Herring unhappy as WBO orders Stevenson fight to purse bid |
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The WBO has ordered a purse bid for the mandatory defense of its 130-pound champion Jamel Herring (pictured) against Shakur Stevenson. The bid will take place next Monday, August 9th. The announcement was unusual for two reasons. First, both boxers share the same promoter, Top Rank, and second, the purse bid split will be 63% for Herring, the champion, and 37% for Stevenson, the challenger. This hands important leverage to SDtevenson, a former WBO 126-pound title holder who vacated the featherweight division. A more usual split is 75/25 in the champion's favor. Herring responded to the announcement with cynicism: "For the past couple of weeks, I thought the fight was basically a done deal. I’ve agreed to everything my team brought to the table so this bid comes as a shock, but I’m more blown away looking at the split. This is how they do you, when they want you to quit or walk away."
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Herring unhappy as WBO orders Stevenson fight to purse bid
The WBO has ordered a purse bid for the mandatory defense of its 130-pound champion Jamel Herring (pictured) against Shakur Stevenson. The bid will take place next Monday, August 9th. The announcement was unusual for two reasons. First, both boxers share the same promoter, Top Rank, and second, the purse bid split will be 63% for Herring, the champion, and 37% for Stevenson, the challenger. This hands important leverage to SDtevenson, a former WBO 126-pound title holder who vacated the featherweight division. A more usual split is 75/25 in the champion's favor. Herring responded to the announcement with cynicism: "For the past couple of weeks, I thought the fight was basically a done deal. I’ve agreed to everything my team brought to the table so this bid comes as a shock, but I’m more blown away looking at the split. This is how they do you, when they want you to quit or walk away."
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Report: Yordenis Ugas to defends vs. Fabian Maidana |
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Cuba's Yordenis Ugás (pictured) will defend his WBA 147-pound title against Fabian Maidana on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas. The fight will be part of a pay-per-view headlined by Manny Pacquiao's challenge for Errol Spence Jr.'s IBF and WBC welterweight championships.vThe other two match-ups on the card: will be a fight between [faded] former champions Robert Guerrero and Victor Ortiz, along with a 126-pound fight pitting Mark Magsayo against Julio Ceja.
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Report: Yordenis Ugas to defends vs. Fabian Maidana
Cuba's Yordenis Ugás (pictured) will defend his WBA 147-pound title against Fabian Maidana on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas. The fight will be part of a pay-per-view headlined by Manny Pacquiao's challenge for Errol Spence Jr.'s IBF and WBC welterweight championships.vThe other two match-ups on the card: will be a fight between [faded] former champions Robert Guerrero and Victor Ortiz, along with a 126-pound fight pitting Mark Magsayo against Julio Ceja.
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Twitter chatter: Devin Haney calls out Richard Commey |
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Devin Haney, the WBC lightweight regular champion, had called out forer IBF champion Richard Commey through Commey's promoter: Lou DiBbella: We reached out to you about a fight with Richard Commey you said you would call us back! What happen[ed]? You guys haven’t received a official offer from Loma [former world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko]. Let’s make it happen!"
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Twitter chatter: Devin Haney calls out Richard Commey
Devin Haney, the WBC lightweight regular champion, had called out forer IBF champion Richard Commey through Commey's promoter: Lou DiBbella: We reached out to you about a fight with Richard Commey you said you would call us back! What happen[ed]? You guys haven’t received a official offer from Loma [former world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko]. Let’s make it happen!"
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Weigh-in report from Madison Square Garden |
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Welterweight Ivan Golub returns to the ring tomorrow night as he takes on Eric Walker in a ten-round bout at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. At Monday's weigh-in, Golub weighed 146.2 pounds, while Walker was 147. The bout will be part of a Trillaverz card. For the main event, former WBO 140-pound champion Chris Algieri (24-3 with 9KOs) will face off with fellow New Yorker Mikkel Les Pierre (22-2-1, 10 KOs) over ten rounds at a catchweight. Algieri weighed in at 142.8, while LesPierre weighed in at the agreed-upon 144-pound limit.
As for the co-feature, Golub, who is managed by Split-T Management, has a record of 19-1 with 15 knockouts. The 32 year-old native of Brooklyn, NY via the Ukraine is a seven year-veteran, who has wins over Kirk Huff (3-0), Tyson Harrison (2-0), Kendal Mena (20-2), Juan Rodriguez (12-3), Marlon Aguas (9-0), James Stevenson (23-2), Janer Gonzalez (19-2-1) and his last bout when he Ivan took out Luis Eduardo Florez in six-round on February 20th in Orlando.
Walker of Plaquemine, Louisiana has a record of 20-3 with nine knockouts. Walker, 38, is a eight-year veteran who has compiled quality wins over John Jackson (21-3) and John Thompson (19-3).
In his last bout, Walker dropped a decision to Israil Madimov on August 15, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Weigh-in report from Madison Square Garden
Welterweight Ivan Golub returns to the ring tomorrow night as he takes on Eric Walker in a ten-round bout at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. At Monday's weigh-in, Golub weighed 146.2 pounds, while Walker was 147. The bout will be part of a Trillaverz card. For the main event, former WBO 140-pound champion Chris Algieri (24-3 with 9KOs) will face off with fellow New Yorker Mikkel Les Pierre (22-2-1, 10 KOs) over ten rounds at a catchweight. Algieri weighed in at 142.8, while LesPierre weighed in at the agreed-upon 144-pound limit.
As for the co-feature, Golub, who is managed by Split-T Management, has a record of 19-1 with 15 knockouts. The 32 year-old native of Brooklyn, NY via the Ukraine is a seven year-veteran, who has wins over Kirk Huff (3-0), Tyson Harrison (2-0), Kendal Mena (20-2), Juan Rodriguez (12-3), Marlon Aguas (9-0), James Stevenson (23-2), Janer Gonzalez (19-2-1) and his last bout when he Ivan took out Luis Eduardo Florez in six-round on February 20th in Orlando.
Walker of Plaquemine, Louisiana has a record of 20-3 with nine knockouts. Walker, 38, is a eight-year veteran who has compiled quality wins over John Jackson (21-3) and John Thompson (19-3).
In his last bout, Walker dropped a decision to Israil Madimov on August 15, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Arboleda to face Barros in Panama |
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On Thursday, August 19th, promoters Sampson Boxing, Best Box and Paco Presents will host the first of a six-event series of professional boxing shows, entitled “Boxeo Caliente” at the El Panama Hotel in Panama City, broadcast live internationally on TyC Sports, and in Panama on TV Max. For the inaugural main event, Panamanian hero Jaime “Jaimito” Arboleda (16-2, 13 KOs) will take on Argentina's former world title holder Jonathan “Yoni” Barros (43-7-1, 22 KOs) over ten rounds in the super featherweight division. And in the “all southpaw” ten-round chief support, former Argentinean super middleweight champion Sebastian “La Promesa” Papeschi (17-3, 6 KOs) will face fellow Colombia's Dormedes Potes (12-3-1, 9 KOs).
In another important televised battle, lightweight Darvin Galeano (10-0, 7 KOs) of Calidonia, Panama, via Monteria, Colombia, will be put to the test by Humberto Galindo (13-1-1, 10 KOs) of Riverside, California, in a ten-round early-crossroads showdown.
Opening the broadcast will be an eight-round featherweight duel between hometown hero Jose “Magnifico” Nunez (11-0-2, 4 KOs) and fellow southpaw Jorge “El Demoledor” Saquinga (10-7-1, 4 KOs) of Ecuador.
A series of amateur fights are scheduled to open the show before the professional boxing begins. Sampson Lewkowicz has always been an enthusiastic supporter of amateur boxing programs in South American countries, including the CUBAP tournament he co-sponsors with the WBC annually. One such amateur tournament was won by Uruguay’s Amilcar Vidal, who, fighting under the Sampson Boxing banner, has gone on to become a top-rated contender and American TV favorite.
The second installment of Boxeo Caliente is scheduled for September 10, 2021 with matchups to be announced shortly.
“This first show, like all the shows, will be packed with top South American talent in sensational matchups guaranteed to produce fireworks,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “Thank you to our generous sponsors Caliente [Mexican gambling-industry giants]. My partners and I are proud to be putting on such a great show that will surely delight the fans around the world and especially from the boxing-rich country of Panama.”
“I am very excited that boxing is reactivating in Panama,” said Carlos Gonzalez of Best Box. “There are many very talented fighters from this area and their time has come to move onto the world stage in these important fights. I thank all my partners on this fantastic series and look forward to a great event to kick it off.”
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Arboleda to face Barros in Panama
On Thursday, August 19th, promoters Sampson Boxing, Best Box and Paco Presents will host the first of a six-event series of professional boxing shows, entitled “Boxeo Caliente” at the El Panama Hotel in Panama City, broadcast live internationally on TyC Sports, and in Panama on TV Max. For the inaugural main event, Panamanian hero Jaime “Jaimito” Arboleda (16-2, 13 KOs) will take on Argentina's former world title holder Jonathan “Yoni” Barros (43-7-1, 22 KOs) over ten rounds in the super featherweight division. And in the “all southpaw” ten-round chief support, former Argentinean super middleweight champion Sebastian “La Promesa” Papeschi (17-3, 6 KOs) will face fellow Colombia's Dormedes Potes (12-3-1, 9 KOs).
In another important televised battle, lightweight Darvin Galeano (10-0, 7 KOs) of Calidonia, Panama, via Monteria, Colombia, will be put to the test by Humberto Galindo (13-1-1, 10 KOs) of Riverside, California, in a ten-round early-crossroads showdown.
Opening the broadcast will be an eight-round featherweight duel between hometown hero Jose “Magnifico” Nunez (11-0-2, 4 KOs) and fellow southpaw Jorge “El Demoledor” Saquinga (10-7-1, 4 KOs) of Ecuador.
A series of amateur fights are scheduled to open the show before the professional boxing begins. Sampson Lewkowicz has always been an enthusiastic supporter of amateur boxing programs in South American countries, including the CUBAP tournament he co-sponsors with the WBC annually. One such amateur tournament was won by Uruguay’s Amilcar Vidal, who, fighting under the Sampson Boxing banner, has gone on to become a top-rated contender and American TV favorite.
The second installment of Boxeo Caliente is scheduled for September 10, 2021 with matchups to be announced shortly.
“This first show, like all the shows, will be packed with top South American talent in sensational matchups guaranteed to produce fireworks,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “Thank you to our generous sponsors Caliente [Mexican gambling-industry giants]. My partners and I are proud to be putting on such a great show that will surely delight the fans around the world and especially from the boxing-rich country of Panama.”
“I am very excited that boxing is reactivating in Panama,” said Carlos Gonzalez of Best Box. “There are many very talented fighters from this area and their time has come to move onto the world stage in these important fights. I thank all my partners on this fantastic series and look forward to a great event to kick it off.”
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Weekend results: Christian Tapia stops Mason Menard early |
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Christian Tapia KO2 Mason Menard... In the main event of a sven-bout card at Altlantic City, New Jersey's Showboat Hotel, Puerto Rican super featherweight Christian Tapia needed less than tw rounds to finish Mason Menard. In round two, Tapia hurt Menard with a right hand. Tapia walked in and landed a right uppercut that was followed by a left to the body that sent Menard to the canvas. Menard did not get up, and the fight was stopped at 2:34. Tapia is now 12-0 with 11 knockouts, whlie Menard returns home to Louisiana at 36-6.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS: Dylan Price remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Edwin Rodriguez in a bantamweight bout. Price of Sicklerville, NJ won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 to remain undefeated with a 14-0 record. Rodriguez of Juana Diaz, PR is 11-6-2.
Hometown favorite Anthony "Juice" Young took an eight-round unanimous decision over Todd Manuel in a welterweight battle. Young scored a knockdown in the final round, but Manuel was able to reach the final bell. Young of Atlantic City, NJ won by scores of 79-72 and 78-73 (twice) to raise his mark to 22-2. Manuel of Rayne, LA is 19-18-1.
Ricardo Caraballo (6-1) and Harold Lopez (6-0-1) fought to a no-contest due to a cut that opened up a cut over the left eye of Caraballo, and the fight had to be stopped before four completed rounds of their scheduled six-round flyweight bout.
Jerome Conquest took a six-round split decision over Wilfredo Garriga in a junior welterweight fight. Conquest of Philadelphia won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56, while a third judge ruled 58-56 in favor of Garriga. Conquest is now 11-5. Garriga of Juana Diaz, PR is 4-8-1.
Brendon O'Callaghan made a successful pro debut with a opening round stoppage of Anthony Young in a scheduled four-round middleweight bout. O'Callaghan dropped Young with a hard combination on the ropes. O'Callaghan jumped on a hurt Young, and another series of punches forced a referee stoppage at 2:39. O'Callaghan of Philadelphia is 1-0 with one knockout. Young, also of Philadelphia, drops to 0-2.
Philadelphia's Isaiah Wise won a six-round split decision over Luis Solis in a middleweight bout. Wise won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56; while the 3rd judge scored it for Solis by a 59-55 tally. Wise is now 9-2-2. Solis is 25-13-4.
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Weekend results: Christian Tapia stops Mason Menard early
Christian Tapia KO2 Mason Menard... In the main event of a sven-bout card at Altlantic City, New Jersey's Showboat Hotel, Puerto Rican super featherweight Christian Tapia needed less than tw rounds to finish Mason Menard. In round two, Tapia hurt Menard with a right hand. Tapia walked in and landed a right uppercut that was followed by a left to the body that sent Menard to the canvas. Menard did not get up, and the fight was stopped at 2:34. Tapia is now 12-0 with 11 knockouts, whlie Menard returns home to Louisiana at 36-6.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS: Dylan Price remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Edwin Rodriguez in a bantamweight bout. Price of Sicklerville, NJ won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 to remain undefeated with a 14-0 record. Rodriguez of Juana Diaz, PR is 11-6-2.
Hometown favorite Anthony "Juice" Young took an eight-round unanimous decision over Todd Manuel in a welterweight battle. Young scored a knockdown in the final round, but Manuel was able to reach the final bell. Young of Atlantic City, NJ won by scores of 79-72 and 78-73 (twice) to raise his mark to 22-2. Manuel of Rayne, LA is 19-18-1.
Ricardo Caraballo (6-1) and Harold Lopez (6-0-1) fought to a no-contest due to a cut that opened up a cut over the left eye of Caraballo, and the fight had to be stopped before four completed rounds of their scheduled six-round flyweight bout.
Jerome Conquest took a six-round split decision over Wilfredo Garriga in a junior welterweight fight. Conquest of Philadelphia won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56, while a third judge ruled 58-56 in favor of Garriga. Conquest is now 11-5. Garriga of Juana Diaz, PR is 4-8-1.
Brendon O'Callaghan made a successful pro debut with a opening round stoppage of Anthony Young in a scheduled four-round middleweight bout. O'Callaghan dropped Young with a hard combination on the ropes. O'Callaghan jumped on a hurt Young, and another series of punches forced a referee stoppage at 2:39. O'Callaghan of Philadelphia is 1-0 with one knockout. Young, also of Philadelphia, drops to 0-2.
Philadelphia's Isaiah Wise won a six-round split decision over Luis Solis in a middleweight bout. Wise won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56; while the 3rd judge scored it for Solis by a 59-55 tally. Wise is now 9-2-2. Solis is 25-13-4.
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Introducing British junior middleweight Jake Henty |
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In this, the last of eight announcements for Queenberry Promotions signings, Frank Warren's company has added junior middleweight Jake Henty to its roster. Henty, who just turned 21, won three national titles across his stint in the amateur code, as well as representing England in international competition over a period of five years. Having competed in the Tri-Nations and Europeans, Jake clocked up 50 fights with only five going against him. Inspired to box by his cousins, Jake took up the sport at the age of six and currently trains under Ryan Barrett at the Gumshield Boxing Gym in Eltham.
