so I will work on that when we get back to the gym. Maricela is super tough. She was in shape and able to take the shots and able to get away from them. It was a great fight. I can’t wait to go home and watch it and see what I can work on."
Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions, said, “Claressa showed why she’s the GWOAT [greatest woman of all time] tonight. Her fans showed up to support her and she put on an amazing show against a very tough opponent in Cornejo. And Little Caesars Arena was the perfect place for us to put on this event, which included a stacked undercard of talented local fighters that got to enjoy their night in front of their hometown fans as well. This was a great night for women’s boxing and Detroit boxing.”
A dejected Cornejo, who was hoping to pull off the upset, said she’s looking forward to continuing her improvements and fighting another day. “I'm good. I felt fine,” Cornejo said. “Obviously there is so much more I could work on. I want to see the fight again and see the mistakes that I’ve done just to improve on. I think I held my ground and I know I caught her with some good shots and I just need to work on much more to be able to continue those rights I know I landed on her. I’m not happy with the loss, I’m just disappointed,” she continued. “I need to just watch it. It’s intense the way she comes forward. I would have done better being more assertive going forward and not going straight back. That’s something I’ve worked on a lot."
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Usyk signs with Skill Challenge Promotions |
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WBA / IBF / WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has signed a multi-fiight deal with Saudi Arabian promotional company Skill Challenge Promotions (SCP) established by His Highness Prince Khaled bin AbdulAziz in 2023 after hosting some of biggest boxing events in The Kingdom. Usyk recently fought in The Kingdom in August 2022 defeating Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision to retain his belts in their highly anticipated rematch labelled ‘Rage on the Red’ Sea hosted by Skill Challenge Entertainment and The Ministry of Sport. “Skill Challenge Promotions takes pride in working with an elite champion such as Oleksandr Usyk who not only possesses technical greatness in the ring but greatness outside it as well as an ambassador for the sport” stated SCP Chairman Prince Khaled. “Our aim is to work with multi-dimensional champions who possess the mutual core values Oleksandr does as we appreciate those above everything else.”
The signing of Usyk to The Kingdom’s Skill Challenge Promotion’s draws significant parallels with Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing with the Saudi Football League demonstrating the influence and momentum the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is gathering in the sporting world aligned with Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s national reform programme, Vision 2030.
Director of Boxing Operations for the Promotion, Amer Abdallah stated, "Prince Khaled’s “mission” is to put on the best fights for the fighters and for the fans working in collaboration with all global promoters, management and networks collectively." There has been much talk around the anticipated December showdown with WBC champion Tyson Fury for a unification bout to declare an undisputed world champion after numerous failed attempts to make the fight happen. “It is obviously the fight most boxing fans want to see and in time we hope to be able to make an announcement regarding the direction we’ll take with the unification bout” Abdallah continued. “But the first order of business is his defense against Daniel Dubois in August 2023.”
“It is great honor and joy for me to return to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Oleksandr Usyk stated during the press announcement in Riyadh. “It’s an excellent opportunity to work with His Highness Prince Khaled and to reach our team’s goal to claim the WBC title to become the undisputed champion. I haven’t got any big plans, like a samurai I have the way… the way I walk.”
“This is a chapter in the lifetime of Oleksandr and history in the making” Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s Promoter and K2 founder stated.
“We want to thank Prince Khaled and the boxing world really needs a promotion like Skill Challenge Promotions and people like Prince Khaled who is so loved in the sport. It is an honour for me to bring one of my best fighters in Oleksandr Usyk to Skill Challenge Promotions.” stated long time Manager, Egis Klimas.
Skill Challenge Entertainment was founded by His Highness Prince Khaled bin AbdulAziz of Saudi Arabia, launching their inaugural event in 2019 featuring the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz dubbed “Clash on the Dunes”. After the global pandemic, Skill Challenge Entertainment hosted the rematch of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua branded “Rage on the Red Sea” in August of 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The company’s most recent global event, “The Truth” featured global stars Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury and Badou Jack vs Illunga Makabu for the WBC Cruiserweight Title which took place in February 2023 and became the largest hybrid boxing event to ever take place.
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Usyk signs with Skill Challenge Promotions
WBA / IBF / WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has signed a multi-fiight deal with Saudi Arabian promotional company Skill Challenge Promotions (SCP) established by His Highness Prince Khaled bin AbdulAziz in 2023 after hosting some of biggest boxing events in The Kingdom. Usyk recently fought in The Kingdom in August 2022 defeating Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision to retain his belts in their highly anticipated rematch labelled ‘Rage on the Red’ Sea hosted by Skill Challenge Entertainment and The Ministry of Sport. “Skill Challenge Promotions takes pride in working with an elite champion such as Oleksandr Usyk who not only possesses technical greatness in the ring but greatness outside it as well as an ambassador for the sport” stated SCP Chairman Prince Khaled. “Our aim is to work with multi-dimensional champions who possess the mutual core values Oleksandr does as we appreciate those above everything else.”
The signing of Usyk to The Kingdom’s Skill Challenge Promotion’s draws significant parallels with Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing with the Saudi Football League demonstrating the influence and momentum the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is gathering in the sporting world aligned with Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s national reform programme, Vision 2030.
Director of Boxing Operations for the Promotion, Amer Abdallah stated, "Prince Khaled’s “mission” is to put on the best fights for the fighters and for the fans working in collaboration with all global promoters, management and networks collectively." There has been much talk around the anticipated December showdown with WBC champion Tyson Fury for a unification bout to declare an undisputed world champion after numerous failed attempts to make the fight happen. “It is obviously the fight most boxing fans want to see and in time we hope to be able to make an announcement regarding the direction we’ll take with the unification bout” Abdallah continued. “But the first order of business is his defense against Daniel Dubois in August 2023.”
“It is great honor and joy for me to return to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Oleksandr Usyk stated during the press announcement in Riyadh. “It’s an excellent opportunity to work with His Highness Prince Khaled and to reach our team’s goal to claim the WBC title to become the undisputed champion. I haven’t got any big plans, like a samurai I have the way… the way I walk.”
“This is a chapter in the lifetime of Oleksandr and history in the making” Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s Promoter and K2 founder stated.
“We want to thank Prince Khaled and the boxing world really needs a promotion like Skill Challenge Promotions and people like Prince Khaled who is so loved in the sport. It is an honour for me to bring one of my best fighters in Oleksandr Usyk to Skill Challenge Promotions.” stated long time Manager, Egis Klimas.
Skill Challenge Entertainment was founded by His Highness Prince Khaled bin AbdulAziz of Saudi Arabia, launching their inaugural event in 2019 featuring the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz dubbed “Clash on the Dunes”. After the global pandemic, Skill Challenge Entertainment hosted the rematch of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua branded “Rage on the Red Sea” in August of 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The company’s most recent global event, “The Truth” featured global stars Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury and Badou Jack vs Illunga Makabu for the WBC Cruiserweight Title which took place in February 2023 and became the largest hybrid boxing event to ever take place.
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JoJo Diaz vows to free himself from alcohol |
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The following posts were made to the Twitter account of former IBF-champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz during the wee hours of Saturday night / Sunday morning: "I am sorry to all my fans that have been rooting for me. I feel like I let you guys down. These past few years I’ve been an alcoholic.. it’s been killing me. I’m trying everyday to fight the urge and to stay away from it.. I want to express this and share this to world and let everyone know that I’m going to go completely sober. Been sober from smoking and all other drugs. I feel great that I’m able to say that. I have one more battle to overcome and that is with alcohol. And I’d appreciate everyone if you guys can all support me. This is helping be the best version of myself.. God is good and I promise I’m not gonna let anyone down.. this journey starts now.. in Jesus name!! Amen... I’m maturing up and owning up to my wrongs to be the best version of myself with me owning up.. I know without alcohol in my life I can still be champion and be the best in the world and I wanna give you all that version of me. I promise I’m going to do it.. I’m getting the help I need. Thank you all for hearing me out. Need to vent it out to the world." Boxingtalk wishes JoJo Diaz success in his journey to get clean and regain a world championship.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
MARCH 1, 2023: According to TMZ, former 130-pound champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz has been charged with misdemeanor child neglect by the Claremont (California) police department. (Misdemeanors are less serious than felonies). The brief TMZ report stated that Diaz was arrested and released on the same day, Tuesday. This matter comes in addition to a civil lawsuit that Diaz is facing for allegedly texting penis pictures to a minor. That case is pending in federal court in California (see below).
Diaz is 32-3-1, with a two-loss losing streak, including a failed title shot to current world lightweight champion Devin Haney and a subsequent loss to undefeated William Zepeda. Diaz's signature win came in 2020, when he defeated Tevin Farmer for the IBF junior lightweight championship.
OCT 26, 2022: "Jane Doe" initiated a federal civil lawsuit against former IBF 130-pound champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz Jr. in April in the Central District of California. Doe alleges that when she was still a minor, Diaz texted her an unsolicited picture of his penis. The alleged victim says she reported Diaz to the police, but the police declined to pursue criminal charges. The civil lawsuit asserts claims for coercion and enticement and seeks $150,000 in damages, plus attorneys' fees. Diaz has submitted an answer denying any liability, but not necessarily denying that the picture was sent to a minor. Diaz is fighting Wiliam Zepeda this weekend in San Diego.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Rajan O. Dhungana, **alleges** as follows:
Diaz has engaged in a practice and pattern of soliciting minor females to engage in coitus [sexual intercourse]. His pattern and practice is to send unsolicited pictures of his genitalia through social media platforms. Upon information and belief there are at least four victims of his predatory activity in multiple jurisdictions.
Diaz has had numerous and recent contacts with the criminal justice system, ranging from alcohol-related incidents to domestic violence inflicting significant injury. [Editor's note: Boxingtalk has not independently verified this allegation]. Diaz has also publicly described his history with mental health issues. In sum, this individual is a troubled predator and must be held accountable for his actions.
[Jane Doe], a minor at the time of receipt, reported the unlawful transmission of sexually graphic material from Diaz to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on or about September 20, 2021. The investigation consisted of the LASD speaking with Mr. Diaz, who admitted that the photo existed on his phone, that the photo was indeed a photo of himself and his genitalia, and then blamed his 'girlfriend' for sending the offending photo, acknowledging that it had been sent to [Doe]. LASD concluded that this was a 'mistake' and refused to undertake any further investigative efforts. LASD also questioned why the victim would report the offending conduct because Diaz “seemed like a nice kid.”
Blaming or shaming a victim is an unfortunate plague that has compromised the criminal justice system, resulting in actual predators, as in this case, escaping accountability. [Doe] did not ask or want to be contacted by this predator, and she has mustered the courage to come forward because she wants him to be held accountable and hopefully prevent the further victimization of other young girls.
On September 3, 2020, Diaz sent Doe a photograph of himself in which his penis, bare chest, and face were all visible. It was an unsolicited photograph with his erect penis in full view. Doe was 17 years old at the time. Doe did not view the photograph until the next morning because her parents routinely held the minor children’s cellphones in the house each evening.
This photograph was sent through the social media application Snapchat. Ordinarily, when the recipient opens a Snapchat message or photograph, the sender can see that it was opened and viewed. A Snapchat message or photograph generally disappears a few seconds after being opened unless the recipient screenshots the communication or takes a photograph of it using another device. The recipient can bypass this feature by partially sliding the message prior to opening. Doe regularly did this when receiving Snapchat messages and did so upon receiving the message from Diaz.
Shocked and upset, Doe immediately sought her mother’s assistance. Doe’s mother opened the offending Snapchat and took a photograph of the sexually graphic material with another phone to preserve the evidence.
This was Doe’s first contact with Diaz via social media. Diaz was previously in a relationship with Doe’s older sister. The sister began dating Diaz in 2010, when Doe was 7 years of age. Based on Diaz's history with Doe's family, Diaz knew that she was a minor at that time.
After Doe’s mother took a picture of the obscenity, she called Doe’s father [who] then called Diaz's father to inform him that his adult son sent the sexually graphic material to his minor daughter.
Diaz’s father confirmed that it was his son in the photograph and that it was sent to Doe from his son’s phone. The father asserted that Diaz had “mistakenly” sent the photograph to Doe because he had been heavily drinking the night before.
On or about September 20, 2021, Doe filed a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
On or about November 30, 2021, the detective assigned to the case called Doe’s father. During this conversation, the detective stated that Diaz claimed his girlfriend accessed his Snapchat account and sent the photograph to Doe.
The detective also told Doe’s father that Diaz “seemed like a nice kid.” It was clear to Doe and her father that law enforcement was not taking this matter seriously. LASD concluded that transmission of the sexually graphic photograph was nothing more than a “mistake,” and declined any further investigation.
Upon knowledge and belief, [Doe alleges that] Diaz has a pattern and practice of seeking out individuals who have not attained the age of 18 for sexual relationships.
Diaz sent sexually graphic material, a photograph of himself fully naked, with an erect penis. A reasonable person, with or without knowledge Defendant’s pattern and practice of seeking out minors for sexual relationships, would view the purpose of this conduct as an attempt to arouse, appeal to, or gratify the lust or passions of himself by enticing Doe to engage in sexual activity with him. Pursuant to California Penal Code Section 288.3, it is a criminal offense to contact or communicate, or attempt to contact or communicate, with a person known to be or believed to be a minor with the intent to commit [such an] offense.
Diaz filed an answer to the complaint, signed by himself, but he has not retained an attorney to appear on his behalf. Among the defenses asserted by Diaz are that "[Doe]’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, because Diaz's conduct was in good faith, innocent and with non-willful intent" and also because Diaz "lacked the mental capacity at the time the wrongful conduct alleged in the Complaint occurred."
A trial is scheduled for next November (2023) and neither Diaz, nor an attorney representing him, appeared at a court conference earlier this month. Doe claims that Diaz also submitted a false address when filing his answer.
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JoJo Diaz vows to free himself from alcohol
The following posts were made to the Twitter account of former IBF-champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz during the wee hours of Saturday night / Sunday morning: "I am sorry to all my fans that have been rooting for me. I feel like I let you guys down. These past few years I’ve been an alcoholic.. it’s been killing me. I’m trying everyday to fight the urge and to stay away from it.. I want to express this and share this to world and let everyone know that I’m going to go completely sober. Been sober from smoking and all other drugs. I feel great that I’m able to say that. I have one more battle to overcome and that is with alcohol. And I’d appreciate everyone if you guys can all support me. This is helping be the best version of myself.. God is good and I promise I’m not gonna let anyone down.. this journey starts now.. in Jesus name!! Amen... I’m maturing up and owning up to my wrongs to be the best version of myself with me owning up.. I know without alcohol in my life I can still be champion and be the best in the world and I wanna give you all that version of me. I promise I’m going to do it.. I’m getting the help I need. Thank you all for hearing me out. Need to vent it out to the world." Boxingtalk wishes JoJo Diaz success in his journey to get clean and regain a world championship.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
MARCH 1, 2023: According to TMZ, former 130-pound champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz has been charged with misdemeanor child neglect by the Claremont (California) police department. (Misdemeanors are less serious than felonies). The brief TMZ report stated that Diaz was arrested and released on the same day, Tuesday. This matter comes in addition to a civil lawsuit that Diaz is facing for allegedly texting penis pictures to a minor. That case is pending in federal court in California (see below).
Diaz is 32-3-1, with a two-loss losing streak, including a failed title shot to current world lightweight champion Devin Haney and a subsequent loss to undefeated William Zepeda. Diaz's signature win came in 2020, when he defeated Tevin Farmer for the IBF junior lightweight championship.
OCT 26, 2022: "Jane Doe" initiated a federal civil lawsuit against former IBF 130-pound champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz Jr. in April in the Central District of California. Doe alleges that when she was still a minor, Diaz texted her an unsolicited picture of his penis. The alleged victim says she reported Diaz to the police, but the police declined to pursue criminal charges. The civil lawsuit asserts claims for coercion and enticement and seeks $150,000 in damages, plus attorneys' fees. Diaz has submitted an answer denying any liability, but not necessarily denying that the picture was sent to a minor. Diaz is fighting Wiliam Zepeda this weekend in San Diego.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Rajan O. Dhungana, **alleges** as follows:
Diaz has engaged in a practice and pattern of soliciting minor females to engage in coitus [sexual intercourse]. His pattern and practice is to send unsolicited pictures of his genitalia through social media platforms. Upon information and belief there are at least four victims of his predatory activity in multiple jurisdictions.
Diaz has had numerous and recent contacts with the criminal justice system, ranging from alcohol-related incidents to domestic violence inflicting significant injury. [Editor's note: Boxingtalk has not independently verified this allegation]. Diaz has also publicly described his history with mental health issues. In sum, this individual is a troubled predator and must be held accountable for his actions.
[Jane Doe], a minor at the time of receipt, reported the unlawful transmission of sexually graphic material from Diaz to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on or about September 20, 2021. The investigation consisted of the LASD speaking with Mr. Diaz, who admitted that the photo existed on his phone, that the photo was indeed a photo of himself and his genitalia, and then blamed his 'girlfriend' for sending the offending photo, acknowledging that it had been sent to [Doe]. LASD concluded that this was a 'mistake' and refused to undertake any further investigative efforts. LASD also questioned why the victim would report the offending conduct because Diaz “seemed like a nice kid.”
Blaming or shaming a victim is an unfortunate plague that has compromised the criminal justice system, resulting in actual predators, as in this case, escaping accountability. [Doe] did not ask or want to be contacted by this predator, and she has mustered the courage to come forward because she wants him to be held accountable and hopefully prevent the further victimization of other young girls.
On September 3, 2020, Diaz sent Doe a photograph of himself in which his penis, bare chest, and face were all visible. It was an unsolicited photograph with his erect penis in full view. Doe was 17 years old at the time. Doe did not view the photograph until the next morning because her parents routinely held the minor children’s cellphones in the house each evening.
This photograph was sent through the social media application Snapchat. Ordinarily, when the recipient opens a Snapchat message or photograph, the sender can see that it was opened and viewed. A Snapchat message or photograph generally disappears a few seconds after being opened unless the recipient screenshots the communication or takes a photograph of it using another device. The recipient can bypass this feature by partially sliding the message prior to opening. Doe regularly did this when receiving Snapchat messages and did so upon receiving the message from Diaz.
Shocked and upset, Doe immediately sought her mother’s assistance. Doe’s mother opened the offending Snapchat and took a photograph of the sexually graphic material with another phone to preserve the evidence.
This was Doe’s first contact with Diaz via social media. Diaz was previously in a relationship with Doe’s older sister. The sister began dating Diaz in 2010, when Doe was 7 years of age. Based on Diaz's history with Doe's family, Diaz knew that she was a minor at that time.
After Doe’s mother took a picture of the obscenity, she called Doe’s father [who] then called Diaz's father to inform him that his adult son sent the sexually graphic material to his minor daughter.
Diaz’s father confirmed that it was his son in the photograph and that it was sent to Doe from his son’s phone. The father asserted that Diaz had “mistakenly” sent the photograph to Doe because he had been heavily drinking the night before.
On or about September 20, 2021, Doe filed a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
On or about November 30, 2021, the detective assigned to the case called Doe’s father. During this conversation, the detective stated that Diaz claimed his girlfriend accessed his Snapchat account and sent the photograph to Doe.
The detective also told Doe’s father that Diaz “seemed like a nice kid.” It was clear to Doe and her father that law enforcement was not taking this matter seriously. LASD concluded that transmission of the sexually graphic photograph was nothing more than a “mistake,” and declined any further investigation.
Upon knowledge and belief, [Doe alleges that] Diaz has a pattern and practice of seeking out individuals who have not attained the age of 18 for sexual relationships.
Diaz sent sexually graphic material, a photograph of himself fully naked, with an erect penis. A reasonable person, with or without knowledge Defendant’s pattern and practice of seeking out minors for sexual relationships, would view the purpose of this conduct as an attempt to arouse, appeal to, or gratify the lust or passions of himself by enticing Doe to engage in sexual activity with him. Pursuant to California Penal Code Section 288.3, it is a criminal offense to contact or communicate, or attempt to contact or communicate, with a person known to be or believed to be a minor with the intent to commit [such an] offense.
Diaz filed an answer to the complaint, signed by himself, but he has not retained an attorney to appear on his behalf. Among the defenses asserted by Diaz are that "[Doe]’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, because Diaz's conduct was in good faith, innocent and with non-willful intent" and also because Diaz "lacked the mental capacity at the time the wrongful conduct alleged in the Complaint occurred."
A trial is scheduled for next November (2023) and neither Diaz, nor an attorney representing him, appeared at a court conference earlier this month. Doe claims that Diaz also submitted a false address when filing his answer.
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Alexander Flores stops Greg Hardy in Team Combat action |
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The education of Greg Hardy continued with a stoppage loss to Alexander Flores. He played six seasons in the NFL, has beaten Hasim Rahman Jr. as a pro boxer and has also fought in the UFC and in bareknuckle boxing. Lately, he's been part of the Team Combat League, where he holds a stoppage winover Norman Neeley (14-1). Team Combat League features one-round fights, and are not included in a boxer's official record. On Friday, Hardy fought two separate one rounders against Alexander Flores, who has an 18-3-1 record that includes losses to Joseph Parker and Luis Ortiz. Hardy beat Flores in the first one rounder, but later than night did not fare so well when they met up again. Afterwards, Hardy tweeted, "You win some, you lose some. Tonight was my night for the first fight and in the second, I got sloppy looking for a knockout. I forgot to fight my fight and paid the price against a good boxer. More to learn, you trolls have fun. I’ll be back tomorrow to talk ish. I’ll probably be suspended [by the local commission] next week but I'll be back the week after next if the Dallas Enforcers will have your boy back. Thank you to the Team Combat League for being classy and bringing real boxers together to do work.
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Alexander Flores stops Greg Hardy in Team Combat action
The education of Greg Hardy continued with a stoppage loss to Alexander Flores. He played six seasons in the NFL, has beaten Hasim Rahman Jr. as a pro boxer and has also fought in the UFC and in bareknuckle boxing. Lately, he's been part of the Team Combat League, where he holds a stoppage winover Norman Neeley (14-1). Team Combat League features one-round fights, and are not included in a boxer's official record. On Friday, Hardy fought two separate one rounders against Alexander Flores, who has an 18-3-1 record that includes losses to Joseph Parker and Luis Ortiz. Hardy beat Flores in the first one rounder, but later than night did not fare so well when they met up again. Afterwards, Hardy tweeted, "You win some, you lose some. Tonight was my night for the first fight and in the second, I got sloppy looking for a knockout. I forgot to fight my fight and paid the price against a good boxer. More to learn, you trolls have fun. I’ll be back tomorrow to talk ish. I’ll probably be suspended [by the local commission] next week but I'll be back the week after next if the Dallas Enforcers will have your boy back. Thank you to the Team Combat League for being classy and bringing real boxers together to do work.
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Detroit undercard results: Holmes gets controversial decision over Toussaint |
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Ardreal Holmes Jr. W8 Wendy Toussaint ... The co-feature on the Claressa Shields undercard in Detroit featured an entertaining ten-round scrap between Ardreal Holmes Jr. (14-0, 5 KOs) of Flint and Wendy Toussaint (14-2, 6 KOs) of Huntington, New York. Unfortunately, the bout was cut short when an ugly cut on the forehead of Toussaint from an accidental headbutt forced an eight-round technical decision. The intriguing duel came to an end at 1:54 in round eight when the southpaw Holmes and orthodox Toussaint conked heads, sending blood cascading down Toussaint’s face. Referee Gerard White initially allowed the carnage to continue, but a few seconds later, the need for a stoppage was clear. A chorus of boos greeted the judge’s decision of 77-74 and 76-75 for Holmes against one card of 77-74 favoring Toussaint.
Toussaint came out blazing for the junior middleweight contest and seldom took his foot off the accelerator. The fast pace seemed to trouble the patient Holmes, who rarely matched the Haitian New Yorker’s work rate. Toussaint’s faster hands and combination punching seemed to lock up Holmes’ output in most rounds.