“I am looking forward to boxing for Frank and Queensberry and I am looking to go as far as I can possibly go,” said the southpaw on his promotional pact. “Frank is just the best man to go professional with and, with the stage I am at, he is definitely the best man for me. Obviously I have seen a lot of young fighters go with him before and do well, which proves he is the right man to take me forward. My manager Richard Clark made the connection for me with him having worked with Queensberry before and that was my way into getting to fight for Frank.”
Based in Welling where he forged a friendship with fellow local Archie Sharp, it appears Jake shares a few fighting traits with the ‘Sharpshooter’. “I am an elusive boxer and I would say I am exciting and pretty strong. I am not a standard style ordinary boxer and I think I am stronger than I am fast. You could describe me as a strong counter puncher. I am waiting for news on when I will make my debut, but I am hoping it comes around about the end of August. I’ve got quite a few fans waiting to support me so I will have plenty of backing when the time comes.”
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Introducing British junior middleweight Jake Henty
In this, the last of eight announcements for Queenberry Promotions signings, Frank Warren's company has added junior middleweight Jake Henty to its roster. Henty, who just turned 21, won three national titles across his stint in the amateur code, as well as representing England in international competition over a period of five years. Having competed in the Tri-Nations and Europeans, Jake clocked up 50 fights with only five going against him. Inspired to box by his cousins, Jake took up the sport at the age of six and currently trains under Ryan Barrett at the Gumshield Boxing Gym in Eltham.
“I am looking forward to boxing for Frank and Queensberry and I am looking to go as far as I can possibly go,” said the southpaw on his promotional pact. “Frank is just the best man to go professional with and, with the stage I am at, he is definitely the best man for me. Obviously I have seen a lot of young fighters go with him before and do well, which proves he is the right man to take me forward. My manager Richard Clark made the connection for me with him having worked with Queensberry before and that was my way into getting to fight for Frank.”
Based in Welling where he forged a friendship with fellow local Archie Sharp, it appears Jake shares a few fighting traits with the ‘Sharpshooter’. “I am an elusive boxer and I would say I am exciting and pretty strong. I am not a standard style ordinary boxer and I think I am stronger than I am fast. You could describe me as a strong counter puncher. I am waiting for news on when I will make my debut, but I am hoping it comes around about the end of August. I’ve got quite a few fans waiting to support me so I will have plenty of backing when the time comes.”
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Aliev appeals Olympics disqualification; hearing to be held tonight |
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French Olympic super heavyweight Mourad Aliev filed an application on August 2nd over the decision taken by the referee to disqualify him from his quarterfinal bout against Great Britain's Frazer Clarke. In Saturday's bout, Aliev was warned, then disqualified for using his head. He immediately went nuts, but protested the result and remained in the ring for over 30 minutes. Clarke had cuts over both eyes and it is unknown if he will be cleared to continue boxing, be it for a resumed bout vs. Aliev or a semi-final bout. Aliev seeks the annulment of the referee’s decision to disqualify him as well as of the decision taken by the Director of the IOC Boxing Task Force which confirmed the disqualification. Aliev requests that the bout recommence from the beginning of the second round, with a different referee and new judges.The panel of CAS (Court of Arbitration of Sport, the official dispute resolution forum of the Olympics) arbitrators appointed to decide this dispute will hold a hearing and issue a final decision as soon as possible thereafter.
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Aliev appeals Olympics disqualification; hearing to be held tonight
French Olympic super heavyweight Mourad Aliev filed an application on August 2nd over the decision taken by the referee to disqualify him from his quarterfinal bout against Great Britain's Frazer Clarke. In Saturday's bout, Aliev was warned, then disqualified for using his head. He immediately went nuts, but protested the result and remained in the ring for over 30 minutes. Clarke had cuts over both eyes and it is unknown if he will be cleared to continue boxing, be it for a resumed bout vs. Aliev or a semi-final bout. Aliev seeks the annulment of the referee’s decision to disqualify him as well as of the decision taken by the Director of the IOC Boxing Task Force which confirmed the disqualification. Aliev requests that the bout recommence from the beginning of the second round, with a different referee and new judges.The panel of CAS (Court of Arbitration of Sport, the official dispute resolution forum of the Olympics) arbitrators appointed to decide this dispute will hold a hearing and issue a final decision as soon as possible thereafter.
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Maestre to face Fox as Crowley contracts the coronavirus |
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A ten-round welterweight bout between rising Eimantas Stanionis and former WBA champion Luis Collazo is now the main event for the Fox PBC Fight Night and Fox Deportes show this Saturday, August 7th from The Armory in Minneapolis. Two-time Venezuelan Olympian Gabriel Maestre remains on the card, but is now in the co-feature, battling Mykal Fox for the interim WBA welterweight belt. Maestre was originally scheduled to face fellow unbeaten Cody Crowley, who was forced to withdraw after a positive coronavirus test. Kicking off the broadcast, former-two division champion Devon Alexander “The Great” will return to action for a ten-round welterweight showdown against Luke Santamaría.
Fighting out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fox (22-2, 5 KOs) towers at nearly six-feet-four-inches tall and has used his length and excellent boxing ability during his pro career that dates back to 2014. The 25 year-old bounced back from a 2019 loss to Shohjahon Ergashev to win his next three outings, but in his most recent fight, Fox lost a close decision to Santamaria in August 2020.
A two-time Olympian for his home country of Venezuela, Maestre had an extensive amateur run that included victories over Brian Castano, Carlos Adames, Alexander Besputin, Oscar Molina and Brian Ceballo. As a pro, the 34 year-old has stopped previously unbeaten Jeovanis Barraza before earning a TKO over veteran contender Diego Chaves. August 7th will mark Maestre’s U.S. debut professionally.
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.
Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) has earned a series of victories as he has climbed up the ranks from prospect to contender, most recently earning a career-best 12-round decision over Thomas Dulorme in April. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who now lives and trains in California, looked impressive as he picked up three solid wins in 2019, beating Samuel Figueroa via unanimous decision and scoring early stoppages against Julio Cesar Sanchez and Evincii Dixon. The undefeated welterweight continued to put the division on notice with back-to-back dominating main event performances in November and December 2020, when he notched ninth-round knockouts over Justin DeLoach and Janer Gonzalez respectively.
An experienced veteran in the welterweight division, Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs) has proven a stiff test over the years for top welterweights such as Keith Thurman, Shane Mosley, Amir Khan, Andre Berto and Ricky Hatton, to name a few. The Brooklyn, New York-native was a WBA champion in 2005 and has sprung upsets on rising contenders with memorable knockouts of Victor Ortiz and Sammy Vasquez. After triumphing over Bryant Perrella in 2018, Collazo defeated Samuel Vargas in March 2019 and most recently lost a technical decision to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in October 2019.
Alexander (27-6-1, 14 KOs) makes his return after a June 2019 defeat to Ivan Redkach stunted a previous comeback attempt that saw Alexander go 1-1-1 in fights over a 10-month stretch. Before that stretch, a period of inactivity saw him seek treatment for an addiction to painkillers and eventually prove an inspiration in returning to deliver exciting fights against Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz and Walter Castillo. The St. Louis, Missouri native had a strong run at 140 pounds and unified titles in that division before scoring victories over Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse and eventually Randall Bailey to capture a welterweight championship.
The 32-year-old Santamaría (11-2-1, 7 KOs) steps into the ring to make his FOX debut after dropping a decision to top welterweight prospect Paul Kroll last October. Santamaria had previously scored an August triumph over veteran contender Mykal Fox that saw him drop Fox in round one of their battle on FS1. The Garden Grove, California native also owns a decision over Willie Jones and a split draw against Marquis Taylor in his 2019 contests. Santamaría was unbeaten in 10 fights since his first loss before facing Kroll, with his only other defeat coming via a four-round decision in his third pro bout in 2015.
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Maestre to face Fox as Crowley contracts the coronavirus
A ten-round welterweight bout between rising Eimantas Stanionis and former WBA champion Luis Collazo is now the main event for the Fox PBC Fight Night and Fox Deportes show this Saturday, August 7th from The Armory in Minneapolis. Two-time Venezuelan Olympian Gabriel Maestre remains on the card, but is now in the co-feature, battling Mykal Fox for the interim WBA welterweight belt. Maestre was originally scheduled to face fellow unbeaten Cody Crowley, who was forced to withdraw after a positive coronavirus test. Kicking off the broadcast, former-two division champion Devon Alexander “The Great” will return to action for a ten-round welterweight showdown against Luke Santamaría.
Fighting out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fox (22-2, 5 KOs) towers at nearly six-feet-four-inches tall and has used his length and excellent boxing ability during his pro career that dates back to 2014. The 25 year-old bounced back from a 2019 loss to Shohjahon Ergashev to win his next three outings, but in his most recent fight, Fox lost a close decision to Santamaria in August 2020.
A two-time Olympian for his home country of Venezuela, Maestre had an extensive amateur run that included victories over Brian Castano, Carlos Adames, Alexander Besputin, Oscar Molina and Brian Ceballo. As a pro, the 34 year-old has stopped previously unbeaten Jeovanis Barraza before earning a TKO over veteran contender Diego Chaves. August 7th will mark Maestre’s U.S. debut professionally.
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.
Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) has earned a series of victories as he has climbed up the ranks from prospect to contender, most recently earning a career-best 12-round decision over Thomas Dulorme in April. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who now lives and trains in California, looked impressive as he picked up three solid wins in 2019, beating Samuel Figueroa via unanimous decision and scoring early stoppages against Julio Cesar Sanchez and Evincii Dixon. The undefeated welterweight continued to put the division on notice with back-to-back dominating main event performances in November and December 2020, when he notched ninth-round knockouts over Justin DeLoach and Janer Gonzalez respectively.
An experienced veteran in the welterweight division, Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs) has proven a stiff test over the years for top welterweights such as Keith Thurman, Shane Mosley, Amir Khan, Andre Berto and Ricky Hatton, to name a few. The Brooklyn, New York-native was a WBA champion in 2005 and has sprung upsets on rising contenders with memorable knockouts of Victor Ortiz and Sammy Vasquez. After triumphing over Bryant Perrella in 2018, Collazo defeated Samuel Vargas in March 2019 and most recently lost a technical decision to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in October 2019.
Alexander (27-6-1, 14 KOs) makes his return after a June 2019 defeat to Ivan Redkach stunted a previous comeback attempt that saw Alexander go 1-1-1 in fights over a 10-month stretch. Before that stretch, a period of inactivity saw him seek treatment for an addiction to painkillers and eventually prove an inspiration in returning to deliver exciting fights against Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz and Walter Castillo. The St. Louis, Missouri native had a strong run at 140 pounds and unified titles in that division before scoring victories over Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse and eventually Randall Bailey to capture a welterweight championship.
The 32-year-old Santamaría (11-2-1, 7 KOs) steps into the ring to make his FOX debut after dropping a decision to top welterweight prospect Paul Kroll last October. Santamaria had previously scored an August triumph over veteran contender Mykal Fox that saw him drop Fox in round one of their battle on FS1. The Garden Grove, California native also owns a decision over Willie Jones and a split draw against Marquis Taylor in his 2019 contests. Santamaría was unbeaten in 10 fights since his first loss before facing Kroll, with his only other defeat coming via a four-round decision in his third pro bout in 2015.
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Baranchyk and Dubois added to Showtime PPV on Aug. 29th |
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Showtime has announced three new bouts and one change of opponents for the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley pay-per-view show scheduled for August 29th at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The five-fight pay-per-view will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, headlined by social media star and undefeated professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul against former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley. Former IBF junior welterweight champion Ivan Baranchyk will step into the ring to face unbeaten Cleveland-native Montana Love in a ten-round showdown; hard-hitting heavyweight Daniel Dubois will face Joe Cusumano in a ten-round matchup; and Tommy Fury, the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury battles combat sports veteran Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor (0-1 in boxing) in a six-round, 180-pound catchweight fight to open the telecast.
Additional action includes junior middleweight and 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell taking on Lucas Bastida of Argentina in a ten-round fight. Bastida (17-1) replaces Mark DeLuca, who was initially announced as Conwell's opponent. Paul, Love and Conwell will be fighting critical bouts in front of their hometown fans at the Cleveland arena.
The card also features the previously announced world championship showdown between WBC/WBO featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano and super bantamweight titlist Yamileth Mercado, which will serve as the co-feature.
The Belarusian Baranchyk now fights out of Oklahoma and will look to move closer to another world title opportunity with a win August 29th. Sporting a 20-2 record with 13 knockouts, the 28 year-old returns to the ring after fighting in the 2020 Fight of the Year against Jose Zepeda last October. The two fighters combined to score a staggering eight knockdowns in the instant classic won by Zepeda. Baranchyk became IBF champion in 2018 by stopping then unbeaten Anthony Yigit in seven rounds for the vacant title.
He steps in against Love, a graduate of the ShoBox: The New Generation series who owns a 15-0-1 record with seven knockouts. A highly accomplished amateur, Love will be fighting in his hometown of Cleveland for the second time in his career.
“This is a big step for me," said Baranchyk. "I am grateful to get back in the ring with someone like Montana after my loss. I want to show everyone that I’m back, I’m stronger, and I’m a new version of myself. I want to thank my fans for the support you've always given me. On August 29, it’s Showtime, baby!”
“I know Ivan is a strong young fighter, but he has some ugly habits," said Love. "We're having a grueling camp right now and I'm going to keep it ‘Too Pretty' on fight night. Cleveland deserves the show I’m about to put on.”
A promising heavyweight at 23 years old, Dubois has compiled a 16-1 record with 15 knockouts since turning pro in 2017. Dubois had a strong amateur career as a five-time British junior national champion. A London-native, Dubois’ lone professional loss came against top heavyweight contender Joe Joyce in November 2020. Dubois rebounded quickly with an emphatic second-round knockout of Bogdan Dinu in June to capture the Interim WBA Heavyweight Title.
Now, he takes on the 33-year-old Cusumano, who has won four of his last five bouts with all of those victories coming by stoppage. With a record of 19-3, his 17 knockouts give him a 77% KO ratio. Fighting out of Danville, Virginia, Cusumano most recently knocked out Gregory Corbin in November 2020.
“I am ready now to push on and build on the WBA interim title I won in my last fight,” said Dubois. “I am thrilled to take the show on the road and look to win the American public over. I am told the American public love heavyweight boxing, so it is time to introduce them to Daniel Dubois. I will make sure it is a name they won’t forget.”
Already a crossover star after his runner-up finish on the hit U.K. reality TV show “Love Island”, Fury will look to follow in the footsteps of his boxing-rich family and establish his own championship legacy. The 23 year-old from Manchester is 6-0 with four knockouts, having most recently earned a unanimous decision over Jordan Grant in June. Fury will be opposed by Alameda, California’s Taylor, an experienced MMA competitor who dropped his sole pro boxing appearance in 2017 by split-decision. The 32-year-old’s MMA experience includes five Bellator fights and a 7-5 overall record with wins in his last five fights. Taylor is currently training in Puerto Rico and is a regular sparring partner of Jake Paul as he prepares for his bout against Woodley.
“American fans can, as always with me, expect a big dirty knockout,” said Fury. “That is what I say and that is what I try to bring. I want to put on a masterclass performance and show levels again and show how much I am improving. This is another step on my journey to world titles.”
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Baranchyk and Dubois added to Showtime PPV on Aug. 29th
Showtime has announced three new bouts and one change of opponents for the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley pay-per-view show scheduled for August 29th at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The five-fight pay-per-view will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, headlined by social media star and undefeated professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul against former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley. Former IBF junior welterweight champion Ivan Baranchyk will step into the ring to face unbeaten Cleveland-native Montana Love in a ten-round showdown; hard-hitting heavyweight Daniel Dubois will face Joe Cusumano in a ten-round matchup; and Tommy Fury, the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury battles combat sports veteran Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor (0-1 in boxing) in a six-round, 180-pound catchweight fight to open the telecast.