Toussaint appeared to hurt Holmes with a left to the body in round five. Another extended volley in round seven seemed to have Holmes in some danger as well. Toussaint was, however, deducted one point in round four for hitting behind the head, a point that ended up costing him dearly. “I didn’t lose that fight,” said a disappointed Toussaint. “It was my plan to come out fast and outwork him and it worked. I had him hurt. I don’t agree with the point deduction, and the judges got it wrong.”
Holmes said afterwards, “I was expecting a tough fight. Just wasn’t in the shape we wanted to be in, but no excuses. I got the job done. I felt like I didn’t catch my second wind until the seventh or eighth round. That’s when I felt like the fight was really changing. I felt like I took the earlier rounds and he started coming on late.”
Holmes said the fast pace Toussaint kept throughout the fight was unexpected. “He actually surprised me,” admitted Holmes. “Watching film, he usually slows in the fourth or fifth round. That’s what I thought he was going to do, but he shocked me. My plan was to come on halfway through the fight and I thought I was going to close it out at the end. I thought the decision was fair. It was four-four (in rounds), but the point (deduction) did it. He was out of gas the last quarter of the fight.”
To his credit, Toussaint claimed he was able to continue despite the crimson cascade running down his face. “It felt like a normal headbutt. I’m a fighter. I was able to fight. I was good to fight. I don’t know (what’s next). I am going to be training hard. I’ll be back for a rematch, at least.”
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
In the DAZN-televised opener, former national amateur champion Joseph “Sug” Hicks (7-0, 5 KOs) of Grand Rapids, fought his way to a careful eight-round unanimous decision over journeyman slickster Antonio Todd (14-8, 8 KOs) of Atlanta, Georgia. The action heated up briefly in round five, with Hicks battering the durable Georgian with a high-energy two-fisted volley that seemed to have Todd mildly hurt. The pair, however, settled back into their cautious rhythm after that, exchanging jabs and the occasional one-two with Hicks landing more often than Todd, but no real damage being done either way. The scores were 80-72 from all three judges.
“I didn’t expect Todd to be that awkward,” said Hicks afterwards. “I knew he was tough, but he was awkward. He did a lot of unorthodox things. He dropped his head after he jabbed. He switched back after his jab, and he got the counterpunch. I was trying to time him, but he was flinching back.”
Hicks admitted he was disappointed settling for a decision win but appreciative to get the rounds in against a game opponent. “I knew it was going to be a shutout, but I wanted to get the knockout,” he said. “It was better to get the rounds (of experience), because there were a couple times where I hurt him. I was smothering myself, but I was wasting energy because I was smothering myself.”
Still, Hicks said the experience of fighting at Little Caesars Arena and being part of boxing history was worth the effort. “It means everything to be a part of this fight card and this event,” Hicks continued. “I'm very grateful to Claressa and Salita Promotions. The GWOAT, Claressa, she's going to win tonight. I'm very grateful to her, because without her, this opportunity is not here for me. I'm ready for whoever they give me next. I’m going back to the drawing board. We're going to fix a lot of things, get sharper and be better in my next fight.”
Todd had few qualms with the decision and sent his respect to Hicks. “He was the better man tonight. Hicks is a good fighter. We knew that coming in. We knew he was a good fighter; captain of the USA Boxing Team. We knew he was a good fighter the whole time. Sometimes you come up short. I wasn’t hurt like I was about to go down, but he hit me in the back of the head a couple of times, headbutted a couple times, but nothing major. I’m okay.”
Topping the undercard, Detroit junior middleweight Marlon “The Savage” Harrington (9-1, 8 KOs) rebounded from the first loss of his career in style by knocking out Dearborn, Michigan’s Gheith Mohammed (9-1, 3 KOs) in just 46 seconds of the first frame. After plenty of jawing between the two at the weigh-in, Harrington came out blazing and caught Mohammed with a right hand for a flash knockdown in the opening seconds. Unhurt, Mohammed tried to recover quickly and get his fight plan rolling, but ran into another three-punch series of shots along the ropes from the powerful Harrington that left him out on his feet, albeit momentarily. Still awake, Mohammed complained about the stoppage immediately, but referee Ansel Stewart decided he’d seen enough.
Grand Rapids, Michigan junior welterweight Joshua James Pagan (7-0, 3 KOs) turned in a career-best performance thus far in his young career by dismantling the formerly undefeated Ronnell Burnett (9-1, 5 KOs) of Kansas City, Missouri via third-round TKO. The pair traded often with Pagan being the more accurate and harder puncher. He began to ring the brave Burnett’s bell with repeated pot shots as the action progressed, especially in round three. Pagan couldn’t miss the tiring Burnett and chased him around the ring with hammering rights and lefts. Burnett’s corner mercifully indicated they’d seen enough to referee Pat Schmidt at 2:59.
Detroit cruiserweight Vernon Webber (9-0, 6 KOs) made quick work of Curitiba, Brazil’s Fernando Almeida (10-9, 10 KOs), scoring a second-round TKO after two knockdowns. Webber started slowly in round one, getting the measure of the Brazilian before opening up in devastating fashion in the second salvo. After a body-shot knockdown earlier in the round, Weber unleashed a two-fisted volley culminating with a strong right hand that left Almeida slumped in the corner at 2:49.
In a spirited six-round featherweight battle to open the action, Sarah Liegmann (8-0, 2 KOs) of Reinbek, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, took a hard-fought unanimous decision over Lakeland, Florida’s determined Carisse Brown (7-5, 4 KOs). The two women exchanged freely throughout with Liegmann being slightly more accurate. Both had their moments, but in the end, the scores were 58-56 (twice) and 59-55 for Liegmann.
Da’velle Smith (6-0, 5 KOs) of Dearborn, Mich. defeated K.J. Woods (4-1, 3 KOs) of California by first-round knockout.
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Detroit undercard results: Holmes gets controversial decision over Toussaint
Ardreal Holmes Jr. W8 Wendy Toussaint ... The co-feature on the Claressa Shields undercard in Detroit featured an entertaining ten-round scrap between Ardreal Holmes Jr. (14-0, 5 KOs) of Flint and Wendy Toussaint (14-2, 6 KOs) of Huntington, New York. Unfortunately, the bout was cut short when an ugly cut on the forehead of Toussaint from an accidental headbutt forced an eight-round technical decision. The intriguing duel came to an end at 1:54 in round eight when the southpaw Holmes and orthodox Toussaint conked heads, sending blood cascading down Toussaint’s face. Referee Gerard White initially allowed the carnage to continue, but a few seconds later, the need for a stoppage was clear. A chorus of boos greeted the judge’s decision of 77-74 and 76-75 for Holmes against one card of 77-74 favoring Toussaint.
Toussaint came out blazing for the junior middleweight contest and seldom took his foot off the accelerator. The fast pace seemed to trouble the patient Holmes, who rarely matched the Haitian New Yorker’s work rate. Toussaint’s faster hands and combination punching seemed to lock up Holmes’ output in most rounds.
Toussaint appeared to hurt Holmes with a left to the body in round five. Another extended volley in round seven seemed to have Holmes in some danger as well. Toussaint was, however, deducted one point in round four for hitting behind the head, a point that ended up costing him dearly. “I didn’t lose that fight,” said a disappointed Toussaint. “It was my plan to come out fast and outwork him and it worked. I had him hurt. I don’t agree with the point deduction, and the judges got it wrong.”
Holmes said afterwards, “I was expecting a tough fight. Just wasn’t in the shape we wanted to be in, but no excuses. I got the job done. I felt like I didn’t catch my second wind until the seventh or eighth round. That’s when I felt like the fight was really changing. I felt like I took the earlier rounds and he started coming on late.”
Holmes said the fast pace Toussaint kept throughout the fight was unexpected. “He actually surprised me,” admitted Holmes. “Watching film, he usually slows in the fourth or fifth round. That’s what I thought he was going to do, but he shocked me. My plan was to come on halfway through the fight and I thought I was going to close it out at the end. I thought the decision was fair. It was four-four (in rounds), but the point (deduction) did it. He was out of gas the last quarter of the fight.”
To his credit, Toussaint claimed he was able to continue despite the crimson cascade running down his face. “It felt like a normal headbutt. I’m a fighter. I was able to fight. I was good to fight. I don’t know (what’s next). I am going to be training hard. I’ll be back for a rematch, at least.”
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
In the DAZN-televised opener, former national amateur champion Joseph “Sug” Hicks (7-0, 5 KOs) of Grand Rapids, fought his way to a careful eight-round unanimous decision over journeyman slickster Antonio Todd (14-8, 8 KOs) of Atlanta, Georgia. The action heated up briefly in round five, with Hicks battering the durable Georgian with a high-energy two-fisted volley that seemed to have Todd mildly hurt. The pair, however, settled back into their cautious rhythm after that, exchanging jabs and the occasional one-two with Hicks landing more often than Todd, but no real damage being done either way. The scores were 80-72 from all three judges.
“I didn’t expect Todd to be that awkward,” said Hicks afterwards. “I knew he was tough, but he was awkward. He did a lot of unorthodox things. He dropped his head after he jabbed. He switched back after his jab, and he got the counterpunch. I was trying to time him, but he was flinching back.”
Hicks admitted he was disappointed settling for a decision win but appreciative to get the rounds in against a game opponent. “I knew it was going to be a shutout, but I wanted to get the knockout,” he said. “It was better to get the rounds (of experience), because there were a couple times where I hurt him. I was smothering myself, but I was wasting energy because I was smothering myself.”
Still, Hicks said the experience of fighting at Little Caesars Arena and being part of boxing history was worth the effort. “It means everything to be a part of this fight card and this event,” Hicks continued. “I'm very grateful to Claressa and Salita Promotions. The GWOAT, Claressa, she's going to win tonight. I'm very grateful to her, because without her, this opportunity is not here for me. I'm ready for whoever they give me next. I’m going back to the drawing board. We're going to fix a lot of things, get sharper and be better in my next fight.”
Todd had few qualms with the decision and sent his respect to Hicks. “He was the better man tonight. Hicks is a good fighter. We knew that coming in. We knew he was a good fighter; captain of the USA Boxing Team. We knew he was a good fighter the whole time. Sometimes you come up short. I wasn’t hurt like I was about to go down, but he hit me in the back of the head a couple of times, headbutted a couple times, but nothing major. I’m okay.”
Topping the undercard, Detroit junior middleweight Marlon “The Savage” Harrington (9-1, 8 KOs) rebounded from the first loss of his career in style by knocking out Dearborn, Michigan’s Gheith Mohammed (9-1, 3 KOs) in just 46 seconds of the first frame. After plenty of jawing between the two at the weigh-in, Harrington came out blazing and caught Mohammed with a right hand for a flash knockdown in the opening seconds. Unhurt, Mohammed tried to recover quickly and get his fight plan rolling, but ran into another three-punch series of shots along the ropes from the powerful Harrington that left him out on his feet, albeit momentarily. Still awake, Mohammed complained about the stoppage immediately, but referee Ansel Stewart decided he’d seen enough.
Grand Rapids, Michigan junior welterweight Joshua James Pagan (7-0, 3 KOs) turned in a career-best performance thus far in his young career by dismantling the formerly undefeated Ronnell Burnett (9-1, 5 KOs) of Kansas City, Missouri via third-round TKO. The pair traded often with Pagan being the more accurate and harder puncher. He began to ring the brave Burnett’s bell with repeated pot shots as the action progressed, especially in round three. Pagan couldn’t miss the tiring Burnett and chased him around the ring with hammering rights and lefts. Burnett’s corner mercifully indicated they’d seen enough to referee Pat Schmidt at 2:59.
Detroit cruiserweight Vernon Webber (9-0, 6 KOs) made quick work of Curitiba, Brazil’s Fernando Almeida (10-9, 10 KOs), scoring a second-round TKO after two knockdowns. Webber started slowly in round one, getting the measure of the Brazilian before opening up in devastating fashion in the second salvo. After a body-shot knockdown earlier in the round, Weber unleashed a two-fisted volley culminating with a strong right hand that left Almeida slumped in the corner at 2:49.
In a spirited six-round featherweight battle to open the action, Sarah Liegmann (8-0, 2 KOs) of Reinbek, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, took a hard-fought unanimous decision over Lakeland, Florida’s determined Carisse Brown (7-5, 4 KOs). The two women exchanged freely throughout with Liegmann being slightly more accurate. Both had their moments, but in the end, the scores were 58-56 (twice) and 59-55 for Liegmann.
Da’velle Smith (6-0, 5 KOs) of Dearborn, Mich. defeated K.J. Woods (4-1, 3 KOs) of California by first-round knockout.
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Gabriela Sánchez Saavedra wins Mexican flyweight bout |
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Gabriela Sánchez Saavedra W10 Ángela Nolasco... Gabriela Sánchez Saavedra, known as “Bonita” Sánchez, narrowly won a ten-round flyweight bout on Friday, defeating Ángela “Chiquita” Nolasco in Mexico City. The WBC reports Sanchez dominated Nolasco but the judges awarded her a majority decision via scores of 96-94 (twice) and 95-95. The fight took place in the Villa Flamingos room, south of Mexico City. Sanchez is now 9-6, while Nolasco drops to 10-6-1.
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Gabriela Sánchez Saavedra wins Mexican flyweight bout
Gabriela Sánchez Saavedra W10 Ángela Nolasco... Gabriela Sánchez Saavedra, known as “Bonita” Sánchez, narrowly won a ten-round flyweight bout on Friday, defeating Ángela “Chiquita” Nolasco in Mexico City. The WBC reports Sanchez dominated Nolasco but the judges awarded her a majority decision via scores of 96-94 (twice) and 95-95. The fight took place in the Villa Flamingos room, south of Mexico City. Sanchez is now 9-6, while Nolasco drops to 10-6-1.
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Malajika and Munoz to battle for vacant IBO 115-pound title |
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Emperor’s Palace near Kempton Park in South Africa will host a boxing show on Saturday September 2nd. That night, the vacant IBO 115-pound title will be contested by South Africa's Ricardo Malajika (11-2) and Argentina's Kevin Luis Munoz (16-0-1). The title was last held by Georges Ory of France. In the main event, popular local Roarke Knapp (16-1-1) will host Poland's Przemyslaw Zysk (18-1) in a ten-round junior middleweight contest. Zysk is coming off a June 2022 loss to Sam Eggington.
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Malajika and Munoz to battle for vacant IBO 115-pound title
Emperor’s Palace near Kempton Park in South Africa will host a boxing show on Saturday September 2nd. That night, the vacant IBO 115-pound title will be contested by South Africa's Ricardo Malajika (11-2) and Argentina's Kevin Luis Munoz (16-0-1). The title was last held by Georges Ory of France. In the main event, popular local Roarke Knapp (16-1-1) will host Poland's Przemyslaw Zysk (18-1) in a ten-round junior middleweight contest. Zysk is coming off a June 2022 loss to Sam Eggington.
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Boxingtalk's Saturday fight predictions |
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Boxingtalk's predictions for a quiet Saturday of boxing:
Claressa Shields (13-0) vs. Maricela Cornejo (16-5) (world middleweight championship)… prediction: Shields by unanimous decision;
Ardreal Holmes Jr. (13-0) vs. Wendy Toussaint (14-1) (junior middleweights) … prediction: Holmes Jr. by unanimous decision;
Mariusz Wach (36-9) vs. Jakub Sosinski (8-2-1) (heavyweights) … prediction: Wach by early to mid-round knockout;
Jonathan Rodriguez (14-1-1) vs. Brian Cannady (11-3) (bantamweights) … prediction: Rodriguez by unanimous decision; and
Scott Sigmon (36-15-1) vs. Nick Kisner (22-6-1) II (cruiserweights) … prediction: Kisner by unanimous decision.
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Boxingtalk's Saturday fight predictions
Boxingtalk's predictions for a quiet Saturday of boxing:
Claressa Shields (13-0) vs. Maricela Cornejo (16-5) (world middleweight championship)… prediction: Shields by unanimous decision;
Ardreal Holmes Jr. (13-0) vs. Wendy Toussaint (14-1) (junior middleweights) … prediction: Holmes Jr. by unanimous decision;
Mariusz Wach (36-9) vs. Jakub Sosinski (8-2-1) (heavyweights) … prediction: Wach by early to mid-round knockout;
Jonathan Rodriguez (14-1-1) vs. Brian Cannady (11-3) (bantamweights) … prediction: Rodriguez by unanimous decision; and
Scott Sigmon (36-15-1) vs. Nick Kisner (22-6-1) II (cruiserweights) … prediction: Kisner by unanimous decision.
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Matchroom reveals undercard for Prograis homecoming show |
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On June 17th in his hometown of New Orleans, Regis Prograis defends his WBC junior welterweight championship on a Matchroom-promoted show. Prograis is heavily involved with two other bouts on this card: an all-Lousiana bout between New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) and Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) over eight at lightweight; and Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO), being advised by Prograis, fights for the third time in the paid ranks on the card against Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) over eight rounds at super flyweight. Here is the rest of the undercard: Australian heavyweight Justis Huni (7-0, 4 KOs) faces Andrew Tabiti (20-1, 16 KOs) over ten rounds... unbeaten welterweights Shakhram Giyasov (14-3 including the World Series of Boxing) and Harold Calderon (27-0, 18 KOs) meet in a WBA eliminator... Ramla Ali (8-0 2 KOs) will see super featherweight action against Julissa Guzman (12-2-2, 6 KOs)... Criztec Bazaldua (1-0) kicks off the night against Elroy Fruto (1-1) over four rounds at lightweight and Aaron Aponte (7-0-1, 2 KOs) meets Xavier Madrid (4-2 2 KOs) over eight at junior welter.
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Matchroom reveals undercard for Prograis homecoming show
On June 17th in his hometown of New Orleans, Regis Prograis defends his WBC junior welterweight championship on a Matchroom-promoted show. Prograis is heavily involved with two other bouts on this card: an all-Lousiana bout between New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) and Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) over eight at lightweight; and Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO), being advised by Prograis, fights for the third time in the paid ranks on the card against Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) over eight rounds at super flyweight. Here is the rest of the undercard: Australian heavyweight Justis Huni (7-0, 4 KOs) faces Andrew Tabiti (20-1, 16 KOs) over ten rounds... unbeaten welterweights Shakhram Giyasov (14-3 including the World Series of Boxing) and Harold Calderon (27-0, 18 KOs) meet in a WBA eliminator... Ramla Ali (8-0 2 KOs) will see super featherweight action against Julissa Guzman (12-2-2, 6 KOs)... Criztec Bazaldua (1-0) kicks off the night against Elroy Fruto (1-1) over four rounds at lightweight and Aaron Aponte (7-0-1, 2 KOs) meets Xavier Madrid (4-2 2 KOs) over eight at junior welter.
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Weigh-in report from Detroit |
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World middleweight champion Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields and her opponent, Maricela Cornejo both made weight on Friday before their ten-roundchampionship bout today (June 3rd) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and streamed live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada. Shields came in at 159.6 pounds, a bit heavier than Cornejo's 155... For the co-feature, Shields' fellow Flint, Michgian resident Ardreal Holmes weighed 153.4, compared to Wendy Toussaint's weight of 149.8... Da’Velle Smith weighed 160.6 for his six-round bout against fellow unbeaten Kahydlian Woods, 159.8...Joseph Hicks Jr. weighed 159.4 for his eight-round bout against 158.2-pound Antonio Todd... In another eight-round showdown, Gheith Karim and Marlon Harrington scaled in at 152.2 and 158.8 respectively,
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.
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Weigh-in report from Detroit
World middleweight champion Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields and her opponent, Maricela Cornejo both made weight on Friday before their ten-roundchampionship bout today (June 3rd) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and streamed live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada. Shields came in at 159.6 pounds, a bit heavier than Cornejo's 155... For the co-feature, Shields' fellow Flint, Michgian resident Ardreal Holmes weighed 153.4, compared to Wendy Toussaint's weight of 149.8... Da’Velle Smith weighed 160.6 for his six-round bout against fellow unbeaten Kahydlian Woods, 159.8...Joseph Hicks Jr. weighed 159.4 for his eight-round bout against 158.2-pound Antonio Todd... In another eight-round showdown, Gheith Karim and Marlon Harrington scaled in at 152.2 and 158.8 respectively,
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.
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Super middleweight Erik Bazinyan reaches 30-0 mark |
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Erik Bazinyan W10 José de Jesús Macías ... Super middleweight Erik Bazinyan defeated Mexico's José de Jesús Macías by unanimous decision on Thursday at the Casino de Montreal, in Canada. The scorecards were 98-92 (twice) and 97-93 for Bazinyan a 28 year-old Armenian with Canadian citizenship. Macias tried his best to surprise Bazinyan but he was outclassed at all times and although he put up an interesting fight he could not come close to his goal of winning. Bazinyan is now 30-0 as a professional while Macias drops his second straight to fall 28-12-4.
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Super middleweight Erik Bazinyan reaches 30-0 mark
Erik Bazinyan W10 José de Jesús Macías ... Super middleweight Erik Bazinyan defeated Mexico's José de Jesús Macías by unanimous decision on Thursday at the Casino de Montreal, in Canada. The scorecards were 98-92 (twice) and 97-93 for Bazinyan a 28 year-old Armenian with Canadian citizenship. Macias tried his best to surprise Bazinyan but he was outclassed at all times and although he put up an interesting fight he could not come close to his goal of winning. Bazinyan is now 30-0 as a professional while Macias drops his second straight to fall 28-12-4.
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Weigh-in report from Pennsylvania |
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Here are the boxers' weights for the Jeter Promotions card at The Parkview Inn in Allentown, Pennsylvania:
Jonathan Rodriquez 118 pounds -vs.- Brian Cannady 118;
Francis Oran 212 -vs.- Raphael Carolina 212;
Joel Flores 133 -vs.- Hakim Smith 134; and
Thanjhae Teasley 147 -vs.- Benjamin Lamptey 146.
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Weigh-in report from Pennsylvania
Here are the boxers' weights for the Jeter Promotions card at The Parkview Inn in Allentown, Pennsylvania:
Jonathan Rodriquez 118 pounds -vs.- Brian Cannady 118;
Francis Oran 212 -vs.- Raphael Carolina 212;
Joel Flores 133 -vs.- Hakim Smith 134; and
Thanjhae Teasley 147 -vs.- Benjamin Lamptey 146.
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Argentinean Olympian Leandro Jose Blanc in action today |
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2016 Olympian Leandro Jose Blanc and Venezuela’s Kervin Romero (7-2) will square off in a flyweight contest this Saturday at the Club Atletico Huracan in Buenos Aires. Fighting in his home country, the 30 year-old Blanc is listed as 7-0 but 13-5 is more accurate taking the World Series of Boxing into account.
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Argentinean Olympian Leandro Jose Blanc in action today
2016 Olympian Leandro Jose Blanc and Venezuela’s Kervin Romero (7-2) will square off in a flyweight contest this Saturday at the Club Atletico Huracan in Buenos Aires. Fighting in his home country, the 30 year-old Blanc is listed as 7-0 but 13-5 is more accurate taking the World Series of Boxing into account.
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Pat McCormack signs for first ten rounder |
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British junior middleweight Pat McCormack will face Tony Dixon on July 1st at the Sheffield Arena in England. McCormack is 10-0 including the World Series of Boxing, where he defeated Gary Antuanne Russell. Age 27, McCormack will be in his first ten rounder. The Welsh-born Dixon is 14-4. Age 30, Dixon has been a pro since 2012 and has been finding his opportunities in the division. His most recent fight was a unanimous decision win over Lesther Espino on February 18th.
On the same show, English featherweight Hopey Price will be matched against James Beech Jr. The showdown will be part of a Matchroom Boxing event. Price is a 23 year-old southpaw who has begun to make a name for himself thanks to his good technique and the 10-0 professional record he has achieved. In his most recent fight, Price defeated ex-European flyweight champion Thomas Masson in a wide unanimous decision on March 18th. Now he will return to the ring against Beech, a strong opponent who is coming off a failed bid for the British title against Nathaniel Collins. Beech is 26 years old and has a record of 15-4. He has faced six undefeated boxers in his career.