Additional action includes junior middleweight and 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell taking on Lucas Bastida of Argentina in a ten-round fight. Bastida (17-1) replaces Mark DeLuca, who was initially announced as Conwell's opponent. Paul, Love and Conwell will be fighting critical bouts in front of their hometown fans at the Cleveland arena.
The card also features the previously announced world championship showdown between WBC/WBO featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano and super bantamweight titlist Yamileth Mercado, which will serve as the co-feature.
The Belarusian Baranchyk now fights out of Oklahoma and will look to move closer to another world title opportunity with a win August 29th. Sporting a 20-2 record with 13 knockouts, the 28 year-old returns to the ring after fighting in the 2020 Fight of the Year against Jose Zepeda last October. The two fighters combined to score a staggering eight knockdowns in the instant classic won by Zepeda. Baranchyk became IBF champion in 2018 by stopping then unbeaten Anthony Yigit in seven rounds for the vacant title.
He steps in against Love, a graduate of the ShoBox: The New Generation series who owns a 15-0-1 record with seven knockouts. A highly accomplished amateur, Love will be fighting in his hometown of Cleveland for the second time in his career.
“This is a big step for me," said Baranchyk. "I am grateful to get back in the ring with someone like Montana after my loss. I want to show everyone that I’m back, I’m stronger, and I’m a new version of myself. I want to thank my fans for the support you've always given me. On August 29, it’s Showtime, baby!”
“I know Ivan is a strong young fighter, but he has some ugly habits," said Love. "We're having a grueling camp right now and I'm going to keep it ‘Too Pretty' on fight night. Cleveland deserves the show I’m about to put on.”
A promising heavyweight at 23 years old, Dubois has compiled a 16-1 record with 15 knockouts since turning pro in 2017. Dubois had a strong amateur career as a five-time British junior national champion. A London-native, Dubois’ lone professional loss came against top heavyweight contender Joe Joyce in November 2020. Dubois rebounded quickly with an emphatic second-round knockout of Bogdan Dinu in June to capture the Interim WBA Heavyweight Title.
Now, he takes on the 33-year-old Cusumano, who has won four of his last five bouts with all of those victories coming by stoppage. With a record of 19-3, his 17 knockouts give him a 77% KO ratio. Fighting out of Danville, Virginia, Cusumano most recently knocked out Gregory Corbin in November 2020.
“I am ready now to push on and build on the WBA interim title I won in my last fight,” said Dubois. “I am thrilled to take the show on the road and look to win the American public over. I am told the American public love heavyweight boxing, so it is time to introduce them to Daniel Dubois. I will make sure it is a name they won’t forget.”
Already a crossover star after his runner-up finish on the hit U.K. reality TV show “Love Island”, Fury will look to follow in the footsteps of his boxing-rich family and establish his own championship legacy. The 23 year-old from Manchester is 6-0 with four knockouts, having most recently earned a unanimous decision over Jordan Grant in June. Fury will be opposed by Alameda, California’s Taylor, an experienced MMA competitor who dropped his sole pro boxing appearance in 2017 by split-decision. The 32-year-old’s MMA experience includes five Bellator fights and a 7-5 overall record with wins in his last five fights. Taylor is currently training in Puerto Rico and is a regular sparring partner of Jake Paul as he prepares for his bout against Woodley.
“American fans can, as always with me, expect a big dirty knockout,” said Fury. “That is what I say and that is what I try to bring. I want to put on a masterclass performance and show levels again and show how much I am improving. This is another step on my journey to world titles.”
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Chirs Algieri returns to action on Tuesday |
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Former WBO 140-pound champion, and Long Island native, Chris Algieri (24-3, 9 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since the beginningof the coronavirus pandemic, against Mikkel LesPierre of Brooklyn (22-2-1, 10 KOs). Algieri-LePierre will be a ten rounder at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This all-New York battle takes place on the undercard of a Michael Hunter vs Mike Wilson heavyweight bout, and will be aired on Triller Fight Club and Fite.tv.
Algieri-LesPierre is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing.
Algieri won his the WBO title in 2014 in a thrilling fight against Ruslan Provodnikov that saw Algieri come back after being down twice in the first round, with one eye completely shut. Algieri would go on to challenge, and lose to, legend Manny Pacquiao in Macao China, and then return to New York to face the likes of Amir Khan and Errol Spence, Jr., also losses.
Algieri has fought and won his previous two bouts at The Hulu Theatre at MSG, first defeating fellow New Yorker Danny Gonzalez (on 1/18/19) by unanimous decision, followed by a dominating victory over Britain's Tommy Coyle (on 6/1/19), as Coyle could not come off the stool for the eighth round.
Opposing Algieri, is Trinidad and Tabago born, Brooklyn raised southpaw, Mikkel LesPierre, who made a name for himself when he challenged Maurice Hooker for the WBO 140-pound title in 2019. While falling short, LesPierre took Hooker the full twelve rounds. During the day, LesPierre is a data specialist in the ENT department at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
This bout has major implications for both Algieri and LesPierre, as a victory over the other will bring the victorious fighter one step closer to another world title challenge. Both men are set to tip the scales today at 1PM at MSG ahead of tomorrows fight night.
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Chirs Algieri returns to action on Tuesday
Former WBO 140-pound champion, and Long Island native, Chris Algieri (24-3, 9 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since the beginningof the coronavirus pandemic, against Mikkel LesPierre of Brooklyn (22-2-1, 10 KOs). Algieri-LePierre will be a ten rounder at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This all-New York battle takes place on the undercard of a Michael Hunter vs Mike Wilson heavyweight bout, and will be aired on Triller Fight Club and Fite.tv.
Algieri-LesPierre is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing.
Algieri won his the WBO title in 2014 in a thrilling fight against Ruslan Provodnikov that saw Algieri come back after being down twice in the first round, with one eye completely shut. Algieri would go on to challenge, and lose to, legend Manny Pacquiao in Macao China, and then return to New York to face the likes of Amir Khan and Errol Spence, Jr., also losses.
Algieri has fought and won his previous two bouts at The Hulu Theatre at MSG, first defeating fellow New Yorker Danny Gonzalez (on 1/18/19) by unanimous decision, followed by a dominating victory over Britain's Tommy Coyle (on 6/1/19), as Coyle could not come off the stool for the eighth round.
Opposing Algieri, is Trinidad and Tabago born, Brooklyn raised southpaw, Mikkel LesPierre, who made a name for himself when he challenged Maurice Hooker for the WBO 140-pound title in 2019. While falling short, LesPierre took Hooker the full twelve rounds. During the day, LesPierre is a data specialist in the ENT department at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
This bout has major implications for both Algieri and LesPierre, as a victory over the other will bring the victorious fighter one step closer to another world title challenge. Both men are set to tip the scales today at 1PM at MSG ahead of tomorrows fight night.
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Charles Conwell gets new opponent for Aug. 29th |
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Showtime has announced a new opponent for junior middleweight and 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell (pictured) for its August 29th pay-per-view at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The show will be headlined by social media star and undefeated professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul against former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley. Conwell, fighting in his hometown, was intially scheduled to face Mark DeLuca, but Showtime now lists Conwell's foe for the ten rounder as Lucas Bastida of Argentina. Bastida (17-1) suffered his only loss early inhis career and has a couple of decent wins in Argentina, including an April victory over Jose Antonio Villalobos (13-6-2). Bastida has never fought outside of Argentina.
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Charles Conwell gets new opponent for Aug. 29th
Showtime has announced a new opponent for junior middleweight and 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell (pictured) for its August 29th pay-per-view at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The show will be headlined by social media star and undefeated professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul against former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley. Conwell, fighting in his hometown, was intially scheduled to face Mark DeLuca, but Showtime now lists Conwell's foe for the ten rounder as Lucas Bastida of Argentina. Bastida (17-1) suffered his only loss early inhis career and has a couple of decent wins in Argentina, including an April victory over Jose Antonio Villalobos (13-6-2). Bastida has never fought outside of Argentina.
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Leigh Wood celebrates win over Can Xu |
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Leigh Wood achieved a lifelong dream as he stopped Xu Can in the 12th and final round to win the WBA featherweight title on Saturday. The two men were competing on the first week of Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex, and was broadcast live worldwide on DAZN. As the fight entered the final round, a superb right hand dropped the Can, and while he was able to get back to his feet, Wood continued the onslaught and the referee jumped in to wave it off. NOTE: The WBA still lists Leo Santa Cruz as its featherweight super champion even though Santa Cruz has not fought in the division since February 2019 and got KO'd in his last fight at super featherweight. Wood said: “It feels good you know, to get the stoppage over the line in a great and high-paced fight, the last round with six weeks’ notice, I couldn’t have done anymore. I did say in an interview that I’m going to be catching him clean and it’s not down to me how long the fight lasts, it’s down to him pretty much. I could have sustained that all night. He took some big shots, big heart, credit to him but the accumulation has its effect as well. The shot I finished him with wasn’t as big as the ones I caught him with earlier on, but they took their toll, I caught him and got the stoppage. I had belief in my power, not only do I have big power, but I know how to get it off, how to set it up and how to mix it up. That’s the biggest factor in working with Ben, Lee Wylie and Barry Smith, they’ve really changed the game for me."
Wood continued, “He definitely wasn’t throwing 120 punches a round and that’s down to the game plan. Everyone was saying how are you going to do it, what are going to do, are you going to hit him hard, are going to hold him, it was down to the game plan. Even people watching don’t understand, but that’s a conversation for another day. Hopefully the younger generations see this and think you know what, he’s done it, World champion, British, Commonwealth... hopefully people decide to go pick up a pair of boxing gloves and start their journey. Ben and Lee said to me they’ve never been so confident in someone getting the tactics right as much as me going into this fight. I thought that was a big statement, I was doing everything they wanted me to do. I executed it pretty much to perfection and credit to those guys for getting it right – I just do as I’m told, and it works. I’m easy, redemption with Dickens would be great for myself. Full confidence in Ben getting my tactics right for that fight, I had a bad night that fight, first southpaw I boxed as a pro, I’d like to put that right naturally. But if there’s bigger fights, I said I wanted the Navarrete fight he’s explosive like me, that’ll be absolute fireworks. People might slate me and say it’s a regular title, let’s fight for the super title, let’s unify – I want big fights. My career was stalled earlier on. In three years I’ve been British, Commonwealth, and now world champion. My best years are definitely to come.”
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Leigh Wood celebrates win over Can Xu
Leigh Wood achieved a lifelong dream as he stopped Xu Can in the 12th and final round to win the WBA featherweight title on Saturday. The two men were competing on the first week of Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex, and was broadcast live worldwide on DAZN. As the fight entered the final round, a superb right hand dropped the Can, and while he was able to get back to his feet, Wood continued the onslaught and the referee jumped in to wave it off. NOTE: The WBA still lists Leo Santa Cruz as its featherweight super champion even though Santa Cruz has not fought in the division since February 2019 and got KO'd in his last fight at super featherweight. Wood said: “It feels good you know, to get the stoppage over the line in a great and high-paced fight, the last round with six weeks’ notice, I couldn’t have done anymore. I did say in an interview that I’m going to be catching him clean and it’s not down to me how long the fight lasts, it’s down to him pretty much. I could have sustained that all night. He took some big shots, big heart, credit to him but the accumulation has its effect as well. The shot I finished him with wasn’t as big as the ones I caught him with earlier on, but they took their toll, I caught him and got the stoppage. I had belief in my power, not only do I have big power, but I know how to get it off, how to set it up and how to mix it up. That’s the biggest factor in working with Ben, Lee Wylie and Barry Smith, they’ve really changed the game for me."
Wood continued, “He definitely wasn’t throwing 120 punches a round and that’s down to the game plan. Everyone was saying how are you going to do it, what are going to do, are you going to hit him hard, are going to hold him, it was down to the game plan. Even people watching don’t understand, but that’s a conversation for another day. Hopefully the younger generations see this and think you know what, he’s done it, World champion, British, Commonwealth... hopefully people decide to go pick up a pair of boxing gloves and start their journey. Ben and Lee said to me they’ve never been so confident in someone getting the tactics right as much as me going into this fight. I thought that was a big statement, I was doing everything they wanted me to do. I executed it pretty much to perfection and credit to those guys for getting it right – I just do as I’m told, and it works. I’m easy, redemption with Dickens would be great for myself. Full confidence in Ben getting my tactics right for that fight, I had a bad night that fight, first southpaw I boxed as a pro, I’d like to put that right naturally. But if there’s bigger fights, I said I wanted the Navarrete fight he’s explosive like me, that’ll be absolute fireworks. People might slate me and say it’s a regular title, let’s fight for the super title, let’s unify – I want big fights. My career was stalled earlier on. In three years I’ve been British, Commonwealth, and now world champion. My best years are definitely to come.”
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DAZN books Smith-Fowler for Oct. 9th |
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A huge Liverpool, England showdown will take place later this year as former 154-pound title holder Liam Smith goes up against Anthony Fowler. The two men will go head to head on a Matchroom Boxing show at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on October 9th, live worldwide on DAZN. Smith (29-3-1, 16 KOs) was last in action in May, suffering a controversial decision loss to undefeated Magomed Kurbanov in Russia, but will now look to return to winning ways against Fowler. Fowler (15-1, 12 KOs) was victorious at Matchroom Fight Camp on Saturday, stopping Rico Mueller in the eight round to make it six wins in a row since his defeat to Scott Fitzgerald in 2019. A victory for Smith should set him on the right path to get back in world title contention, as he looks to again claim world honors after previously holding the WBO title from 2015 to 2016.
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DAZN books Smith-Fowler for Oct. 9th
A huge Liverpool, England showdown will take place later this year as former 154-pound title holder Liam Smith goes up against Anthony Fowler. The two men will go head to head on a Matchroom Boxing show at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on October 9th, live worldwide on DAZN. Smith (29-3-1, 16 KOs) was last in action in May, suffering a controversial decision loss to undefeated Magomed Kurbanov in Russia, but will now look to return to winning ways against Fowler. Fowler (15-1, 12 KOs) was victorious at Matchroom Fight Camp on Saturday, stopping Rico Mueller in the eight round to make it six wins in a row since his defeat to Scott Fitzgerald in 2019. A victory for Smith should set him on the right path to get back in world title contention, as he looks to again claim world honors after previously holding the WBO title from 2015 to 2016.
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A few words with US Olympian Keyshawn Davis |
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American Olympian Keyshawn Davis will next face Russia’s Gabil Mamedov. A victory over Mamedov will secure a medal for Davis and Team USA. Competing in the lightweight division, Davis had a great stoppage win in his last fight, against France’s Sofiane Oumiha, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2017 amateur world champion. Here is what Davis (3-0 as a pro) had to say after his last win:
On the punch that led to the referee’s stoppage just over two minutes into the second round: “Before I threw the punch, I knew it was a close round. The first one (was) and the second one was still close. I was actually holding that punch back because I knew that that punch was going to make a difference throughout the rounds. I seen it, I’ve seen the punch there, and I did exactly what I was doing in practice, practicing it, and I landed it. I didn’t know it was going to get him out of there like that, or even hurt him, but it did so. When I was studying him from the first round, from the sparring that we had, he always keep his left hand sticking out. Every time he does his defense he always drops his hands. So I know that if I faint to the body, I already know he’s going to try and counter me, which he was doing from the first round into the second. So I knew it was time to throw that punch.”