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Pat McCormack signs for first ten rounder
British junior middleweight Pat McCormack will face Tony Dixon on July 1st at the Sheffield Arena in England. McCormack is 10-0 including the World Series of Boxing, where he defeated Gary Antuanne Russell. Age 27, McCormack will be in his first ten rounder. The Welsh-born Dixon is 14-4. Age 30, Dixon has been a pro since 2012 and has been finding his opportunities in the division. His most recent fight was a unanimous decision win over Lesther Espino on February 18th.
On the same show, English featherweight Hopey Price will be matched against James Beech Jr. The showdown will be part of a Matchroom Boxing event. Price is a 23 year-old southpaw who has begun to make a name for himself thanks to his good technique and the 10-0 professional record he has achieved. In his most recent fight, Price defeated ex-European flyweight champion Thomas Masson in a wide unanimous decision on March 18th. Now he will return to the ring against Beech, a strong opponent who is coming off a failed bid for the British title against Nathaniel Collins. Beech is 26 years old and has a record of 15-4. He has faced six undefeated boxers in his career.
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Showtime keeps the big fights coming: Adames vs. Williams booked for June 24th |
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WBC middleweight interim champion Carlos Adames will battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the twelve-round main event live on Showtime on Saturday, June 24th at The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will also junior middleweights Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in a ten rounder. IBF super flyweight champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the broadcast opener. Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.
“Saturday, June 24th will see three high-stakes matchups play out in the ring, topped by rising middleweight star Carlos Adames looking to take out hungry former champion Julian Williams, who has his eyes set on championship gold in a second division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “With Erickson Lubin and Luis Arias squaring off, the winner will be in prime position for a 154-pound title shot, while Fernando Martinez can send a message to the rest of the super flyweight division with a decisive victory against the undefeated Jade Bornea. This lineup shapes up to deliver another electric night at The Armory in Minneapolis.”
Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) has become a force in the middleweight division as he nears a chance to earn a world title opportunity at 160 pounds. Adames scored a career-best victory by overcoming top contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko in December 2021 and followed that up by knocking out Juan Macias Montiel in the third round to capture his interim belt last October. The 29-year-old Adames was born in Comendador, Dominican Republic and now lives in Washington Heights, New York. He established himself as a contender with a slew of victories over the likes of former champion Carlos Molina, Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera, with his only defeat coming by narrow decision in a 2019 154-pound title fight against Patrick Teixeira.
"I've trained hard for this fight and I'm ready to defend my interim WBC middleweight title against Julian Williams, who we all know is a very tough fighter,” said Adames. “I've worked tirelessly to earn my way in the sport and I'm ready to prove I belong at the top of the middleweight division. I'm grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills on SHOWTIME, and I'm determined to put on a great performance for the fans. On June 24 The Armory in Minneapolis will be electrifying. I’m coming to win.”
Philadelphia’s Williams (29-3-1, 16 KOs) became a unified world champion at 154-pounds in May 2019 when he upset Jarrett Hurd in one of the year’s best fights, winning a close-quarters brawl by unanimous decision. The 33-year-old dropped the titles in his first defense, losing to Jeison Rosario in January 2020, before coming up on the short end of a narrow decision to Vladimir Hernandez in October 2021. He most recently returned to his winning ways last November, dominating Rolando Mansilla at The Armory on his way to a unanimous decision.
“Training has been going great and I'm extremely well-prepared for this fight,” said Williams. “I've just been grinding and making the best of everything that I have. I haven’t seen that much of him, so I’m preparing for anything Adames can bring. A win on June 24 would mean everything. This is what I strive for. It’s been a little choppy, but I’m just looking forward to a tough fight in Minneapolis.”
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Showtime keeps the big fights coming: Adames vs. Williams booked for June 24th
WBC middleweight interim champion Carlos Adames will battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the twelve-round main event live on Showtime on Saturday, June 24th at The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will also junior middleweights Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in a ten rounder. IBF super flyweight champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the broadcast opener. Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.
“Saturday, June 24th will see three high-stakes matchups play out in the ring, topped by rising middleweight star Carlos Adames looking to take out hungry former champion Julian Williams, who has his eyes set on championship gold in a second division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “With Erickson Lubin and Luis Arias squaring off, the winner will be in prime position for a 154-pound title shot, while Fernando Martinez can send a message to the rest of the super flyweight division with a decisive victory against the undefeated Jade Bornea. This lineup shapes up to deliver another electric night at The Armory in Minneapolis.”
Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) has become a force in the middleweight division as he nears a chance to earn a world title opportunity at 160 pounds. Adames scored a career-best victory by overcoming top contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko in December 2021 and followed that up by knocking out Juan Macias Montiel in the third round to capture his interim belt last October. The 29-year-old Adames was born in Comendador, Dominican Republic and now lives in Washington Heights, New York. He established himself as a contender with a slew of victories over the likes of former champion Carlos Molina, Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera, with his only defeat coming by narrow decision in a 2019 154-pound title fight against Patrick Teixeira.
"I've trained hard for this fight and I'm ready to defend my interim WBC middleweight title against Julian Williams, who we all know is a very tough fighter,” said Adames. “I've worked tirelessly to earn my way in the sport and I'm ready to prove I belong at the top of the middleweight division. I'm grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills on SHOWTIME, and I'm determined to put on a great performance for the fans. On June 24 The Armory in Minneapolis will be electrifying. I’m coming to win.”
Philadelphia’s Williams (29-3-1, 16 KOs) became a unified world champion at 154-pounds in May 2019 when he upset Jarrett Hurd in one of the year’s best fights, winning a close-quarters brawl by unanimous decision. The 33-year-old dropped the titles in his first defense, losing to Jeison Rosario in January 2020, before coming up on the short end of a narrow decision to Vladimir Hernandez in October 2021. He most recently returned to his winning ways last November, dominating Rolando Mansilla at The Armory on his way to a unanimous decision.
“Training has been going great and I'm extremely well-prepared for this fight,” said Williams. “I've just been grinding and making the best of everything that I have. I haven’t seen that much of him, so I’m preparing for anything Adames can bring. A win on June 24 would mean everything. This is what I strive for. It’s been a little choppy, but I’m just looking forward to a tough fight in Minneapolis.”
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Report: Tank Davis in jail |
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The Baltimore Banner is reporting that boxing superstar and WBA regular lightweight title holder Gervonta “Tank” Davis was taken into custody in his home town of Baltimore on Thursday. Davis had previously been sentenced to three months of house arrest due to his role in a hit-and-run car crash. UPDATE: A second report from the Baltimore Banner confirmed that Davis was ordered to serve the remainder of the three months in jail, due to a failure on Davis' part to honor the terms of his home detention. Davis was supposed to remain confined to his trainer, Calvin Ford's home in Baltimore, but he apparently visited a Florida luxury hotel and his own condominium. The former 130-poundchampion could be behind bars through the first week of August. The underlying hit-and-run incident reportedly resulted in four injuries, including to a pregnant woman. It occurred in late 2020, with Davis later pleading guilty to four traffic offenses.
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Report: Tank Davis in jail
The Baltimore Banner is reporting that boxing superstar and WBA regular lightweight title holder Gervonta “Tank” Davis was taken into custody in his home town of Baltimore on Thursday. Davis had previously been sentenced to three months of house arrest due to his role in a hit-and-run car crash. UPDATE: A second report from the Baltimore Banner confirmed that Davis was ordered to serve the remainder of the three months in jail, due to a failure on Davis' part to honor the terms of his home detention. Davis was supposed to remain confined to his trainer, Calvin Ford's home in Baltimore, but he apparently visited a Florida luxury hotel and his own condominium. The former 130-poundchampion could be behind bars through the first week of August. The underlying hit-and-run incident reportedly resulted in four injuries, including to a pregnant woman. It occurred in late 2020, with Davis later pleading guilty to four traffic offenses.
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Tszyu vs. Ocampo: June 17th on Showtime |
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Australia's Tim Tszyu will defend his WBO interim 154-pound title against Mexico's Carlos Ocampo live on Showtime on Saturday, June 17th (Sunday, June 18th in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland. The Showtime telecast will begin begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will also feature super bantamweight contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on undefeated Australian Sam Goodman in an IBF eliminator. Tszyu will make the first defense of his interim belt after capturing it in March with a career-best showing in stopping former WBC champion Tony Harrison. He had originally been scheduled to face undisputed world junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in January, before Charlo was forced to withdraw due to injury. With a victory on June 17th in his home country, Tszyu can lock in a date with Charlo later this year.The event is promoted by No Limit Boxing and The Rose Brothers, in association with TGB Promotions.
“Tim Tszyu has solidified his place near the top of the super welterweight division and will once again bring his fan-friendly style to the ring for fans in the U.S. watching on Showtime,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “An experienced and hungry Carlos Ocampo will be coming to Australia to upset Tszyu’s plans and disrupt his path toward a long-awaited showdown with the 154-pound division’s undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. Adding in top contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on the rising Australian Sam Goodman, and this shapes up to be a great doubleheader of action fights on Saturday, June 17.”
The 28-year-old Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) has quickly climbed the rankings in the 154-pound division with an all-action, aggressive style. The notable names on his resume include former welterweight champion Jeff Horn, whom Tszyu stopped in round eight, and Terrell Gausha, a top contender and member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S. debut against Gausha and showed his poise and toughness by rallying back from a first-round knockdown to win the fight via unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion and who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
“I was full training on Monday after the thing happened on Saturday,” said Tszyu to Australian press in reference to a dog bite on his right arm. “I’m not going to be limited at all…There’s a dog in me right now that’s about to come out.
“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight. I won’t sit on the couch and wait for [Jermell] Charlo’s hand to get better. I want to fight in the meantime,” added Tim Tszyu previously to the Australian media about his announcement for his title defense against Ocampo. “The fans deserve the fights…The Charlo fight is in the making, but I’m not underestimating Ocampo. I’ve got a hard task ahead of me.
“Technically, this fight is going to be much harder than my previous fights. The Mexican style will require something new in me and I expect it to be tough. Despite being Australian and on the other side of the globe, I’m headlining a fight on Showtime for the third time. Is anyone else doing that? Everyone knows I’m coming to take over.”
The 27-year-old Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) rode a 12-fight winning streak into his last matchup, which saw him drop a decision to 154-pound contender Sebastian Fundora last October. The 12 consecutive triumphs dated back to the only other loss of his career, which came to current unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. in a 2016 knockout defeat. During the 12-fight stretch, the Ensenda, Baja California, Mexico native scored nine of those victories by stoppage, including traveling to Mikael Zewski’s home country of Canada to stop the fan-favorite by ninth-round TKO.
“I’m looking forward to my fight against Tim Tszyu,” said Ocampo. “We are both warriors who go forward without fear. The fans will be the true winners that night, because I’m going after that title at all. Costs and it’s coming back to Mexico with me. He won’t want to hand it over to me, so I’ll just have to take it from him.”
Aleem (20-0, 12 KOs) put on the best performance of his career in January 2021, dominating in a battle of unbeatens by dropping Victor Pasillas four times before eventually stopping him in round 11. Raised in Michigan and training out of Las Vegas, the 32-year-old Aleem stopped seven-straight opponents before most recently earning decisions over Eduardo Baez in November 2021 and Mike Plania in September 2022. Aleem made his Showtime debut in February of 2020 with a fourth-round stoppage of Adam Lopez on ShoBox: The New Generation.
The 24-year-old Goodman (14-0, 7 KOs) scored a career-best victory in his last outing, announcing himself as a 122-pound contender with a dominant unanimous decision victory over former IBF champion T.J. Doheny in March. After an amateur career that included four national championships and an appearance in the 2017 World Amateur Championships, the Australian from Albion Park, New South Wales turned pro in April 2018 and began compiling his unbeaten record.
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Tszyu vs. Ocampo: June 17th on Showtime
Australia's Tim Tszyu will defend his WBO interim 154-pound title against Mexico's Carlos Ocampo live on Showtime on Saturday, June 17th (Sunday, June 18th in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland. The Showtime telecast will begin begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will also feature super bantamweight contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on undefeated Australian Sam Goodman in an IBF eliminator. Tszyu will make the first defense of his interim belt after capturing it in March with a career-best showing in stopping former WBC champion Tony Harrison. He had originally been scheduled to face undisputed world junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in January, before Charlo was forced to withdraw due to injury. With a victory on June 17th in his home country, Tszyu can lock in a date with Charlo later this year.The event is promoted by No Limit Boxing and The Rose Brothers, in association with TGB Promotions.