On his actions during the eight count to see if Ouimha would be able to keep fighting: “I gave plenty of guys eight counts before, good guys and stuff like that, and honestly I got back into my pro (professional) ways when I started celebrating like that. I forgot where I was at for a quick second. But that’s why I started celebrating because I’ve seen how hurt he was, and when I seen that, even if they let the fight keep going, I knew I was going to get him out of there.”
On whether he was surprised the fight was stopped: “No not really. I’ve been around amateurs long enough to know if you wobble just one time, they’re going to stop it. If you’re hurt, they’re going to stop it.” I wasn’t surprised because once I looked back after I was celebrating, I see that he wasn’t all the way there. An experienced guy like that knows how to keep it together as much as possible, but a fighter knows a fighter. He was still hurt.”
On the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games: “I feel like this is my opportunity. I feel like I can’t let no competitor beat me or even come close to that. I’m just making sure throughout every fight that I’m putting on a good performance, I’m putting on a show, but I’m also having fun in the ring.”
On how much confidence the win gives him going into the next round: “My confidence has already been high, but looking at my opponents right here, I don’t feel like they’re as good as (OUMIHA, who) was a 2016 silver medalist. I’ve got no choice but to get gold. I’m getting gold, and that’s what I’m shooting for is getting gold.”
On fighting the #1 seed in his second fight: “They’ve given me these tougher opponents early. I feel kind of disrespected, like they’re trying to get me out of the tournament early, or that’s just how I take it to motivate myself to go into each one of these fights. But I don’t care if you gave me (world champion) Andy CRUZ (CUB) the first day, I was going to beat him and move onto the next day, and that’s how I felt coming into this tournament.”
On the significance of mental health for athletes: “I feel like mental health played a big part, especially starting quarantine in 2020. A lot of people don’t know how to deal with quarantine and us elite athletes travel, we’re so busy so much that we never have time to deal with ourselves … I just hope the best for all these athletes, all these athletes that came here to compete in the Olympics.”
On his experiences with mental health challenges: “I dealt with myself in the past and I’ve been growing from there ever since. I feel like it speaks for itself, me actually speaking out on it … I will say, I understand everybody that is going through mental health issues because I’ve been through the worst.”
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A few words with US Olympian Keyshawn Davis
American Olympian Keyshawn Davis will next face Russia’s Gabil Mamedov. A victory over Mamedov will secure a medal for Davis and Team USA. Competing in the lightweight division, Davis had a great stoppage win in his last fight, against France’s Sofiane Oumiha, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2017 amateur world champion. Here is what Davis (3-0 as a pro) had to say after his last win:
On the punch that led to the referee’s stoppage just over two minutes into the second round: “Before I threw the punch, I knew it was a close round. The first one (was) and the second one was still close. I was actually holding that punch back because I knew that that punch was going to make a difference throughout the rounds. I seen it, I’ve seen the punch there, and I did exactly what I was doing in practice, practicing it, and I landed it. I didn’t know it was going to get him out of there like that, or even hurt him, but it did so. When I was studying him from the first round, from the sparring that we had, he always keep his left hand sticking out. Every time he does his defense he always drops his hands. So I know that if I faint to the body, I already know he’s going to try and counter me, which he was doing from the first round into the second. So I knew it was time to throw that punch.”
On his actions during the eight count to see if Ouimha would be able to keep fighting: “I gave plenty of guys eight counts before, good guys and stuff like that, and honestly I got back into my pro (professional) ways when I started celebrating like that. I forgot where I was at for a quick second. But that’s why I started celebrating because I’ve seen how hurt he was, and when I seen that, even if they let the fight keep going, I knew I was going to get him out of there.”
On whether he was surprised the fight was stopped: “No not really. I’ve been around amateurs long enough to know if you wobble just one time, they’re going to stop it. If you’re hurt, they’re going to stop it.” I wasn’t surprised because once I looked back after I was celebrating, I see that he wasn’t all the way there. An experienced guy like that knows how to keep it together as much as possible, but a fighter knows a fighter. He was still hurt.”
On the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games: “I feel like this is my opportunity. I feel like I can’t let no competitor beat me or even come close to that. I’m just making sure throughout every fight that I’m putting on a good performance, I’m putting on a show, but I’m also having fun in the ring.”
On how much confidence the win gives him going into the next round: “My confidence has already been high, but looking at my opponents right here, I don’t feel like they’re as good as (OUMIHA, who) was a 2016 silver medalist. I’ve got no choice but to get gold. I’m getting gold, and that’s what I’m shooting for is getting gold.”
On fighting the #1 seed in his second fight: “They’ve given me these tougher opponents early. I feel kind of disrespected, like they’re trying to get me out of the tournament early, or that’s just how I take it to motivate myself to go into each one of these fights. But I don’t care if you gave me (world champion) Andy CRUZ (CUB) the first day, I was going to beat him and move onto the next day, and that’s how I felt coming into this tournament.”
On the significance of mental health for athletes: “I feel like mental health played a big part, especially starting quarantine in 2020. A lot of people don’t know how to deal with quarantine and us elite athletes travel, we’re so busy so much that we never have time to deal with ourselves … I just hope the best for all these athletes, all these athletes that came here to compete in the Olympics.”
On his experiences with mental health challenges: “I dealt with myself in the past and I’ve been growing from there ever since. I feel like it speaks for itself, me actually speaking out on it … I will say, I understand everybody that is going through mental health issues because I’ve been through the worst.”
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Two British title fights scheduled for Aug. 28th |
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On August 28th in Birmingham, England, Queensberry Promotions will present a show with two British championship fights on the bill. Akeem Ennis-Brown (14-0, 1 KO) will risk his British and Commonwealth junior welterweight championships against Liverpool’s former amateur star Sam Maxwell (15-0, 11 KOs). Belfast’s Anthony Cacace (18-1, 7 KOs) will finally get to defend his British super featherweight crown against Lyon Woodstock (12-2, 5 KOs). Injuries and illness has prevented the fight taking place since it was first scheduled last August.
Ennis-Brown hasn’t boxed since winning his title in a points win against Philip Bowes last September. He had been due to face Maxwell in March, but he was injured and Maxwell had to be content with a points win against late sub Ben Fields.
Queensberry principal Frank Warren said, “Ennis-Brown vs. Maxwell and Cacace vs. Woodstock fights promise and will deliver excitement for those lucky enough to be there and BT Sport viewers. This is a card that no one can have any complaints about.”
Popular light heavywight Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) has a warm-up ahead of his likely rematch against Commonwealth champion Lyndon Arthur, who outpointed him last December. Also expecting to see action that night will be Liam Davies (9-0, 4 KOs), who will make his first defence of the English bantamweight title.
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Two British title fights scheduled for Aug. 28th
On August 28th in Birmingham, England, Queensberry Promotions will present a show with two British championship fights on the bill. Akeem Ennis-Brown (14-0, 1 KO) will risk his British and Commonwealth junior welterweight championships against Liverpool’s former amateur star Sam Maxwell (15-0, 11 KOs). Belfast’s Anthony Cacace (18-1, 7 KOs) will finally get to defend his British super featherweight crown against Lyon Woodstock (12-2, 5 KOs). Injuries and illness has prevented the fight taking place since it was first scheduled last August.
Ennis-Brown hasn’t boxed since winning his title in a points win against Philip Bowes last September. He had been due to face Maxwell in March, but he was injured and Maxwell had to be content with a points win against late sub Ben Fields.
Queensberry principal Frank Warren said, “Ennis-Brown vs. Maxwell and Cacace vs. Woodstock fights promise and will deliver excitement for those lucky enough to be there and BT Sport viewers. This is a card that no one can have any complaints about.”
Popular light heavywight Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) has a warm-up ahead of his likely rematch against Commonwealth champion Lyndon Arthur, who outpointed him last December. Also expecting to see action that night will be Liam Davies (9-0, 4 KOs), who will make his first defence of the English bantamweight title.
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Chris Billam-Smith wins European cruiserweight title |
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Chris Billam-Smith W12 Tommy McCarthy... Chris Billam-Smith withstood a late fightback from Tommy McCarthy to edge out a narrow split decision to add the British and European cruiserweight championships to his Commonwealth title at the Matchroom HQ in Brentwood, England. Belfast’s McCarthy started and ended the fight impressively but his low output in-between cost him the decision. Both fighters received a scorecard of 115-114, but a 116-112 verdict for Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith was enough to see him to progress to 13-1.
“It’s crazy, as Shane said, it’s been a bit of a tough camp towards the end – I had an injury and I haven’t sparred in 3-4 weeks,” Billam-Smith told Matchroom afterwards. “All that emotion came out, it was an interesting build up the fight, future fights, but I’m over the moon. It was a good shot, the best shot he landed all fight, I was with it, but it was a good shot, it buzzed me in a way, but I was in control, I could see, I knew I’d been hit but I just had to ride it a bit. I was really confident, the corner had it closer. In my head I thought I’d won probably eight rounds, but I wasn’t scoring it as I went along – so maybe seven. There was no way he won seven rounds, absolutely no way, that first round he landed one shot. It was a good shot, but I also had him hurt and hit him a lot more – those rounds should really go in my favour. He was harder to hit clean to be fair to him, but that was my own fault, I was loading up looking for one shot. Shane said that so the jab to the body was key, it was everything. It won me the fight, we watched the Askin fight today and that was the key – props to Shane."
Billam-Smith continued, “I sent the tweet out and it got him going, he built the fight really well. I played the villain at the beginning and just let him run away with it. All respect to Tommy, he was tougher and better than I thought he was.I’m so much better than that, I just walked back into the changing rooms and Shane has a massive go at me and said, ‘what was that?’ We know what I’m capable of but then I get too excited in there when I hurt someone. That’s because I’ve only had 14 fights, I’ve got a lot of learning to do but it’s a long process, I’m not the finished article and that’s the sort of fight I need. I was fit in there, comfortable in there, still ready to work in that last round and go up a gear which is good, but I’ve got to learn to be more articulate with how I go about things. They all work hard in the gym; I like to do the little 1% that they probably can’t be bothered to do. They work hard, Lawrence runs every morning, everyone’s a grafter in the gym but that comes down to Shane and Josh, they set such a high standard. You’ve got to be world class and act like a professional the whole time in that gym to survive. There was a group of twelve lads from Bournemouth that I kind of know and they all come up, to see them in crowd and to making the noise they did, it was really special. It’s so good to have fans back and some normality.
“I want a show in Bournemouth, I really do. We’ve tried it almost 18 months ago, it would be unbelievable to have a show down there. We’ve got the Bournemouth International Centre which Eddie had booked for last March which he couldn’t get an opponent for. I need a show in Bournemouth, I love my fans, they’ve been superb to me. I’ve been on the road, Riakporhe in London, Glover in Liverpool, here in London, I want to go home.”
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Chris Billam-Smith wins European cruiserweight title
Chris Billam-Smith W12 Tommy McCarthy... Chris Billam-Smith withstood a late fightback from Tommy McCarthy to edge out a narrow split decision to add the British and European cruiserweight championships to his Commonwealth title at the Matchroom HQ in Brentwood, England. Belfast’s McCarthy started and ended the fight impressively but his low output in-between cost him the decision. Both fighters received a scorecard of 115-114, but a 116-112 verdict for Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith was enough to see him to progress to 13-1.
“It’s crazy, as Shane said, it’s been a bit of a tough camp towards the end – I had an injury and I haven’t sparred in 3-4 weeks,” Billam-Smith told Matchroom afterwards. “All that emotion came out, it was an interesting build up the fight, future fights, but I’m over the moon. It was a good shot, the best shot he landed all fight, I was with it, but it was a good shot, it buzzed me in a way, but I was in control, I could see, I knew I’d been hit but I just had to ride it a bit. I was really confident, the corner had it closer. In my head I thought I’d won probably eight rounds, but I wasn’t scoring it as I went along – so maybe seven. There was no way he won seven rounds, absolutely no way, that first round he landed one shot. It was a good shot, but I also had him hurt and hit him a lot more – those rounds should really go in my favour. He was harder to hit clean to be fair to him, but that was my own fault, I was loading up looking for one shot. Shane said that so the jab to the body was key, it was everything. It won me the fight, we watched the Askin fight today and that was the key – props to Shane."
Billam-Smith continued, “I sent the tweet out and it got him going, he built the fight really well. I played the villain at the beginning and just let him run away with it. All respect to Tommy, he was tougher and better than I thought he was.I’m so much better than that, I just walked back into the changing rooms and Shane has a massive go at me and said, ‘what was that?’ We know what I’m capable of but then I get too excited in there when I hurt someone. That’s because I’ve only had 14 fights, I’ve got a lot of learning to do but it’s a long process, I’m not the finished article and that’s the sort of fight I need. I was fit in there, comfortable in there, still ready to work in that last round and go up a gear which is good, but I’ve got to learn to be more articulate with how I go about things. They all work hard in the gym; I like to do the little 1% that they probably can’t be bothered to do. They work hard, Lawrence runs every morning, everyone’s a grafter in the gym but that comes down to Shane and Josh, they set such a high standard. You’ve got to be world class and act like a professional the whole time in that gym to survive. There was a group of twelve lads from Bournemouth that I kind of know and they all come up, to see them in crowd and to making the noise they did, it was really special. It’s so good to have fans back and some normality.
“I want a show in Bournemouth, I really do. We’ve tried it almost 18 months ago, it would be unbelievable to have a show down there. We’ve got the Bournemouth International Centre which Eddie had booked for last March which he couldn’t get an opponent for. I need a show in Bournemouth, I love my fans, they’ve been superb to me. I’ve been on the road, Riakporhe in London, Glover in Liverpool, here in London, I want to go home.”
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More Fight Camp results: Cullen sends Yildirim to palookaville |
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Jack Cullen W10 Avni Yildirim... At Matchroom's Fight Camp, British super middleweight Jack Cullen claimed the biggest win of his career by outpointing former world title challenger Avni Yildirim over ten rounds. ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ was in control from the opening bell as he used his long jab to set up further attacks on the Turk who lost humiliatingly to pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez back in February. Yildirim was looking to get back to winning ways after being stopped in three rounds by Alvarez but instead suffered the fourth defeat of his career at the hands of the 27-year-old from Lancashire. Cullen outboxed and outfought ‘Mr Robot’ in front of his vocal support at the Matchroom HQ in Essex – with the final scorecards reading 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93 in favour of the Michael Jennings-trained fighter.
“I’m absolutely buzzing and listen; we came with a game plan, a couple of rounds in I wasn’t doing what I should have been doing, but I stuck to my game plan and it paid off eventually,” Cullen told Matchroom afterwards. I knew he was going to come forward, he’s a tough fighter and he comes to fight – that’s what he did tonight. Like I said with my game plan, using the jab and trying to not get caught with the right hand. I got caught a few times stupidly, but I got back on my boxing and got through the ten rounds. To be honest with you every fight I’ve seen him in he’s been one paced. It’s me not doing too much, using the jab, and letting him come forward, instead of me getting involved in a scrap – it worked. We stuck to the game plan, it worked, and I’m delighted. I’ve been working over and over, every day, it’s starting to pay off. Like I said, you’re going to see a different Jack Cullen and I think you did tonight. At the end of the day, I’m in this game to fight the best and anything can happen, anything is around the corner. It’s all about being switched on and ready, whoever you get offered you’ve got to take the fight with both hands and go for it. I have got a brilliant support, a lot of fans that love watching and supporting me. There were only 25 in there tonight, but it sounded like 100, it’s brilliant and I’m going to have a nice little rest – we’ll see. Hopefully [promoter] Eddie Hearn will sign me now! It’s moving in the right direction, the direction I want it to go. Everyone said Yildirim is going to be a tough opponent and I knew that, but I knew I should be beating fighters like him because of where I want to take my career to. I will go with flow, who knows, I reckon there will be all sorts of people jumping out the closet wanting to fight me, but we’ll see.”
Anthony Fowler TKO8 Rico Mueller... Anthony Fowler (20-3 including the World Series of Boxing) was made to work hard for victory as he registered an eighth-round stoppage over late stand-in opponent Rico Mueller – setting up a tasty October 9th domestic clash with Liverpool rival Liam Smith. The German Mueller (28-4-1), who arrived in the UK earlier this week to replace Roberto Garcia following an injury, had plenty of ambition at the start of the fight, but Fowler was always landing the heavy shots and the pressure finally told. The Liverpudlian, who became a father during the week, has now won six fights in a row since suffering his one and only loss in the pros at the hands of Scott Fitzgerald back in March 2019.
“My next opponent is a really good fighter, much better than him, but I needed the rounds,” Fowler told DAZN afterwards. “I thought in round two I wobbled him but thought, ‘not today’. My last fight was three rounds and I thought, ‘I need rounds today’, so I stepped back and worked on a few things. The one thing I haven’t had in my career is rounds, I’ve always blasted my opponents out and haven’t really learnt much. I’m learning plenty in the gym but that’s where it counts, it means nothing in the gym. I’m from the south of Liverpool, Liam’s (Smith) from the north. It doesn’t bother me, I respect Liam a lot, he’s a really good fighter, ten times better than that lad tonight so I need to be on top of my game. I don’t turn fights down, since day one I’ve boxed anyone, I’ve asked for all these big fights, but it never happened for me. Even tonight, I wanted to box Roberto Garcia, a good, experienced veteran. Rico Mueller gaveca good fight and I’m happy he replaced Garcia because I said in the ring, ‘thanks for giving it your all’, after six rounds he was six rounds down and he was still trying. Liam is a much higher level, but I needed the rounds and that’s what I got.”
Campbell Hatton W4 Jakub Laskowski... Campbell Hatton extended his unbeaten record to 3-0 with a straight-forward four-round points win over Jakub Laskowski (4-5-1) from Poland. The 20-year-old Mancunian, son of former double weight-division champion Ricky, banked more valuable rounds as he continued his development in the professional ranks.
“I was happy again really; I thought my defence was a lot better,” Hatton told Matchroom afterwards. “I was a bit more composed again, I think there were a few times where I’d hurt him and probably could have smothered my work fully and not caught him with anything. I managed to control myself a little when he was going. I didn’t quite get the knockout because I was smothering, and he was tricky, but it was exactly what I need. I need the rounds more than I need a stoppage. He was tricky customer, slippery, doing a bit of switching and some different looks. That’s the perfect fight and it has been matched perfectly for me to learn. There are people out there they could bring in and anyone could hit them and knock them over. That’s not how they’re matching me, we’re getting me people who are going to get the rounds out of me and give me different things to overcome – that’s what he did tonight. I think I showed some more classy work than I have before, working off my jab. My jab is one of my best shots in the gym and now I’m bringing it into play in the fights now. The first fight I was saying all week I was dead relaxed, but I had nothing to compare it to. The second fight I was more composed, and I was more composed this fight – next time it’s going to be the same pattern and even better. This was a different experience, it’s different to anything that I’m probably going to face very often in my career. It was different making the ring walk this time, you feel breezy seeing people tucking into their tea and having a pint. It was weird making my ring walk to that but as soon as the bell went it was just like any other ring and I just got to work. You see all these opponents, if it was any other kid he was fighting with any other surname, I don’t think he would have been digging in half as much as he did there. They want to make a point, whether it’s to stop me, or just survive – they raise their game a bit when they know it’s me and I’ve got to do the same.”
Sandy Ryan W6 Kirstie Bavington... Former amateur star Sandy Ryan made a winning start to life in the paid ranks as she outclassed Kirstie Bavington (3-3-2) over six rounds in the opening bout of Fight Camp. The Derby fighter, who is trained by Clifton Mitchell and managed by Paul Ready, was in control throughout and that was reflected on the scorecards as she emerged from the contest a 60-54 winner.
“It was a very good fight,” Ryan told Matchroom afterwards. “I’m over the moon and I’m so happy. I enjoyed every minute of that, the walk, everything, I’m just made for the pro game. I took my time; I enjoyed the ring walk – I enjoyed it so much. I wanted a tough fight, to prove the levels. I showed glimpses of it, there were times where she was a bit messy and holding. The pro game and each fight as it goes on, I’m going to get much better. Levels, I said that even if I had a bad day, she wasn’t going to beat me. It’s not disrespect to her, but I just know what I’m capable of. Boxing’s my life and I’m going all the way. I’ve got the right team behind, Matchroom, DAZN, Eddie Hearn, Paul Ready my manager and Clifton my trainer, that’s all I need – that’s my team. I don’t need a big entourage around me, this is all I need and we’re going all the way.”
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More Fight Camp results: Cullen sends Yildirim to palookaville
Jack Cullen W10 Avni Yildirim... At Matchroom's Fight Camp, British super middleweight Jack Cullen claimed the biggest win of his career by outpointing former world title challenger Avni Yildirim over ten rounds. ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ was in control from the opening bell as he used his long jab to set up further attacks on the Turk who lost humiliatingly to pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez back in February. Yildirim was looking to get back to winning ways after being stopped in three rounds by Alvarez but instead suffered the fourth defeat of his career at the hands of the 27-year-old from Lancashire. Cullen outboxed and outfought ‘Mr Robot’ in front of his vocal support at the Matchroom HQ in Essex – with the final scorecards reading 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93 in favour of the Michael Jennings-trained fighter.
“I’m absolutely buzzing and listen; we came with a game plan, a couple of rounds in I wasn’t doing what I should have been doing, but I stuck to my game plan and it paid off eventually,” Cullen told Matchroom afterwards. I knew he was going to come forward, he’s a tough fighter and he comes to fight – that’s what he did tonight. Like I said with my game plan, using the jab and trying to not get caught with the right hand. I got caught a few times stupidly, but I got back on my boxing and got through the ten rounds. To be honest with you every fight I’ve seen him in he’s been one paced. It’s me not doing too much, using the jab, and letting him come forward, instead of me getting involved in a scrap – it worked. We stuck to the game plan, it worked, and I’m delighted. I’ve been working over and over, every day, it’s starting to pay off. Like I said, you’re going to see a different Jack Cullen and I think you did tonight. At the end of the day, I’m in this game to fight the best and anything can happen, anything is around the corner. It’s all about being switched on and ready, whoever you get offered you’ve got to take the fight with both hands and go for it. I have got a brilliant support, a lot of fans that love watching and supporting me. There were only 25 in there tonight, but it sounded like 100, it’s brilliant and I’m going to have a nice little rest – we’ll see. Hopefully [promoter] Eddie Hearn will sign me now! It’s moving in the right direction, the direction I want it to go. Everyone said Yildirim is going to be a tough opponent and I knew that, but I knew I should be beating fighters like him because of where I want to take my career to. I will go with flow, who knows, I reckon there will be all sorts of people jumping out the closet wanting to fight me, but we’ll see.”
Anthony Fowler TKO8 Rico Mueller... Anthony Fowler (20-3 including the World Series of Boxing) was made to work hard for victory as he registered an eighth-round stoppage over late stand-in opponent Rico Mueller – setting up a tasty October 9th domestic clash with Liverpool rival Liam Smith. The German Mueller (28-4-1), who arrived in the UK earlier this week to replace Roberto Garcia following an injury, had plenty of ambition at the start of the fight, but Fowler was always landing the heavy shots and the pressure finally told. The Liverpudlian, who became a father during the week, has now won six fights in a row since suffering his one and only loss in the pros at the hands of Scott Fitzgerald back in March 2019.
“My next opponent is a really good fighter, much better than him, but I needed the rounds,” Fowler told DAZN afterwards. “I thought in round two I wobbled him but thought, ‘not today’. My last fight was three rounds and I thought, ‘I need rounds today’, so I stepped back and worked on a few things. The one thing I haven’t had in my career is rounds, I’ve always blasted my opponents out and haven’t really learnt much. I’m learning plenty in the gym but that’s where it counts, it means nothing in the gym. I’m from the south of Liverpool, Liam’s (Smith) from the north. It doesn’t bother me, I respect Liam a lot, he’s a really good fighter, ten times better than that lad tonight so I need to be on top of my game. I don’t turn fights down, since day one I’ve boxed anyone, I’ve asked for all these big fights, but it never happened for me. Even tonight, I wanted to box Roberto Garcia, a good, experienced veteran. Rico Mueller gaveca good fight and I’m happy he replaced Garcia because I said in the ring, ‘thanks for giving it your all’, after six rounds he was six rounds down and he was still trying. Liam is a much higher level, but I needed the rounds and that’s what I got.”
Campbell Hatton W4 Jakub Laskowski... Campbell Hatton extended his unbeaten record to 3-0 with a straight-forward four-round points win over Jakub Laskowski (4-5-1) from Poland. The 20-year-old Mancunian, son of former double weight-division champion Ricky, banked more valuable rounds as he continued his development in the professional ranks.
“I was happy again really; I thought my defence was a lot better,” Hatton told Matchroom afterwards. “I was a bit more composed again, I think there were a few times where I’d hurt him and probably could have smothered my work fully and not caught him with anything. I managed to control myself a little when he was going. I didn’t quite get the knockout because I was smothering, and he was tricky, but it was exactly what I need. I need the rounds more than I need a stoppage. He was tricky customer, slippery, doing a bit of switching and some different looks. That’s the perfect fight and it has been matched perfectly for me to learn. There are people out there they could bring in and anyone could hit them and knock them over. That’s not how they’re matching me, we’re getting me people who are going to get the rounds out of me and give me different things to overcome – that’s what he did tonight. I think I showed some more classy work than I have before, working off my jab. My jab is one of my best shots in the gym and now I’m bringing it into play in the fights now. The first fight I was saying all week I was dead relaxed, but I had nothing to compare it to. The second fight I was more composed, and I was more composed this fight – next time it’s going to be the same pattern and even better. This was a different experience, it’s different to anything that I’m probably going to face very often in my career. It was different making the ring walk this time, you feel breezy seeing people tucking into their tea and having a pint. It was weird making my ring walk to that but as soon as the bell went it was just like any other ring and I just got to work. You see all these opponents, if it was any other kid he was fighting with any other surname, I don’t think he would have been digging in half as much as he did there. They want to make a point, whether it’s to stop me, or just survive – they raise their game a bit when they know it’s me and I’ve got to do the same.”
Sandy Ryan W6 Kirstie Bavington... Former amateur star Sandy Ryan made a winning start to life in the paid ranks as she outclassed Kirstie Bavington (3-3-2) over six rounds in the opening bout of Fight Camp. The Derby fighter, who is trained by Clifton Mitchell and managed by Paul Ready, was in control throughout and that was reflected on the scorecards as she emerged from the contest a 60-54 winner.
“It was a very good fight,” Ryan told Matchroom afterwards. “I’m over the moon and I’m so happy. I enjoyed every minute of that, the walk, everything, I’m just made for the pro game. I took my time; I enjoyed the ring walk – I enjoyed it so much. I wanted a tough fight, to prove the levels. I showed glimpses of it, there were times where she was a bit messy and holding. The pro game and each fight as it goes on, I’m going to get much better. Levels, I said that even if I had a bad day, she wasn’t going to beat me. It’s not disrespect to her, but I just know what I’m capable of. Boxing’s my life and I’m going all the way. I’ve got the right team behind, Matchroom, DAZN, Eddie Hearn, Paul Ready my manager and Clifton my trainer, that’s all I need – that’s my team. I don’t need a big entourage around me, this is all I need and we’re going all the way.”
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Results from Dedham, Massachusetts |
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Ray Jay Bermudez TKO2 Bergman Aguilar Professional boxing returned to Massachusetts for the first time in 1½ years, due to pandemic restrictions, as Vertex Promotions presented it first show at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts. Junior welterweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (13-0, 10 KOs) lived up to his nickname, stopping an overmatched Bergman “The Snake” Aguilar (15-9-1, 5 KOs) in round two. Bermudez, fighting out of Troy, New York, dropped Aguilar, a former super featherweight champion, in the second round with an overhand right. Three left hooks to the body put Aguilar on the canvas again, and the end came moments later when Bermudez decked his Nicaraguan opponent for a third and final time with a left hook to the body that left Agular grimacing in pain. He was unable to beat the count. Pre-fight, Bermudez correctly predicted Aguilar wouldn’t last past five rounds. “I saw that his body was open and that was the way to attack him,” Bermudez said after the fight. “I went to work and knew and wouldn’t last too long. I’m ready to fight anybody my team picks. I’m ready for the big dogs! I’ve been trained out of Boston (with his uncle, head trainer Hector Bermudez) the last four years and have a nice fan-base. I’m like fighting in New England.”
Jim Perella TKO3 Rakim Johnson ... In the co-feature, welterweight Jim “The Slim Reaper” Perella (8-0, 6 KOs) overcame the first knockdown of his young career, albeit it from a questionable shot that appeared to hit Perella behind the head, en route to a third-round win by technical knockout of Rakim Johnson (6-12-1, 5 KOs). Perella, fighting out of Mansfield, MA, has a strong amateur pedigree having won the New England USA New England and New England Golden Gloves four times each. He boxed effectively, using his jab to set-up his other punches, and other than the flash knockdown in the second round, he cruised past Johnson. Perella registered knockdowns in the first with a big right hand, followed two rounds later by a body shot, and then another liver shot to close the show midway through the third.
MORE RESULTS
Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (7-0, 7 KOs) nearly went the distance for the first time in his pro career, but halfway through the sixth and final round, the southpaw finished strong with a left that Isiah “Murder” Hart (6-2-1, 4 KOs) was unable to withstand. Hart was also floored in the second round by a pair of lefts from Hogan, the reigning New Hampshire 154-pound champion, as well as a 2019 New England Golden Gloves champion.
Boston lightweight Jonathan de Pina (5-1, 3 KOs) pitched a shutout against journeyman “Money” Mike Fowler (7-38, 2 KOs), winning all six rounds for a unanimous decision victory. Pina dropped Fowler twice, once in the second and again in the third, by consistently trapping him the ropes, but Fowler was able to survive.
Weymouth, MA welterweight Eric “Gladiator” Goff (3-0, 3 KOs) bested Austin Reed Ward (0-7), who was knocked down in the opening round by an overhand right, and a barrage of unanswered punches led to a stoppage in the middle of the first round.
In a fight between pro-debuting welterweights, Boston’s James Murrin took a close but unanimous four-round decision from Michael Oller Da Silva. Murrin’s aggression put him in early control, but Da Silva got back in the fight with a knockdown to make it close in the judges’ scoring (39-37, 38-37, 38-37).
Worcester, MA junior lightweight Alex Rivera (1-0, 1 KOs) turned in a powerful pro debut, battering Richard Bernard (1-4-1) from the opening bell until a 3-punch combination in the opening round resulted in a knockout.
The first fight of the night only lasted 30-seconds as Boston cruiserweight Bernard Joseph (2-0, 2 KOs) needed only one well-placed body shot to put Francisco Neto (1-14-1, 1 KO) on his knees and aching in obvious pain.
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Results from Dedham, Massachusetts
Ray Jay Bermudez TKO2 Bergman Aguilar Professional boxing returned to Massachusetts for the first time in 1½ years, due to pandemic restrictions, as Vertex Promotions presented it first show at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts. Junior welterweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (13-0, 10 KOs) lived up to his nickname, stopping an overmatched Bergman “The Snake” Aguilar (15-9-1, 5 KOs) in round two. Bermudez, fighting out of Troy, New York, dropped Aguilar, a former super featherweight champion, in the second round with an overhand right. Three left hooks to the body put Aguilar on the canvas again, and the end came moments later when Bermudez decked his Nicaraguan opponent for a third and final time with a left hook to the body that left Agular grimacing in pain. He was unable to beat the count. Pre-fight, Bermudez correctly predicted Aguilar wouldn’t last past five rounds. “I saw that his body was open and that was the way to attack him,” Bermudez said after the fight. “I went to work and knew and wouldn’t last too long. I’m ready to fight anybody my team picks. I’m ready for the big dogs! I’ve been trained out of Boston (with his uncle, head trainer Hector Bermudez) the last four years and have a nice fan-base. I’m like fighting in New England.”