“Tim Tszyu has solidified his place near the top of the super welterweight division and will once again bring his fan-friendly style to the ring for fans in the U.S. watching on Showtime,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “An experienced and hungry Carlos Ocampo will be coming to Australia to upset Tszyu’s plans and disrupt his path toward a long-awaited showdown with the 154-pound division’s undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. Adding in top contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on the rising Australian Sam Goodman, and this shapes up to be a great doubleheader of action fights on Saturday, June 17.”
The 28-year-old Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) has quickly climbed the rankings in the 154-pound division with an all-action, aggressive style. The notable names on his resume include former welterweight champion Jeff Horn, whom Tszyu stopped in round eight, and Terrell Gausha, a top contender and member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S. debut against Gausha and showed his poise and toughness by rallying back from a first-round knockdown to win the fight via unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion and who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
“I was full training on Monday after the thing happened on Saturday,” said Tszyu to Australian press in reference to a dog bite on his right arm. “I’m not going to be limited at all…There’s a dog in me right now that’s about to come out.
“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight. I won’t sit on the couch and wait for [Jermell] Charlo’s hand to get better. I want to fight in the meantime,” added Tim Tszyu previously to the Australian media about his announcement for his title defense against Ocampo. “The fans deserve the fights…The Charlo fight is in the making, but I’m not underestimating Ocampo. I’ve got a hard task ahead of me.
“Technically, this fight is going to be much harder than my previous fights. The Mexican style will require something new in me and I expect it to be tough. Despite being Australian and on the other side of the globe, I’m headlining a fight on Showtime for the third time. Is anyone else doing that? Everyone knows I’m coming to take over.”
The 27-year-old Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) rode a 12-fight winning streak into his last matchup, which saw him drop a decision to 154-pound contender Sebastian Fundora last October. The 12 consecutive triumphs dated back to the only other loss of his career, which came to current unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. in a 2016 knockout defeat. During the 12-fight stretch, the Ensenda, Baja California, Mexico native scored nine of those victories by stoppage, including traveling to Mikael Zewski’s home country of Canada to stop the fan-favorite by ninth-round TKO.
“I’m looking forward to my fight against Tim Tszyu,” said Ocampo. “We are both warriors who go forward without fear. The fans will be the true winners that night, because I’m going after that title at all. Costs and it’s coming back to Mexico with me. He won’t want to hand it over to me, so I’ll just have to take it from him.”
Aleem (20-0, 12 KOs) put on the best performance of his career in January 2021, dominating in a battle of unbeatens by dropping Victor Pasillas four times before eventually stopping him in round 11. Raised in Michigan and training out of Las Vegas, the 32-year-old Aleem stopped seven-straight opponents before most recently earning decisions over Eduardo Baez in November 2021 and Mike Plania in September 2022. Aleem made his Showtime debut in February of 2020 with a fourth-round stoppage of Adam Lopez on ShoBox: The New Generation.
The 24-year-old Goodman (14-0, 7 KOs) scored a career-best victory in his last outing, announcing himself as a 122-pound contender with a dominant unanimous decision victory over former IBF champion T.J. Doheny in March. After an amateur career that included four national championships and an appearance in the 2017 World Amateur Championships, the Australian from Albion Park, New South Wales turned pro in April 2018 and began compiling his unbeaten record.
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De La Hoya goes on a rant vs. Garcia |
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Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Ryan Garcia, issued a rant against Garcia on Twitter on Thursday... "Wtf, Ryan Garcia. It’s been almost two months [since you got stopped by Gervonta "Tank" Davis] and youre still crying about the post-fight presser? The blame for your loss is on YOU and your advisor Lupe [Valencia]. He is the only one who pushed you to accept that insane rehydration [post-weigh-in weight] clause and that is the reason you lost. Man up. Own that....Also, you keep saying Tank's team offered more support for you, blah blah blah. Bro they set you up to lose with that rehydration clause and most importantly… [Davis' de facto promoter] Al Haymon didn't even show up the entire week. Actually, he never shows up. How’s that for “support” ??? Garcia's response: "Weren’t you just promoting the fake Pac [Manny Pacquiao vs. Ryan Garcia] fight that I already told you I’m not accepting? You really think ima fall for that bull twice?"
De La Hoya: "Not going to argue over social media. When you have time to sit down, man to man, we can get you another huge payday."
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De La Hoya goes on a rant vs. Garcia
Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Ryan Garcia, issued a rant against Garcia on Twitter on Thursday... "Wtf, Ryan Garcia. It’s been almost two months [since you got stopped by Gervonta "Tank" Davis] and youre still crying about the post-fight presser? The blame for your loss is on YOU and your advisor Lupe [Valencia]. He is the only one who pushed you to accept that insane rehydration [post-weigh-in weight] clause and that is the reason you lost. Man up. Own that....Also, you keep saying Tank's team offered more support for you, blah blah blah. Bro they set you up to lose with that rehydration clause and most importantly… [Davis' de facto promoter] Al Haymon didn't even show up the entire week. Actually, he never shows up. How’s that for “support” ??? Garcia's response: "Weren’t you just promoting the fake Pac [Manny Pacquiao vs. Ryan Garcia] fight that I already told you I’m not accepting? You really think ima fall for that bull twice?"
De La Hoya: "Not going to argue over social media. When you have time to sit down, man to man, we can get you another huge payday."
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Cleveland's Abdullah Mason added to July 1st undercard |
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Two Ohio-born boxers have joined the ESPN+cundercard leading up to the July 1st heavyweight doubleheader featuring Toledo’s Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson against Kazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy in a ten rounder at Toledo’s Huntington Center. Cleveland native Abdullah Mason will make his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round lightweight fight against Tobias Green, while Toledo-born junior lightweight Tyler McCreary will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder. Anderson-Kossobutskiy and Arslanbek Makhmudov-Raphael Akpejiori will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Universum Boxing, tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
Mason (8-0, 7 KOs) is a 19-year old who was considered one of the brightest talents in U.S. amateur boxing before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. Mason debuted as a pro the following month with a second-round TKO over Jaylan Phillips. In 2022, Mason went 5-0 with four knockouts. The southpaw hopes to be just as dominant this year after a first-round knockout over Erick Garcia Benitez in April and a sixth-round TKO win over Desmond Lyons last month. Green (10-3, 3 KOs) is a 27-year-old Floridian who returns after an eight-round decision win against Ryan Schwartzberg last October.
McCreary (17-2-1, 8 KOs) is an almost nine-year pro who is on the comeback trail. Following his 2019 showdown against former two-division champion Carl Frampton, the 30-year old experienced a near-two-year layoff before losing to Manuel Rey Rojas in 2021. Last month, however, he overcame another layoff to score a first-round knockout against Jake Bornea in Toledo.
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Cleveland's Abdullah Mason added to July 1st undercard
Two Ohio-born boxers have joined the ESPN+cundercard leading up to the July 1st heavyweight doubleheader featuring Toledo’s Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson against Kazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy in a ten rounder at Toledo’s Huntington Center. Cleveland native Abdullah Mason will make his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round lightweight fight against Tobias Green, while Toledo-born junior lightweight Tyler McCreary will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder. Anderson-Kossobutskiy and Arslanbek Makhmudov-Raphael Akpejiori will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Universum Boxing, tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
Mason (8-0, 7 KOs) is a 19-year old who was considered one of the brightest talents in U.S. amateur boxing before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. Mason debuted as a pro the following month with a second-round TKO over Jaylan Phillips. In 2022, Mason went 5-0 with four knockouts. The southpaw hopes to be just as dominant this year after a first-round knockout over Erick Garcia Benitez in April and a sixth-round TKO win over Desmond Lyons last month. Green (10-3, 3 KOs) is a 27-year-old Floridian who returns after an eight-round decision win against Ryan Schwartzberg last October.
McCreary (17-2-1, 8 KOs) is an almost nine-year pro who is on the comeback trail. Following his 2019 showdown against former two-division champion Carl Frampton, the 30-year old experienced a near-two-year layoff before losing to Manuel Rey Rojas in 2021. Last month, however, he overcame another layoff to score a first-round knockout against Jake Bornea in Toledo.
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Mayweather vs. Gotti undercard details |
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The undercard is now set for June 11th in Sunrise, Florida when undefeated boxing Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather returns in an exhibition showdown against professional fighter John Gotti III, the grandson of infamous gangster John Gotti. The crossover boxing show plus musical performances will be available on Zeus Network pay-per-view from the FLA Live Arena. In the eight-round co-feature, film and fighting star Ulysess "The Monster" Diaz will rematch Khalas “BabaYaga” Karim of the UK in the sequel to their February encounter on a prior Zeus Network undercard. In a four-round exhibition, heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller will take on popular Vegas-based undefeated heavyweight Antonio Zepeda (6-0).
The Cuban-born, Miami-based cruiserweight Ulysses "The Monster" Diaz didn’t start fighting professionally until he was 35 years old. The subject of a 2022 documentary about his life, Diaz grew up with accomplished rapper and singer Pitbull and even traveled the world as his head of security. The now 42-year old has a successful boxing career at 14-1 with 13 KOs and also fight in bareknuckle boxing, where he broke the record for the World's Fastest Combat Sports KO, made official by Guinness World Records, by laying out Donelei Benedetto in three seconds. Diaz is engaged to WWE Diva Dana Brooke.
Popular “Wicked n’ Bad” light heavyweight Khalas Karim currently resides in the UK and is originally from Morocco via Denmark. Karim asserted himself as a force by going toe-to-toe with the formidable Diaz in their first clash, an exhibition slugfest. Despite the size and experience disadvantages, Karim showed refined technique against Diaz and was surging as the fight progressed.
The undefeated Jarrell Miller was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, home to his idols and former greats Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. An outspoken slugger [with prior suspensions for performance-ehnacing substances], Miller began boxing at the age of 16 and went 10-1 as an amateur. Now 34 years old, the 6’ 4” Miller currently holds a professional record of 26-0-1, with 22 KOs and was last seen knocking out Lucas Browne in six rounds in March of this year.
An “against the odds” story of perseverance, Antonio Zepeda was raised in Phoenix group homes after his father, who was serving a life sentence for murder, died in prison in 2014, and his mother, who struggled and was on the streets, died a year earlier. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Zepeda was a Phoenix Camelback High School All-Arizona football defensive end. He began his boxing training less than a year after his dreams of an NFL career ended at UNLV in 2017, when he suffered a broken tibia, torn MCL and meniscus. The 28 year-old Zepeda is currently 6-0 as a boxer and and 2-0 with 2 KOs in MMA. Now residing in Las Vegas, Zepeda’s fighting style has drawn comparisons, stylistically, to former Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota.
Also scheduled for action is a four-round bareknuckle boxing match between MMA star Hector Lombard and Eric Turner. Lombard is a Cuban and Australian professional mixed martial artist, bodybuilder, and former Olympic judoka who competes for Eagle FC. Lombard is best known for his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has also fought in Deep, Pride, and Bellator where he was the inaugural Bellator middleweight champion. Born in Cuba Lombard represented his home nation at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in Judo.
In another four-round exhibition bout, J'Hon Ingram will battle Ryan “Stone” Allen. A light welterweight, Ingram (3-0, 3 KOs) is a Las Vegas resident had a short amateur career of just 12 bouts, as his style was already better suited to the professional ranks. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ingram was first introduced to Mayweather when the Hall of Famer was looking for a sparring partner for an upcoming exhibition fight. The first sparring session with Mayweather proved life changing for Ingram and gave him experiences money can't buy. The 22 year-old Ingram most recently saw viral success online for knocking down Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, now the WBA 140-pound champion, in a sparring video.
The 30 year-old Ryan Allen (10-6-1, 5 KOs) currently resides in Las Vegas, but originally hails from Jackson, Michigan. A seven-year professional, Allen has faced a list of top contenders, including current WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez and has never been stopped. The deceptively capable Allen has never lost to a fighter with more than one loss on this record.