Jim Perella TKO3 Rakim Johnson ... In the co-feature, welterweight Jim “The Slim Reaper” Perella (8-0, 6 KOs) overcame the first knockdown of his young career, albeit it from a questionable shot that appeared to hit Perella behind the head, en route to a third-round win by technical knockout of Rakim Johnson (6-12-1, 5 KOs). Perella, fighting out of Mansfield, MA, has a strong amateur pedigree having won the New England USA New England and New England Golden Gloves four times each. He boxed effectively, using his jab to set-up his other punches, and other than the flash knockdown in the second round, he cruised past Johnson. Perella registered knockdowns in the first with a big right hand, followed two rounds later by a body shot, and then another liver shot to close the show midway through the third.
MORE RESULTS
Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (7-0, 7 KOs) nearly went the distance for the first time in his pro career, but halfway through the sixth and final round, the southpaw finished strong with a left that Isiah “Murder” Hart (6-2-1, 4 KOs) was unable to withstand. Hart was also floored in the second round by a pair of lefts from Hogan, the reigning New Hampshire 154-pound champion, as well as a 2019 New England Golden Gloves champion.
Boston lightweight Jonathan de Pina (5-1, 3 KOs) pitched a shutout against journeyman “Money” Mike Fowler (7-38, 2 KOs), winning all six rounds for a unanimous decision victory. Pina dropped Fowler twice, once in the second and again in the third, by consistently trapping him the ropes, but Fowler was able to survive.
Weymouth, MA welterweight Eric “Gladiator” Goff (3-0, 3 KOs) bested Austin Reed Ward (0-7), who was knocked down in the opening round by an overhand right, and a barrage of unanswered punches led to a stoppage in the middle of the first round.
In a fight between pro-debuting welterweights, Boston’s James Murrin took a close but unanimous four-round decision from Michael Oller Da Silva. Murrin’s aggression put him in early control, but Da Silva got back in the fight with a knockdown to make it close in the judges’ scoring (39-37, 38-37, 38-37).
Worcester, MA junior lightweight Alex Rivera (1-0, 1 KOs) turned in a powerful pro debut, battering Richard Bernard (1-4-1) from the opening bell until a 3-punch combination in the opening round resulted in a knockout.
The first fight of the night only lasted 30-seconds as Boston cruiserweight Bernard Joseph (2-0, 2 KOs) needed only one well-placed body shot to put Francisco Neto (1-14-1, 1 KO) on his knees and aching in obvious pain.
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Introducing British junior welterweight Sonny Liston Ali |
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Queensberry Promotions has signed a young man with perhaps the best name in boxing: introducing British national amateur champion Sonny Liston Ali. It is a name fight fans will easily remember and one that the Romford junior welterweight wants to make known through his own performances. Incredibly his birth name has little connection with Muhammad Ali who twice defeated Sonny Liston in the 1960s. Ali, 22, explains: “I am called Sonny after my Grandad who has that name and Ali is my Dad’s surname because his family several generations back were from Bangladesh. It was my Mum who added the name Liston so obviously everyone must think it is after the heavyweight rivalry in the 1960s.”
His name caused further confusion when Ali was a star amateur winning two National cchoolboy titles, two Three nations championships and a hat-trick of wins at the prestigious Swedish Box Cup. He said: “When I was an amateur I boxed under the name Sonny Ali, and opponents would expect to be boxing a little Asian kid who tried to fight like Naseem Hamed. They would get in the ring and look across at a pasty white kid getting behind his jab. I had a good reputation in the amateurs so my name became known, but there were some kids who had no idea until they saw me. I have been sparring with a lot of top professionals like Ohara Davies and although it’s been hard, I held my own with some good fighters. That has convinced me that I should turn professional and of course I want to reach world level. You’ve got to be in it to win it.”
His amateur career made Ali a prospects, but at 17 he drifted away from the sport for three years. “I missed out on so much as a youngster because of boxing. When I was 17, I got my first car and took some time out,” said Ali who hopes to make his debut in May or June. I got a girlfriend, had some time with friends, holidays and enjoyed life. I’m glad I did it because it was better living a life then instead of when I’m 25 or 26 and into my professional career. Even when I returned I was in and out of the gym at first so I had a couple of unlicensed fights just to keep me focused even though I knew they were easy fights. Also there are no Senior ABA Championships this year. If I waited and next year’s Seniors never took place I would be mid-twenties before I turned professional. There are a lot of fighters turning professional because of the amateur situation. Amateur boxers can’t even train. I’m just happy to have signed with a major promoter and now I have to get in there and deliver although I know everything wont happen overnight.”
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Introducing British junior welterweight Sonny Liston Ali
Queensberry Promotions has signed a young man with perhaps the best name in boxing: introducing British national amateur champion Sonny Liston Ali. It is a name fight fans will easily remember and one that the Romford junior welterweight wants to make known through his own performances. Incredibly his birth name has little connection with Muhammad Ali who twice defeated Sonny Liston in the 1960s. Ali, 22, explains: “I am called Sonny after my Grandad who has that name and Ali is my Dad’s surname because his family several generations back were from Bangladesh. It was my Mum who added the name Liston so obviously everyone must think it is after the heavyweight rivalry in the 1960s.”
His name caused further confusion when Ali was a star amateur winning two National cchoolboy titles, two Three nations championships and a hat-trick of wins at the prestigious Swedish Box Cup. He said: “When I was an amateur I boxed under the name Sonny Ali, and opponents would expect to be boxing a little Asian kid who tried to fight like Naseem Hamed. They would get in the ring and look across at a pasty white kid getting behind his jab. I had a good reputation in the amateurs so my name became known, but there were some kids who had no idea until they saw me. I have been sparring with a lot of top professionals like Ohara Davies and although it’s been hard, I held my own with some good fighters. That has convinced me that I should turn professional and of course I want to reach world level. You’ve got to be in it to win it.”
His amateur career made Ali a prospects, but at 17 he drifted away from the sport for three years. “I missed out on so much as a youngster because of boxing. When I was 17, I got my first car and took some time out,” said Ali who hopes to make his debut in May or June. I got a girlfriend, had some time with friends, holidays and enjoyed life. I’m glad I did it because it was better living a life then instead of when I’m 25 or 26 and into my professional career. Even when I returned I was in and out of the gym at first so I had a couple of unlicensed fights just to keep me focused even though I knew they were easy fights. Also there are no Senior ABA Championships this year. If I waited and next year’s Seniors never took place I would be mid-twenties before I turned professional. There are a lot of fighters turning professional because of the amateur situation. Amateur boxers can’t even train. I’m just happy to have signed with a major promoter and now I have to get in there and deliver although I know everything wont happen overnight.”
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USA Boxing clinches two more medals |
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Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) W3 Kurt Walker (Ireland)... USA's Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored a 3-2 decision victory over Kurt Walker of Ireland to secure USA Boxing’s first medal of the day. Ragan become the first USA Boxing featherweight to medal at an Olympic Game since Ricardo Juarez won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Ragan began the bout extremely strong to take all five judges’ cards after strong use of his jab to control the fight. The second round saw Walker come out much stronger, even with a cut over his eye seeming to open, leading to Irelands top featherweight to take three out of the five cards and closing in on the American. Heading into the final round, two judges had Ragan up 20-18, while the other three had the fight tied. With a medal on the line, both boxers knew they had to give it their all to be victorious. The round, which was giving to Walker by a 4-1 score, was not enough for the Irishman to take the win, as the lone judge to give the round to Ragan had it tied after two, giving Ragan the winning end of the split decision. Ragan, who becomes USA Boxing’s first professional boxer to medal at an Olympic Games, will look to improve his already guaranteed bronze medal to silver or gold with a win in Tuesday’s semifinal bout with Samuel Takyi of Ghana, the African Olympic Qualifier Tournament champion.
Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) W3 Dainier Pero (Cuba) ... Super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) grabbed Team USA’s third medal of the Tokyo Olympics, and first super heavyweight medal for Team USA since 1988, with a 4-1 decision over Cuba’s Dainier Pero. [Oshae Jones also has a medal clinched for the USA]. Down 4-1 after the first round, Torrez increased his output in the second round, throwing and landing numerous punches that were visibly taking a tole on the Cuban. At the end of the bell, the American super heavyweight grabbed three cards that round, leaving the score tied on four of the five judges’ cards and one in favor of Pero. Torrez showed his conditioning and heart during the third round, landing more punches and keeping constant presser on his opponent, who seemed to be fading quickly. Torrez was awarded in the end, winning all five judges’ cards in the third round, leaving him victorious. The American will have a few days of rest before taking to the ring on Wednesday, August 4th against Kazakhstan’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev, who is 3-0 as a professional cruiserweight
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USA Boxing clinches two more medals
Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) W3 Kurt Walker (Ireland)... USA's Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored a 3-2 decision victory over Kurt Walker of Ireland to secure USA Boxing’s first medal of the day. Ragan become the first USA Boxing featherweight to medal at an Olympic Game since Ricardo Juarez won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Ragan began the bout extremely strong to take all five judges’ cards after strong use of his jab to control the fight. The second round saw Walker come out much stronger, even with a cut over his eye seeming to open, leading to Irelands top featherweight to take three out of the five cards and closing in on the American. Heading into the final round, two judges had Ragan up 20-18, while the other three had the fight tied. With a medal on the line, both boxers knew they had to give it their all to be victorious. The round, which was giving to Walker by a 4-1 score, was not enough for the Irishman to take the win, as the lone judge to give the round to Ragan had it tied after two, giving Ragan the winning end of the split decision. Ragan, who becomes USA Boxing’s first professional boxer to medal at an Olympic Games, will look to improve his already guaranteed bronze medal to silver or gold with a win in Tuesday’s semifinal bout with Samuel Takyi of Ghana, the African Olympic Qualifier Tournament champion.
Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) W3 Dainier Pero (Cuba) ... Super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) grabbed Team USA’s third medal of the Tokyo Olympics, and first super heavyweight medal for Team USA since 1988, with a 4-1 decision over Cuba’s Dainier Pero. [Oshae Jones also has a medal clinched for the USA]. Down 4-1 after the first round, Torrez increased his output in the second round, throwing and landing numerous punches that were visibly taking a tole on the Cuban. At the end of the bell, the American super heavyweight grabbed three cards that round, leaving the score tied on four of the five judges’ cards and one in favor of Pero. Torrez showed his conditioning and heart during the third round, landing more punches and keeping constant presser on his opponent, who seemed to be fading quickly. Torrez was awarded in the end, winning all five judges’ cards in the third round, leaving him victorious. The American will have a few days of rest before taking to the ring on Wednesday, August 4th against Kazakhstan’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev, who is 3-0 as a professional cruiserweight
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Great Britain Olympic update: Bloody Clarke wins by DQ |
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Frazer Clarke (GB) W DQ Mourad Aliev... France’s Mourad Aliev and was handed victory midway through the second round when his opponent was disqualified ensuring the 29-year-old leaves Tokyo with no less than a bronze medal. [Aliev was warned, then disqualified for using his head. He protested the result and remained in the ring in protest for over 30 minutes]. Clarke will now face Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov in his semi-final bout. Clarke said: “It’s not the way I wanted to guarantee my bronze medal, but it’s happened and I’m there to do my job as a boxer and everything else is out of my hands. It’s massive for me. It’s massive for GB Boxing, for the team and family. That one’s for them and hopefully it’s made them proud. It’s great to have another medal for the team. We’re doing fantastic. I was asked a lot before we came out is this the best team I’ve been in and I think we’re letting our boxing do the talking for us and we’ll carry on doing that. We still have medals to win. We’re all doing the right thing and we’re very privileged to have these coaches and staff around us and we all want the lot!”
Ben Whittaker (GB) W3 Imam Khataev (Russia)... Ben Whittaker beat ROC’s Imam Khataev with a comfortable performance the judges scored (4:1). The light-heavyweight is now assured of a silver medal as he competes in the final on Wednesday against either Arlen Lopez or Loren Alphonso Dominguez with gold at stake. Whittaker said: “Every kid’s dream as an amateur is getting to that Olympic final and now, I’ve just got to go and change that color! The coaches, my father, my mum, all my friends – I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for Darlaston, I’m doing it for Wolverhampton, the West Midlands and I’m doing it for Great Britain. I just want to thank everyone at the National Lottery and everyone who buys tickets because it’s you that’s put a lad like me in the final.”
Pat McCormack (GB) WO Aidan Walsh (Ireland)... Pat McCormack will join his teammate in an Olympic boxing for gold as he was handed a walkover after his opponent, Ireland’s Aidan Walsh, was forced to withdraw due to injury in what would have been Great Britain’s opening bout of the day. The world number one is guaranteed a silver and now just has to beat either Roniel Iglesias or Andrei Zamkovoi to win gold.
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Great Britain Olympic update: Bloody Clarke wins by DQ
Frazer Clarke (GB) W DQ Mourad Aliev... France’s Mourad Aliev and was handed victory midway through the second round when his opponent was disqualified ensuring the 29-year-old leaves Tokyo with no less than a bronze medal. [Aliev was warned, then disqualified for using his head. He protested the result and remained in the ring in protest for over 30 minutes]. Clarke will now face Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov in his semi-final bout. Clarke said: “It’s not the way I wanted to guarantee my bronze medal, but it’s happened and I’m there to do my job as a boxer and everything else is out of my hands. It’s massive for me. It’s massive for GB Boxing, for the team and family. That one’s for them and hopefully it’s made them proud. It’s great to have another medal for the team. We’re doing fantastic. I was asked a lot before we came out is this the best team I’ve been in and I think we’re letting our boxing do the talking for us and we’ll carry on doing that. We still have medals to win. We’re all doing the right thing and we’re very privileged to have these coaches and staff around us and we all want the lot!”
Ben Whittaker (GB) W3 Imam Khataev (Russia)... Ben Whittaker beat ROC’s Imam Khataev with a comfortable performance the judges scored (4:1). The light-heavyweight is now assured of a silver medal as he competes in the final on Wednesday against either Arlen Lopez or Loren Alphonso Dominguez with gold at stake. Whittaker said: “Every kid’s dream as an amateur is getting to that Olympic final and now, I’ve just got to go and change that color! The coaches, my father, my mum, all my friends – I’m doing it for them. I’m doing it for Darlaston, I’m doing it for Wolverhampton, the West Midlands and I’m doing it for Great Britain. I just want to thank everyone at the National Lottery and everyone who buys tickets because it’s you that’s put a lad like me in the final.”
Pat McCormack (GB) WO Aidan Walsh (Ireland)... Pat McCormack will join his teammate in an Olympic boxing for gold as he was handed a walkover after his opponent, Ireland’s Aidan Walsh, was forced to withdraw due to injury in what would have been Great Britain’s opening bout of the day. The world number one is guaranteed a silver and now just has to beat either Roniel Iglesias or Andrei Zamkovoi to win gold.
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Upset! Rice fries Coffie |
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Johnathan Rice TKO5 Michael Coffie ... Late replacement Johnathan Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) scored a technical knockout over heavyweight Michael Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Referee Eric Dali called a stop to the action at the 2:19 mark of the fifth round. "Honestly, I didn’t expect to overwhelm Coffie like that,” said Rice. “I knew Michael Coffie from his fights, but not because he had a great record but because he was a sparring partner for Deontay Wilder. In my head, I played the little game that I was Luis Ortiz's sparring partner for his second fight against Wilder. So technically it was Luis Ortiz's vs. Deontay Wilder's sparring partners. We're going to see what happens. I was playing with that in my head. I had to fight a little bit like Deontay Wilder and then a little bit different. That’s what the game plan was."