To open the action, Kamari “KB3” Burnside will fight three exhibition rounds against Brendan Jackson. A Las Vegas resident, Burnside is a promising amateur boxer and sparring partner for Nico Ali Walsh at Top Rank Gym. A Floyd Mayweather protegee, Burnside was formerly a basketball standout guard at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas where he was named the Las Vegas League Defensive Player-of-the- Year; averaging 13 points per game, 4 assists per game, 3 rebounds per game, 2.8 steals per game, and breaking the Nevada high school record for steals in a season with 84.
In addition to Mayweather’s exhibition, the event will feature performances from superstar recording artist Ozuna and more. Ozuna has won multiple Latin Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards, in addition to his 2018 collaboration with DJ Snake, Cardi B and Selena Gomez on “Taki Taki” that went quadruple platinum. The event is dedicated to the loving memory of Marikit “Kitchie” Laurico, Mayweather’s longtime assistant who passed away suddenly in April.
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Mayweather vs. Gotti undercard details
The undercard is now set for June 11th in Sunrise, Florida when undefeated boxing Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather returns in an exhibition showdown against professional fighter John Gotti III, the grandson of infamous gangster John Gotti. The crossover boxing show plus musical performances will be available on Zeus Network pay-per-view from the FLA Live Arena. In the eight-round co-feature, film and fighting star Ulysess "The Monster" Diaz will rematch Khalas “BabaYaga” Karim of the UK in the sequel to their February encounter on a prior Zeus Network undercard. In a four-round exhibition, heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller will take on popular Vegas-based undefeated heavyweight Antonio Zepeda (6-0).
The Cuban-born, Miami-based cruiserweight Ulysses "The Monster" Diaz didn’t start fighting professionally until he was 35 years old. The subject of a 2022 documentary about his life, Diaz grew up with accomplished rapper and singer Pitbull and even traveled the world as his head of security. The now 42-year old has a successful boxing career at 14-1 with 13 KOs and also fight in bareknuckle boxing, where he broke the record for the World's Fastest Combat Sports KO, made official by Guinness World Records, by laying out Donelei Benedetto in three seconds. Diaz is engaged to WWE Diva Dana Brooke.
Popular “Wicked n’ Bad” light heavyweight Khalas Karim currently resides in the UK and is originally from Morocco via Denmark. Karim asserted himself as a force by going toe-to-toe with the formidable Diaz in their first clash, an exhibition slugfest. Despite the size and experience disadvantages, Karim showed refined technique against Diaz and was surging as the fight progressed.
The undefeated Jarrell Miller was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, home to his idols and former greats Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. An outspoken slugger [with prior suspensions for performance-ehnacing substances], Miller began boxing at the age of 16 and went 10-1 as an amateur. Now 34 years old, the 6’ 4” Miller currently holds a professional record of 26-0-1, with 22 KOs and was last seen knocking out Lucas Browne in six rounds in March of this year.
An “against the odds” story of perseverance, Antonio Zepeda was raised in Phoenix group homes after his father, who was serving a life sentence for murder, died in prison in 2014, and his mother, who struggled and was on the streets, died a year earlier. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Zepeda was a Phoenix Camelback High School All-Arizona football defensive end. He began his boxing training less than a year after his dreams of an NFL career ended at UNLV in 2017, when he suffered a broken tibia, torn MCL and meniscus. The 28 year-old Zepeda is currently 6-0 as a boxer and and 2-0 with 2 KOs in MMA. Now residing in Las Vegas, Zepeda’s fighting style has drawn comparisons, stylistically, to former Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota.
Also scheduled for action is a four-round bareknuckle boxing match between MMA star Hector Lombard and Eric Turner. Lombard is a Cuban and Australian professional mixed martial artist, bodybuilder, and former Olympic judoka who competes for Eagle FC. Lombard is best known for his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has also fought in Deep, Pride, and Bellator where he was the inaugural Bellator middleweight champion. Born in Cuba Lombard represented his home nation at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in Judo.
In another four-round exhibition bout, J'Hon Ingram will battle Ryan “Stone” Allen. A light welterweight, Ingram (3-0, 3 KOs) is a Las Vegas resident had a short amateur career of just 12 bouts, as his style was already better suited to the professional ranks. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ingram was first introduced to Mayweather when the Hall of Famer was looking for a sparring partner for an upcoming exhibition fight. The first sparring session with Mayweather proved life changing for Ingram and gave him experiences money can't buy. The 22 year-old Ingram most recently saw viral success online for knocking down Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, now the WBA 140-pound champion, in a sparring video.
The 30 year-old Ryan Allen (10-6-1, 5 KOs) currently resides in Las Vegas, but originally hails from Jackson, Michigan. A seven-year professional, Allen has faced a list of top contenders, including current WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez and has never been stopped. The deceptively capable Allen has never lost to a fighter with more than one loss on this record.
To open the action, Kamari “KB3” Burnside will fight three exhibition rounds against Brendan Jackson. A Las Vegas resident, Burnside is a promising amateur boxer and sparring partner for Nico Ali Walsh at Top Rank Gym. A Floyd Mayweather protegee, Burnside was formerly a basketball standout guard at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas where he was named the Las Vegas League Defensive Player-of-the- Year; averaging 13 points per game, 4 assists per game, 3 rebounds per game, 2.8 steals per game, and breaking the Nevada high school record for steals in a season with 84.
In addition to Mayweather’s exhibition, the event will feature performances from superstar recording artist Ozuna and more. Ozuna has won multiple Latin Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards, in addition to his 2018 collaboration with DJ Snake, Cardi B and Selena Gomez on “Taki Taki” that went quadruple platinum. The event is dedicated to the loving memory of Marikit “Kitchie” Laurico, Mayweather’s longtime assistant who passed away suddenly in April.
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Ghana's Patrick Ayi Ayree to make US debut |
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Boxing returns to Baltimore on Saturday, June 24th as Ponytail Promotions and CNC Entertainment presents a big night at The Patapsco Arena. In the featured contest, Mack Allison IV takes on Patrick Ayi Ayree in a eight-round super featherweight bout. Ayree of Accra, Ghana is 22-2-2 with 13 knockouts. The 27 year-old is a ten-year pro. He has wins over Michael Pappoe (12-1), Isaac Dowuona (6-0) and Abraham Bonsu (12-2-1). Ayree, who will be making his United States debut, is coming off a eight-round draw with Bright Ayala (16-1) on January 5th in Ghana. Allison of Baltimore is 16-3-1 with 11 knockouts. The 25 year-old is a seven-year pro who is coming off a fourth-round stoppage over Lonnie Jackson Jr. on April 22nd in Baltimore.
UNDERCARD
A massive twelve-bout card has been assembled and it will include an eight-round super middleweight bout between Tyrell Boyd (8-, 8 KOs) of Baltimore and Derrick Vann (4-7) of Philadelphia.
In four-round bouts, Deshawn Owens (2-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore takes on debuting Alberto Boites Salazar of Hampton, Virginia in a welterweight bout.
Pro debuting Juan Pablo Guillen Arancibia of Arlington, Virginia takes on Jaden Webb in a featherweight bout.
Fighters seeing action in four-round bouts against opponents to be named are middleweight Walter Sanders (2-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore; super featherweight La'Vay Lawrence (2-0, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC; super featherweight Dravintay Speed Rawls (13-1-1, 8 KOs) of Glenarden, Maryland; debuting welterweight Anwar Wingate of District Heights, Maryland; Baltimore heavyweight Isaiah Branch (1-0, 1 KO); featherweight Christopher Glenn (3-0) of Hagerstown, Maryland; debuting welterweight Ricky Sanabria of Salisbury, Maryland; ad featherweight Ervin Fuller III (3-0, 2 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland
Tickets can be purchased at ponytail-promotions.eventbrite.com
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Ghana's Patrick Ayi Ayree to make US debut
Boxing returns to Baltimore on Saturday, June 24th as Ponytail Promotions and CNC Entertainment presents a big night at The Patapsco Arena. In the featured contest, Mack Allison IV takes on Patrick Ayi Ayree in a eight-round super featherweight bout. Ayree of Accra, Ghana is 22-2-2 with 13 knockouts. The 27 year-old is a ten-year pro. He has wins over Michael Pappoe (12-1), Isaac Dowuona (6-0) and Abraham Bonsu (12-2-1). Ayree, who will be making his United States debut, is coming off a eight-round draw with Bright Ayala (16-1) on January 5th in Ghana. Allison of Baltimore is 16-3-1 with 11 knockouts. The 25 year-old is a seven-year pro who is coming off a fourth-round stoppage over Lonnie Jackson Jr. on April 22nd in Baltimore.
UNDERCARD
A massive twelve-bout card has been assembled and it will include an eight-round super middleweight bout between Tyrell Boyd (8-, 8 KOs) of Baltimore and Derrick Vann (4-7) of Philadelphia.
In four-round bouts, Deshawn Owens (2-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore takes on debuting Alberto Boites Salazar of Hampton, Virginia in a welterweight bout.
Pro debuting Juan Pablo Guillen Arancibia of Arlington, Virginia takes on Jaden Webb in a featherweight bout.
Fighters seeing action in four-round bouts against opponents to be named are middleweight Walter Sanders (2-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore; super featherweight La'Vay Lawrence (2-0, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC; super featherweight Dravintay Speed Rawls (13-1-1, 8 KOs) of Glenarden, Maryland; debuting welterweight Anwar Wingate of District Heights, Maryland; Baltimore heavyweight Isaiah Branch (1-0, 1 KO); featherweight Christopher Glenn (3-0) of Hagerstown, Maryland; debuting welterweight Ricky Sanabria of Salisbury, Maryland; ad featherweight Ervin Fuller III (3-0, 2 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland
Tickets can be purchased at ponytail-promotions.eventbrite.com
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Introducing British middleweight Sam King |
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Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions has signed former amateur star Sam King to a promotional contract. The 22 year-old middleweight, who has a National Championship and seven International titles to his name, trains out of the new Peacock Gym in Epping, to where he commutes from his home town of Luton. “I’ve got my license and I have signed with Martin (Peacock chief, Bowers) and now I am signed with Queensberry and Frank,” reported King. “It is a great way to start my pro career, 100%, and I am looking forward to the debut. I had a good amateur career and it has been a bit of a wait. It took a while to get my licence and it is a long process. I have been in transition for about nine months, developing a pro style and this is a good bit of news to have now to get me fired up again."
King continued, “I had 57 fights as an amateur (winning 49), I boxed for England from the age of 15 and I have boxed all over in loads of different countries.” King went on to list his attributes as a fighter. “I hit hard! That is the main thing. I stayed out in America last year for about four months and developed that sort of inside style, close-range boxing, and I am trying to learn all different styles now and learn off everyone. The one thing I would say though is that I hit hard, I am a banger, who got quite a lot of stoppages in the amateurs and I knock people out.”
Promoter Frank Warren added: “I am delighted to add young Sam to our middleweight ranks and he is clearly a top prospect with considerable promise. We know from working with our friends and colleagues at the Peacock Gym over many years that the young fighters they bring us will have both the talent and application to succeed and Sam has got a big future in front of him. He also benefits from working with our British champion Denzel Bentley on a daily basis and I am sure it won’t be long before they are both featuring on the same card.”
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Introducing British middleweight Sam King
Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions has signed former amateur star Sam King to a promotional contract. The 22 year-old middleweight, who has a National Championship and seven International titles to his name, trains out of the new Peacock Gym in Epping, to where he commutes from his home town of Luton. “I’ve got my license and I have signed with Martin (Peacock chief, Bowers) and now I am signed with Queensberry and Frank,” reported King. “It is a great way to start my pro career, 100%, and I am looking forward to the debut. I had a good amateur career and it has been a bit of a wait. It took a while to get my licence and it is a long process. I have been in transition for about nine months, developing a pro style and this is a good bit of news to have now to get me fired up again."
King continued, “I had 57 fights as an amateur (winning 49), I boxed for England from the age of 15 and I have boxed all over in loads of different countries.” King went on to list his attributes as a fighter. “I hit hard! That is the main thing. I stayed out in America last year for about four months and developed that sort of inside style, close-range boxing, and I am trying to learn all different styles now and learn off everyone. The one thing I would say though is that I hit hard, I am a banger, who got quite a lot of stoppages in the amateurs and I knock people out.”