Coffie was originally scheduled to face Gerald Washington, but Washington tested positive for the coronavirus and Rice came in as Washington’s replacement.
"I wasn't a late replacement,” added Rice. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready.”
Rice concluded, “I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn't say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call. I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show."
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Upset! Rice fries Coffie
Johnathan Rice TKO5 Michael Coffie ... Late replacement Johnathan Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) scored a technical knockout over heavyweight Michael Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Referee Eric Dali called a stop to the action at the 2:19 mark of the fifth round. "Honestly, I didn’t expect to overwhelm Coffie like that,” said Rice. “I knew Michael Coffie from his fights, but not because he had a great record but because he was a sparring partner for Deontay Wilder. In my head, I played the little game that I was Luis Ortiz's sparring partner for his second fight against Wilder. So technically it was Luis Ortiz's vs. Deontay Wilder's sparring partners. We're going to see what happens. I was playing with that in my head. I had to fight a little bit like Deontay Wilder and then a little bit different. That’s what the game plan was."
Coffie was originally scheduled to face Gerald Washington, but Washington tested positive for the coronavirus and Rice came in as Washington’s replacement.
"I wasn't a late replacement,” added Rice. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready.”
Rice concluded, “I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn't say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call. I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show."
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New champion alert: Leigh Wood takes Xu Can's WBA featherweight belt |
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Leigh Wood TKO12 Xu Can... At Matchroom's Fight Camp, England's Leigh Wood stopped Xu Can in the last round to win the WBA featherweight title. The WBA wrote: "Although it was Xu who was ahead in the fight, it was Wood who dominated walking the ring and hitting hard. A hard right to the face in round twelve was the trigger for the victory of the 32 year-old fighter. Wood was able to send Xu to the canvas and although he got up, he was in bad shape, which the British fighter took advantage of to attack and force the referee to stop the fight with only a few seconds left in the fight." Wood is now 25-2, while Xu, who had not fought since 2019, is now 18-3. NOTE: The WBA still lists Leo Santa Cruz as its featherweight super champion even though Santa Cruz has not fought in the division since February 2019 and got KO'd in his last fight at super featherweight.
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New champion alert: Leigh Wood takes Xu Can's WBA featherweight belt
Leigh Wood TKO12 Xu Can... At Matchroom's Fight Camp, England's Leigh Wood stopped Xu Can in the last round to win the WBA featherweight title. The WBA wrote: "Although it was Xu who was ahead in the fight, it was Wood who dominated walking the ring and hitting hard. A hard right to the face in round twelve was the trigger for the victory of the 32 year-old fighter. Wood was able to send Xu to the canvas and although he got up, he was in bad shape, which the British fighter took advantage of to attack and force the referee to stop the fight with only a few seconds left in the fight." Wood is now 25-2, while Xu, who had not fought since 2019, is now 18-3. NOTE: The WBA still lists Leo Santa Cruz as its featherweight super champion even though Santa Cruz has not fought in the division since February 2019 and got KO'd in his last fight at super featherweight.
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PBC on Fox: wins for Spencer, Mielnicki |
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Vito Mielnicki Jr. TKO2 Noah Kidd ... Fighting in Newark, New Jersey native Vito Mielnicki Jr. (9-1, 6 KOs) knocked out Noah Kidd (6-4-2, 5 KOs) in the second round of their welterweight contest. Mielnicki scored a knockdown in the opening frame, causing the crowd at Prudential Center to erupt with cheers for the hometown favorite. Mielnicki continued to batter Kidd in the second round, forcing Kidd to take a knee. Referee Eric Dali had seen enough at that point and stopped the action at 2:32 of the second round. "Kidd was fading fast,” said Mielnicki. “That’s why I started to pick up the pressure. He was starting to wilt. I learned in my past performance that when you have someone hurt you have to finish the job.” Mielnicki was supposed to compete in a rematch against James Martin, but Martin missed weight. Kidd was originally scheduled to fight on the non-televised portion of the undercard, but filled in as Martin’s replacement against Mielnicki. "There were no issues with the change of opponent,” added Mielnicki. “I trained for a more technical fighter. Kidd was more awkward than Martin. We got the job done in front of my hometown fans, so I’m happy." Having noticed the tremendous amount of support at Prudential Center, Mielnicki concluded, “This is my home and these are my people. Whenever we fight in Jersey this is where we’re doing it. I’m looking forward to many more fights here.”
Joey Spencer W8 James Martin... In the opening bout on Fox, juior middleweight Joey Spencer (13-0, 9 KOs) secured a unanimous decision victory over James Martin (7-3, 0 KOs). Official scores were 79-73 (twice) and 80-72. "There were one or two rounds where he was throwing and he had a lot of activity, but I was blocking,” said Spencer. “I only took one or two shots, and to be honest I would have thought it would be a shutout." After missing weight for his scheduled welterweight scrap against Mielnicki, Martin became a late replacement to face Spencer one weight class higher. When asked if the late replacement had an impact on his performance, Spencer said, "No, it just showed me I’m right where God wants me to be. Once I got the change, it was a big fight, a big step-up against somebody coming off a big win. I needed these rounds. I feel like if I had fought Karpency it would have been the same. I needed this experience. I needed these eight rounds and I needed to set the pace because he was not going to go down.” Spencer concluded, “I have a lot of names that I’m thinking about for 2022. I'd like another step-up fight to end this year, but I don’t have anyone specific in mind. But those names in 2022 will set me up for a title shot."
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PBC on Fox: wins for Spencer, Mielnicki
Vito Mielnicki Jr. TKO2 Noah Kidd ... Fighting in Newark, New Jersey native Vito Mielnicki Jr. (9-1, 6 KOs) knocked out Noah Kidd (6-4-2, 5 KOs) in the second round of their welterweight contest. Mielnicki scored a knockdown in the opening frame, causing the crowd at Prudential Center to erupt with cheers for the hometown favorite. Mielnicki continued to batter Kidd in the second round, forcing Kidd to take a knee. Referee Eric Dali had seen enough at that point and stopped the action at 2:32 of the second round. "Kidd was fading fast,” said Mielnicki. “That’s why I started to pick up the pressure. He was starting to wilt. I learned in my past performance that when you have someone hurt you have to finish the job.” Mielnicki was supposed to compete in a rematch against James Martin, but Martin missed weight. Kidd was originally scheduled to fight on the non-televised portion of the undercard, but filled in as Martin’s replacement against Mielnicki. "There were no issues with the change of opponent,” added Mielnicki. “I trained for a more technical fighter. Kidd was more awkward than Martin. We got the job done in front of my hometown fans, so I’m happy." Having noticed the tremendous amount of support at Prudential Center, Mielnicki concluded, “This is my home and these are my people. Whenever we fight in Jersey this is where we’re doing it. I’m looking forward to many more fights here.”
Joey Spencer W8 James Martin... In the opening bout on Fox, juior middleweight Joey Spencer (13-0, 9 KOs) secured a unanimous decision victory over James Martin (7-3, 0 KOs). Official scores were 79-73 (twice) and 80-72. "There were one or two rounds where he was throwing and he had a lot of activity, but I was blocking,” said Spencer. “I only took one or two shots, and to be honest I would have thought it would be a shutout." After missing weight for his scheduled welterweight scrap against Mielnicki, Martin became a late replacement to face Spencer one weight class higher. When asked if the late replacement had an impact on his performance, Spencer said, "No, it just showed me I’m right where God wants me to be. Once I got the change, it was a big fight, a big step-up against somebody coming off a big win. I needed these rounds. I feel like if I had fought Karpency it would have been the same. I needed this experience. I needed these eight rounds and I needed to set the pace because he was not going to go down.” Spencer concluded, “I have a lot of names that I’m thinking about for 2022. I'd like another step-up fight to end this year, but I don’t have anyone specific in mind. But those names in 2022 will set me up for a title shot."
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FS1 results: Dirrell stops Brooker |
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In FS1 action from Newark, New Jersey, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell (28-3, 18 KOs) got a technical knockout win over Christopher Brooker (16-8, 6 KOs) in their light heavyweight bout. Referee Richard Gonzalez stopped the fight at the 2:58 mark of the third stanza.... Heavyweight Norman Neely (9-0, 7 KOs) defeated Juan Torres (6-4-1, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision. Official scores were 60-54 (twice) and 60-52... Junior welterweight Karl Dargan (20-1, 10 KOs) stopped Ivan Delgado (13-4-2, 6 KOs). Referee Harvey Dock called a halt to the action at the 1:09 mark of the third round.
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FS1 results: Dirrell stops Brooker
In FS1 action from Newark, New Jersey, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell (28-3, 18 KOs) got a technical knockout win over Christopher Brooker (16-8, 6 KOs) in their light heavyweight bout. Referee Richard Gonzalez stopped the fight at the 2:58 mark of the third stanza.... Heavyweight Norman Neely (9-0, 7 KOs) defeated Juan Torres (6-4-1, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision. Official scores were 60-54 (twice) and 60-52... Junior welterweight Karl Dargan (20-1, 10 KOs) stopped Ivan Delgado (13-4-2, 6 KOs). Referee Harvey Dock called a halt to the action at the 1:09 mark of the third round.
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Introducing Macaulay Owen, super featherweight with a masters degree |
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Telford, England amateur Macaulay Owen is set to turn professional, having agreed to promotional terms with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions. Owen, 23, who holds a Masters degree in sports nutrition from Coventry University, intends to campaign at super featherweight after 75 fights in the amateur ranks, where he won the CYPs, two British University championships and was a double winner of the Haringey Box Cup, where in the second of which he was declared Boxer of the Tournament. With 30 fights as a senior amateur under his belt and with the pandemic shutting down his opportunities for a prolonged period, Owen believes the timing is now right for his entry into the professionals. “It is the best move possible really and it is what I have worked for,” said Owen, who will train under England amateur coach Shiney Singh in Walsall. “Obviously you build your craft in the amateurs and to get the backing of Frank Warren is a great reward, with the history of his promotions. It is a massive thing. I’ve known about it for a little while now, but it was a case of waiting to get my licence because Covid delayed everything and put it on hold. It was the chance to sign with Frank that really sparked me to turn over.”
Owen, who fought last in February of last year, originally planned another assault on the ABAs but, with them being aborted last year, he elected switch to the paid ranks. “It was a big one for me, but it didn’t necessarily make my mind up because we were looking towards it anyway. I was thinking about one last good run in the ABAs and then turn pro after that. I am the right sort of age – I am nearly 24 – and that was one of the biggest things and we need to get moving in the pros now. I had 75 fights and really my amateur career was booming towards the end of it and I was at the top of my game in the lightweight division. I won 50, but I lost a lot in the early days because I was a bit of a brawler who liked to have a fight with people. I went to uni[versity], changed my style and ended up winning much more than I was losing,” added Owen, who firmly believes his extended stint as a senior will serve him well. I’ve seen a few lads turn over and it is way too soon because they are not strong enough. I know myself from the amateurs boxing in the seniors that I was often the stronger one in the ring. It will be to my benefit and after sparring these pros now I am not going to struggle at this weight at all. I am glad I stuck around until 23 and got the fights under my belt fighting fully grown men. It means I can get cracking now and I am ready.”
In terms of what we can expect with regard to fighting style, his proposed stage name suggests he will be relentless in approach. “I don’t want to give too much away, but I am an aggressive counter puncher, I’m gonna get them on their front foot and stick it on them. I was talking about what to call myself the other day with my coach and he said ‘No Mas’ because of the pressure I am gonna put on people. Don’t get me wrong, I am a boxer, but I am a pressure boxer and if you don’t quit I am gonna take you out one way or another.”
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Introducing Macaulay Owen, super featherweight with a masters degree
Telford, England amateur Macaulay Owen is set to turn professional, having agreed to promotional terms with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions. Owen, 23, who holds a Masters degree in sports nutrition from Coventry University, intends to campaign at super featherweight after 75 fights in the amateur ranks, where he won the CYPs, two British University championships and was a double winner of the Haringey Box Cup, where in the second of which he was declared Boxer of the Tournament. With 30 fights as a senior amateur under his belt and with the pandemic shutting down his opportunities for a prolonged period, Owen believes the timing is now right for his entry into the professionals. “It is the best move possible really and it is what I have worked for,” said Owen, who will train under England amateur coach Shiney Singh in Walsall. “Obviously you build your craft in the amateurs and to get the backing of Frank Warren is a great reward, with the history of his promotions. It is a massive thing. I’ve known about it for a little while now, but it was a case of waiting to get my licence because Covid delayed everything and put it on hold. It was the chance to sign with Frank that really sparked me to turn over.”
Owen, who fought last in February of last year, originally planned another assault on the ABAs but, with them being aborted last year, he elected switch to the paid ranks. “It was a big one for me, but it didn’t necessarily make my mind up because we were looking towards it anyway. I was thinking about one last good run in the ABAs and then turn pro after that. I am the right sort of age – I am nearly 24 – and that was one of the biggest things and we need to get moving in the pros now. I had 75 fights and really my amateur career was booming towards the end of it and I was at the top of my game in the lightweight division. I won 50, but I lost a lot in the early days because I was a bit of a brawler who liked to have a fight with people. I went to uni[versity], changed my style and ended up winning much more than I was losing,” added Owen, who firmly believes his extended stint as a senior will serve him well. I’ve seen a few lads turn over and it is way too soon because they are not strong enough. I know myself from the amateurs boxing in the seniors that I was often the stronger one in the ring. It will be to my benefit and after sparring these pros now I am not going to struggle at this weight at all. I am glad I stuck around until 23 and got the fights under my belt fighting fully grown men. It means I can get cracking now and I am ready.”
In terms of what we can expect with regard to fighting style, his proposed stage name suggests he will be relentless in approach. “I don’t want to give too much away, but I am an aggressive counter puncher, I’m gonna get them on their front foot and stick it on them. I was talking about what to call myself the other day with my coach and he said ‘No Mas’ because of the pressure I am gonna put on people. Don’t get me wrong, I am a boxer, but I am a pressure boxer and if you don’t quit I am gonna take you out one way or another.”
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Olympic update: Huge win for Keyshawn Davis |
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Keyshawn Davis (Norfolk, Va.) TKO2 Sofiane Oumiha (France)... Lightweight Keyshawn Davis (Norfolk, Va.) had a career-highlight win in the round of 16 against France’s Sofiane Oumiha, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2017 amateur world champion. Leading his opponent on three of the five judges’ cards after the opening round, Davis landed a powerful right overhand to leave his opponent visibly hurt, resulting in the referee giving an eight count before officially calling the bout off halfway through the count and with just over a minute remaining in the second round. Oumiha was a familiar opponent for Davis, as they went head-to-head at the 2019 Elite Men’s World Championships, with Davis taking that decision unanimously in those championships’ quarterfinals. Davis will return to the ring on Tuesday, August 8th to face Russian Olympic Committee’s Gabil Mamedov. A victory over Mamedov will secure a medal for Davis and Team USA.
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Olympic update: Huge win for Keyshawn Davis
Keyshawn Davis (Norfolk, Va.) TKO2 Sofiane Oumiha (France)... Lightweight Keyshawn Davis (Norfolk, Va.) had a career-highlight win in the round of 16 against France’s Sofiane Oumiha, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2017 amateur world champion. Leading his opponent on three of the five judges’ cards after the opening round, Davis landed a powerful right overhand to leave his opponent visibly hurt, resulting in the referee giving an eight count before officially calling the bout off halfway through the count and with just over a minute remaining in the second round. Oumiha was a familiar opponent for Davis, as they went head-to-head at the 2019 Elite Men’s World Championships, with Davis taking that decision unanimously in those championships’ quarterfinals. Davis will return to the ring on Tuesday, August 8th to face Russian Olympic Committee’s Gabil Mamedov. A victory over Mamedov will secure a medal for Davis and Team USA.