Promoter Frank Warren added: “I am delighted to add young Sam to our middleweight ranks and he is clearly a top prospect with considerable promise. We know from working with our friends and colleagues at the Peacock Gym over many years that the young fighters they bring us will have both the talent and application to succeed and Sam has got a big future in front of him. He also benefits from working with our British champion Denzel Bentley on a daily basis and I am sure it won’t be long before they are both featuring on the same card.”
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Lewkowicz makes Canelo a "lucrative offer" but Reynoso turns it down |
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Sampson Lewkowicz (pictured), promoter of WBC interim super middleweight title holder David Benavidez, wrote: "Dear Eddy Reynoso [trainer/manager of world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez]: Since you have chosen to conduct our negotiations for David Benavidez to face Canelo in public, I’m forced to correct a few mistakes you made in claiming you haven’t received any offers. On Monday May 29th at 4:45 pm, I e-mailed you what I’m sure would be one of the most lucrative offers of Canelo’s career to face Benavidez. Please know that you do indeed have an offer to face Benavidez, a sizeable one, and I must tell you that I’m offended by your claim that I’m “fantasizing” about making this fight happen. If you are also unable to find this open letter and no one tells you about it, would anyone who knows him please let Eddy know that I will send this same offer any time for him to communicate to Canelo Alvarez. All he needs to do is provide a working email address, apparently."
Reynoso responded: "Now it turns out that ducks can shoot shotguns!! They even make offers? For now the three promoters that lead the business are Matchroom, PBC and Top Rank and none have sent me any offers to fight in September!"
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Lewkowicz makes Canelo a "lucrative offer" but Reynoso turns it down
Sampson Lewkowicz (pictured), promoter of WBC interim super middleweight title holder David Benavidez, wrote: "Dear Eddy Reynoso [trainer/manager of world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez]: Since you have chosen to conduct our negotiations for David Benavidez to face Canelo in public, I’m forced to correct a few mistakes you made in claiming you haven’t received any offers. On Monday May 29th at 4:45 pm, I e-mailed you what I’m sure would be one of the most lucrative offers of Canelo’s career to face Benavidez. Please know that you do indeed have an offer to face Benavidez, a sizeable one, and I must tell you that I’m offended by your claim that I’m “fantasizing” about making this fight happen. If you are also unable to find this open letter and no one tells you about it, would anyone who knows him please let Eddy know that I will send this same offer any time for him to communicate to Canelo Alvarez. All he needs to do is provide a working email address, apparently."
Reynoso responded: "Now it turns out that ducks can shoot shotguns!! They even make offers? For now the three promoters that lead the business are Matchroom, PBC and Top Rank and none have sent me any offers to fight in September!"
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PBC's formal announcement for Crawford vs. Spence |
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In a match-up that will go down in boxing history as one of the most significant title fights of all time, unified WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight champion Errol “The Truth’’ Spence Jr. will take on WBO champion Terence “Bud’’ Crawford (pictured) for the undisputed world welterweight championship on Saturday, July 29th in a highly anticipated Showtime pay-per-view clash from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.
The winner of this battle of undefeated superstars will become the first undisputed welterweight world champion in the four-belt era and likely emerge as the sport’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter. Spence vs. Crawford joins Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns, Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio César Chávez [Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad] and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, as a generational matchup of two popular stars whose dynamic and aggressive styles should produce an instant classic. Both Spence and Crawford have reached the pinnacle of boxing’s glamour division with their sublime skills and can stamp themselves alongside 147-pound legends like Leonard, Mayweather, Sugar Ray Robinson and Pacquiao, with a win on July 29th.
Spence and Crawford have been circling each other since Crawford became a welterweight champion in 2018, and now, it's on. Pre-sale tickets are available on Thursday, June 1st from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: BOXING. Public on-sale begins Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The event is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions.
“I’m truly excited to be a part of the biggest fight in boxing and the best welterweight matchup of the century,” said Spence. “Terence Crawford is a great fighter and our styles are going to make for a great fight. I told him and the world what I was going to do after I captured my first welterweight title and it’s been strap season ever since. On July 29, I’m going to put on a tremendous performance and become the undisputed king of the welterweight division. This is truly going to be a night to remember, one where history is made, and I want everyone to be a part of it.”
“The fans and I have both wanted this fight for years and now it is finally happening,” said Crawford. “This truly is a once in a generation fight, so come out to T-Mobile Arena or tune in to Showtime pay-per-view for the biggest fight in boxing. On July 29th, I look forward to making history and becoming two-time undisputed champion of the world.”
“This is an undeniably historic matchup taking place on July 29th, because the winner of this fight will go down as the greatest welterweight of this era,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “On top of being for undisputed status, and in addition to pitting two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport against each other, Spence vs. Crawford is an electric style matchup that has captured the imagination of fans everywhere. Boxing’s premier division will have a definitive number one when the dust settles this July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) has displayed mental toughness inside and outside of the ring throughout an already storied career. He survived a horrific car crash in 2019 and had surgery to repair a detached retina in 2021. Defying both the odds and other’s expectations, Spence came back to not only defend his title but added even more titles to his trophy case.
Born in Long Island, N.Y., the 33-year-old was and raised in Desoto, Texas where he embarked on an accolade-laden amateur career that culminated with him as a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that competed in London, England. He went back to England and won his first welterweight championship when he traveled to Sheffield to meet local favorite and IBF Champion Kell Brook in 2017, stopping Brook in round 11 for the IBF title.
Spence successfully defended the title three times before adding another welterweight title by defeating Shawn Porter in one of 2019’s best fights. After taking time off to recover from injuries from the car crash, Spence defended the unified title with a unanimous decision victory over two-division champion Danny Garcia in 2020. A detached retina scuttled plans to meet Pacquiao in a 2021 showdown, but Spence wasn’t going to be denied as he defeated Yordenis Ugas, who bested Pacquiao as a replacement for Spence, to win the WBA title with a resounding TKO on April 16, 2022.
Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) is an accomplished ring tactician who has held world titles at lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight. His special blend of blazing fast hands, high ring IQ, superb counter punching ability and defensive prowess has put him in position to become boxing’s first male undisputed champion in two weight classes if he can get past Spence.
The 35-year-old from Omaha, Neb., kicked off his championship run by winning the WBO lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Burns in 2014 and began his 140-pound reign by stopping Thomas Dulorme for the WBO title in 2015. He added the WBC belt in 2016 with a unanimous decision victory over Viktor Postol and became the undisputed champion at 140 pounds with a KO of Julius Indongo in 2017.
Crawford didn’t stick around to defend his undisputed crown at 140 pounds, opting to move up to welterweight in 2018 instead. He announced his presence with a TKO victory over Jeff Horn to claim the WBO Championship. He has successfully defended the title six times, including stoppage victories over former 147-pound champions Porter and Brook. In his most recent fight, Crawford scored a highlight-reel KO of David Avanesyan last December.
"With the addition of this blockbuster event, Showtime Sports' industry-leading schedule becomes even stronger," said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming for Showtime Networks Inc. "Spence vs. Crawford is the type of matchup that will demonstrate boxing's enduring popularity -- a marquee event to bring the sports world to a halt with all eyes on the center of the ring in Las Vegas. This fight will be talked about alongside all of the legendary welterweight and undisputed world title bouts throughout history. Together with our partners, we are proud to once again deliver the biggest and best fights that the sport can offer."
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PBC's formal announcement for Crawford vs. Spence
In a match-up that will go down in boxing history as one of the most significant title fights of all time, unified WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight champion Errol “The Truth’’ Spence Jr. will take on WBO champion Terence “Bud’’ Crawford (pictured) for the undisputed world welterweight championship on Saturday, July 29th in a highly anticipated Showtime pay-per-view clash from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.
The winner of this battle of undefeated superstars will become the first undisputed welterweight world champion in the four-belt era and likely emerge as the sport’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter. Spence vs. Crawford joins Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns, Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio César Chávez [Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad] and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, as a generational matchup of two popular stars whose dynamic and aggressive styles should produce an instant classic. Both Spence and Crawford have reached the pinnacle of boxing’s glamour division with their sublime skills and can stamp themselves alongside 147-pound legends like Leonard, Mayweather, Sugar Ray Robinson and Pacquiao, with a win on July 29th.
Spence and Crawford have been circling each other since Crawford became a welterweight champion in 2018, and now, it's on. Pre-sale tickets are available on Thursday, June 1st from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: BOXING. Public on-sale begins Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The event is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions.
“I’m truly excited to be a part of the biggest fight in boxing and the best welterweight matchup of the century,” said Spence. “Terence Crawford is a great fighter and our styles are going to make for a great fight. I told him and the world what I was going to do after I captured my first welterweight title and it’s been strap season ever since. On July 29, I’m going to put on a tremendous performance and become the undisputed king of the welterweight division. This is truly going to be a night to remember, one where history is made, and I want everyone to be a part of it.”
“The fans and I have both wanted this fight for years and now it is finally happening,” said Crawford. “This truly is a once in a generation fight, so come out to T-Mobile Arena or tune in to Showtime pay-per-view for the biggest fight in boxing. On July 29th, I look forward to making history and becoming two-time undisputed champion of the world.”
“This is an undeniably historic matchup taking place on July 29th, because the winner of this fight will go down as the greatest welterweight of this era,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “On top of being for undisputed status, and in addition to pitting two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport against each other, Spence vs. Crawford is an electric style matchup that has captured the imagination of fans everywhere. Boxing’s premier division will have a definitive number one when the dust settles this July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) has displayed mental toughness inside and outside of the ring throughout an already storied career. He survived a horrific car crash in 2019 and had surgery to repair a detached retina in 2021. Defying both the odds and other’s expectations, Spence came back to not only defend his title but added even more titles to his trophy case.
Born in Long Island, N.Y., the 33-year-old was and raised in Desoto, Texas where he embarked on an accolade-laden amateur career that culminated with him as a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that competed in London, England. He went back to England and won his first welterweight championship when he traveled to Sheffield to meet local favorite and IBF Champion Kell Brook in 2017, stopping Brook in round 11 for the IBF title.
Spence successfully defended the title three times before adding another welterweight title by defeating Shawn Porter in one of 2019’s best fights. After taking time off to recover from injuries from the car crash, Spence defended the unified title with a unanimous decision victory over two-division champion Danny Garcia in 2020. A detached retina scuttled plans to meet Pacquiao in a 2021 showdown, but Spence wasn’t going to be denied as he defeated Yordenis Ugas, who bested Pacquiao as a replacement for Spence, to win the WBA title with a resounding TKO on April 16, 2022.
Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) is an accomplished ring tactician who has held world titles at lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight. His special blend of blazing fast hands, high ring IQ, superb counter punching ability and defensive prowess has put him in position to become boxing’s first male undisputed champion in two weight classes if he can get past Spence.
The 35-year-old from Omaha, Neb., kicked off his championship run by winning the WBO lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Burns in 2014 and began his 140-pound reign by stopping Thomas Dulorme for the WBO title in 2015. He added the WBC belt in 2016 with a unanimous decision victory over Viktor Postol and became the undisputed champion at 140 pounds with a KO of Julius Indongo in 2017.
Crawford didn’t stick around to defend his undisputed crown at 140 pounds, opting to move up to welterweight in 2018 instead. He announced his presence with a TKO victory over Jeff Horn to claim the WBO Championship. He has successfully defended the title six times, including stoppage victories over former 147-pound champions Porter and Brook. In his most recent fight, Crawford scored a highlight-reel KO of David Avanesyan last December.
"With the addition of this blockbuster event, Showtime Sports' industry-leading schedule becomes even stronger," said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming for Showtime Networks Inc. "Spence vs. Crawford is the type of matchup that will demonstrate boxing's enduring popularity -- a marquee event to bring the sports world to a halt with all eyes on the center of the ring in Las Vegas. This fight will be talked about alongside all of the legendary welterweight and undisputed world title bouts throughout history. Together with our partners, we are proud to once again deliver the biggest and best fights that the sport can offer."
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