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More Olympic Results |
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Andy Cruz (Cuba) W3 Luke McCormack (GB)... In the lightweight category, Cuba’s gifted, two-time world champion, Andy Cruz ended the medal hopes of Great Britain's Luke McCormack. The losing McCormack said: “He had a good jab and was really tricky. Every time I went at him, he half pulled off and didn’t really exchange. I tried to wait for him and hit him when he came in but he’s really tricky. I would have liked to have got him in the medal stages but it’s hard luck. There’s not much you can do about it. I’m proud. I had a couple of injuries coming into qualifier and the Olympics so I’m just glad I was able to be here and compete at the top level.”
Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) W3 Chouaib Bouloudinats (Algeria)... American super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) made his Tokyo debut after almost a week waiting for his turn to take to the ring. Torrez, the first super heavyweight boxer to represent Team USA since 2012, put on a strong opening round performance against Algeria’s Chouaib Bouloudinats to be the first American super heavyweight to reach the quarterfinals since Jason Estrada in 2004. The first round saw Torrez land a body shot that dropped his oppontent to the canvas, leading the ref to give Bouloudinats a standing eight count. After the bell, Torrez was up, 5-0, which saw two judges’ scoring the round 10-8. The third-seeded super heavyweight in these Games continued to show superior boxing to his opponent, taking all five judges’ cards in the second and third round, including two more 10-8 cards for the final round, to take the unanimous decision victory. The 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalists will have a few days of rest for his quarterfinal bout with Cuban Dainier Pero, which will be a rematch of the 2019 Pan American Games semifinals, where Pero took a 3-2 decision over Torrez.
Gleb Bakshi (Russia) W3 Troy Isley (Virginia)... Middleweight Troy Isley (Alexandria, Va.) saw his Olympic run come to an end after a close 3-2 decision against the 2019 World Champion Gleb Bakshi of the Russian Olympic Committee
Stoyka Krasteva Bulgaria W3 Virginia Fuchs (Texas)... Flyweight Virginia Fuchs (Houston, Texas) could not revenge her loss against Stoyka Krasteva of Bulgaria from earlier this year, falling short in an unanimous decision to the two-time Olympian.
Lauren Price (GB) W3 Atheyna Bylon (Panama)... Team GB secured it fourth boxing medal at Tokyo 2020 when Lauren Price defeated Atheyna Bylon of Panama in her middleweight quarter-final. It means the team is only one medal away from equalling the total of five medals from London 2012, which was Great Britain’s best return since 1908. Next, Price will face her long-time rival, Nouchka Fontijn of Netherlands, in the semi-final. Price will become the first Welsh female boxer ever to win an Olympic boxing medal Price said: “I’m making history all of the time, it’s a bit crazy really. But I am just loving the journey. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but this has been my dream since I was an eight-year-old. It’s been an emotional week seeing the team medalling. You’ve kind of got to hold it back and think of yourself. We’ve got a great team and there is many more medals to come. It just goes to show how much work GB Boxing has put into us, even through the pandemic, and it shows how much they sacrificed and pushed us.”
Gamal Yafai (GB) W3 Patrick Chinyemba (Zambia)... Great Britain's Galal Yafai overcame a spirited challenge from Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba to secure a split decision (3:2) win and a place in the flyweight quarter-final when he will have the chance to guarantee a medal.
Irie Sena (Japan) W3 Karriss Artingstall (GB)... Great Britain's Karriss Artingstall lost the narrowest of split (3:2) decisions to Irie Sena of Japan. A slow first round hindered her chances and despite a spirited onslaught in rounds two and three Artingstall was not able to make-up the deficit. Sena will fight for the gold medal while Artingstall departs the Olympic competition with a bronze medal. She'll receive it at her ceremony on Tuesday. Artingstall said: “I knew it was close. I started a bit slow and playing catch-up is a nightmare. You can ask any boxer, losing that first round and having to catch up, it’s horrible. I’m not going to moan about the decision it was very close and goes to show how much that first round can make a difference. Unfortunately, today wasn’t my day but I’ve been part of the GB Boxing squad for two-and- a-half years, and I’ve got an Olympic, world and European medal...come Paris I’ll be taking that top spot.”
Three boxers will represent Team GB tomorrow (Sunday August 1): First up will be Pat McCormack who takes on Ireland’s Aidan Walsh in the welterweight semi-final... also in semi-final is light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker. He will face ROC’s Imam Khataev... boxing to guarantee a medal is super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke. The 29-year-old will be up against Mourad Aliev of France... Two Americans, Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.), will box in their quarterfinal bout tomorrow, where they will look to guarantee themselves a medal with winning performance.
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More Olympic Results
Andy Cruz (Cuba) W3 Luke McCormack (GB)... In the lightweight category, Cuba’s gifted, two-time world champion, Andy Cruz ended the medal hopes of Great Britain's Luke McCormack. The losing McCormack said: “He had a good jab and was really tricky. Every time I went at him, he half pulled off and didn’t really exchange. I tried to wait for him and hit him when he came in but he’s really tricky. I would have liked to have got him in the medal stages but it’s hard luck. There’s not much you can do about it. I’m proud. I had a couple of injuries coming into qualifier and the Olympics so I’m just glad I was able to be here and compete at the top level.”
Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) W3 Chouaib Bouloudinats (Algeria)... American super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.) made his Tokyo debut after almost a week waiting for his turn to take to the ring. Torrez, the first super heavyweight boxer to represent Team USA since 2012, put on a strong opening round performance against Algeria’s Chouaib Bouloudinats to be the first American super heavyweight to reach the quarterfinals since Jason Estrada in 2004. The first round saw Torrez land a body shot that dropped his oppontent to the canvas, leading the ref to give Bouloudinats a standing eight count. After the bell, Torrez was up, 5-0, which saw two judges’ scoring the round 10-8. The third-seeded super heavyweight in these Games continued to show superior boxing to his opponent, taking all five judges’ cards in the second and third round, including two more 10-8 cards for the final round, to take the unanimous decision victory. The 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalists will have a few days of rest for his quarterfinal bout with Cuban Dainier Pero, which will be a rematch of the 2019 Pan American Games semifinals, where Pero took a 3-2 decision over Torrez.
Gleb Bakshi (Russia) W3 Troy Isley (Virginia)... Middleweight Troy Isley (Alexandria, Va.) saw his Olympic run come to an end after a close 3-2 decision against the 2019 World Champion Gleb Bakshi of the Russian Olympic Committee
Stoyka Krasteva Bulgaria W3 Virginia Fuchs (Texas)... Flyweight Virginia Fuchs (Houston, Texas) could not revenge her loss against Stoyka Krasteva of Bulgaria from earlier this year, falling short in an unanimous decision to the two-time Olympian.
Lauren Price (GB) W3 Atheyna Bylon (Panama)... Team GB secured it fourth boxing medal at Tokyo 2020 when Lauren Price defeated Atheyna Bylon of Panama in her middleweight quarter-final. It means the team is only one medal away from equalling the total of five medals from London 2012, which was Great Britain’s best return since 1908. Next, Price will face her long-time rival, Nouchka Fontijn of Netherlands, in the semi-final. Price will become the first Welsh female boxer ever to win an Olympic boxing medal Price said: “I’m making history all of the time, it’s a bit crazy really. But I am just loving the journey. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but this has been my dream since I was an eight-year-old. It’s been an emotional week seeing the team medalling. You’ve kind of got to hold it back and think of yourself. We’ve got a great team and there is many more medals to come. It just goes to show how much work GB Boxing has put into us, even through the pandemic, and it shows how much they sacrificed and pushed us.”
Gamal Yafai (GB) W3 Patrick Chinyemba (Zambia)... Great Britain's Galal Yafai overcame a spirited challenge from Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba to secure a split decision (3:2) win and a place in the flyweight quarter-final when he will have the chance to guarantee a medal.
Irie Sena (Japan) W3 Karriss Artingstall (GB)... Great Britain's Karriss Artingstall lost the narrowest of split (3:2) decisions to Irie Sena of Japan. A slow first round hindered her chances and despite a spirited onslaught in rounds two and three Artingstall was not able to make-up the deficit. Sena will fight for the gold medal while Artingstall departs the Olympic competition with a bronze medal. She'll receive it at her ceremony on Tuesday. Artingstall said: “I knew it was close. I started a bit slow and playing catch-up is a nightmare. You can ask any boxer, losing that first round and having to catch up, it’s horrible. I’m not going to moan about the decision it was very close and goes to show how much that first round can make a difference. Unfortunately, today wasn’t my day but I’ve been part of the GB Boxing squad for two-and- a-half years, and I’ve got an Olympic, world and European medal...come Paris I’ll be taking that top spot.”
Three boxers will represent Team GB tomorrow (Sunday August 1): First up will be Pat McCormack who takes on Ireland’s Aidan Walsh in the welterweight semi-final... also in semi-final is light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker. He will face ROC’s Imam Khataev... boxing to guarantee a medal is super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke. The 29-year-old will be up against Mourad Aliev of France... Two Americans, Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Richard Torrez Jr. (Tulare, Calif.), will box in their quarterfinal bout tomorrow, where they will look to guarantee themselves a medal with winning performance.
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Do you know boxing better than a 14 year old? Week 14 |
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Fourteen year old Michael Borao Jr. predicts eight fights for Staurday:
Michael Coffie vs. Jonathan Rice (heavyweights)... Prediction: Coffie by decision
Unbeaten, hard hitting heavyweight Michael Coffie battles late replacement Jonathan Rice in a ten-round heavyweight bout. Coffie is coming off a big third-round knockout victory over Darmani Rock, whilst Rice is coming off a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Efe Ajagba. I believe that Coffie will be coming forward and pressuring Rice all night, but I can also see Rice disengaging from the action similar to his fight against Ajagba. In that fight, Rice threw and landed a minimal amount of punches and steered clear of getting hit. Ultimately, I see Coffie going the full ten rounds with Rice, getting a wide unanimous decision victory by scores in the range of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.
Andre Dirrell vs. Christopher Brooker (light heavyweights)... Prediction: Dirrell by decision
Former Olympian Andre Dirrell faces battle tested and experienced Christopher Brooker in a ten rounder. Both men are natural super middleweights but this will be a light heavyweight bout. Dirrell is coming off a fifth-round knockout victory over Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, whilst Brooker is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elie Augustama. Although Direll is coming off a 1.5 year layoff, I believe he will outwork and beat Brooker to the punch the entire fight to get a unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Noah Kidd (welterweights)... Prediction: Mielnicki by decision
Young welterweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. looks to get back on the winning track as he battles late replacement Noah Kidd in an eight-round welterweight bout. Mielnicki Jr. is coming off an upset, majority decision defeat to James Martin, whilst Kidd is coming off a fifth-round knockout victory over Garret Mueller. I believe that Mielnicki will dominate Kidd on the inside and the outside to get a wide unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 80-72 and 79-73.
Joey Spencer vs. James Martin (junior middleweights)... Prediction: Spencer by decision
Young and unbeaten Joey Spencer battles James Martin in an eight-round junior middleweight bout. Spencer is coming off an explosive first-round knockout victory over Isaiah Seldon. Martin is coming off a huge upset majority decision victory over Vito Mielnicki Jr. He was supposed to rematch Mielnicki tonight, but showed up overweight and was instead penciled in to fight Spencer one weight class higher. I can see Martin making the early rounds competitive and possibly stealing some of them before Spencer starts to get used to Martin's awkward style. Ultimately, Spencer will get a clear unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 79-73 and 78-74.
Gideon Buthelezi vs. Sabelo Ngebinyana (IBO super flyweight title)... Prediction: Buthelezi by decision
Gideon Buthelezi defends his IBO 115-pound title for the sixth time against hard hitting Sabelo Ngebinyana in an all-South African match-up. Buthelezi is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Adrian Jimenez, whilst Ngebinyana is coming off a split decision victory over Ricardo Malajika. Although Buthelezi is coming off a two year layoff, I believe that he will utilize his experience and box from both the inside and outside to defeat Ngebinyana by unanimous decision. I can envision scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Can Xu vs. Leigh Wood (WBA featherweight championship)... Prediction: Xu by decision
Current WBA featherweight world champion Can Xu defends his title for the third time against battle-tested contender Leigh Wood. Xu is coming off a wide unanimous decision victory over Manny Robles III, whilst Wood is coming off a ninth-round knockout victory over Reece Mould. Although Xu is coming off a 1.5 year layoff, I believe that he will outwork Wood on both the inside and the outside to get a clear unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam Smith (European cruiserweight championship)... Prediction: Smith by majority decision
Current EBU cruiserweight champion Tommy McCarthy defends his title for the second time against fellow Brit Chris Billam Smith. McCathy is coming off a sixth-round knockout victory over Alexander Jur, whilst Smith is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Vasil Ducar. I believe that Smith will outwork McCarthy in the first half of the fight until he gets a bit fatigued. Then McCarthy begins to take over and win most of the later rounds. Smith should have just enough rounds in the bank from the first half of the fight to win a majority decision. I can envision scores of 115-113 (twice) and 114-114.
Avni Yildirim vs. Jack Cullen (super middleweights)... Prediction: Yildirim by decision
Turkey's Avni Yildirim faces Jack Cullen in a te- round super middleweight bout. Yildirim is coming off a secon- round knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez, whilst Cullen is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jack Docherty. Both Yildirim and Cullen are known for being hit a lot and coming forward, so I believe that this fight will be action packed and fought at the center of the ring. I see Yildirim landing the harder and better shots throughout the fight to ultimately get a close unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 96-94
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Do you know boxing better than a 14 year old? Week 14
Fourteen year old Michael Borao Jr. predicts eight fights for Staurday:
Michael Coffie vs. Jonathan Rice (heavyweights)... Prediction: Coffie by decision
Unbeaten, hard hitting heavyweight Michael Coffie battles late replacement Jonathan Rice in a ten-round heavyweight bout. Coffie is coming off a big third-round knockout victory over Darmani Rock, whilst Rice is coming off a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Efe Ajagba. I believe that Coffie will be coming forward and pressuring Rice all night, but I can also see Rice disengaging from the action similar to his fight against Ajagba. In that fight, Rice threw and landed a minimal amount of punches and steered clear of getting hit. Ultimately, I see Coffie going the full ten rounds with Rice, getting a wide unanimous decision victory by scores in the range of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.
Andre Dirrell vs. Christopher Brooker (light heavyweights)... Prediction: Dirrell by decision
Former Olympian Andre Dirrell faces battle tested and experienced Christopher Brooker in a ten rounder. Both men are natural super middleweights but this will be a light heavyweight bout. Dirrell is coming off a fifth-round knockout victory over Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, whilst Brooker is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Elie Augustama. Although Direll is coming off a 1.5 year layoff, I believe he will outwork and beat Brooker to the punch the entire fight to get a unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Noah Kidd (welterweights)... Prediction: Mielnicki by decision
Young welterweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. looks to get back on the winning track as he battles late replacement Noah Kidd in an eight-round welterweight bout. Mielnicki Jr. is coming off an upset, majority decision defeat to James Martin, whilst Kidd is coming off a fifth-round knockout victory over Garret Mueller. I believe that Mielnicki will dominate Kidd on the inside and the outside to get a wide unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 80-72 and 79-73.
Joey Spencer vs. James Martin (junior middleweights)... Prediction: Spencer by decision
Young and unbeaten Joey Spencer battles James Martin in an eight-round junior middleweight bout. Spencer is coming off an explosive first-round knockout victory over Isaiah Seldon. Martin is coming off a huge upset majority decision victory over Vito Mielnicki Jr. He was supposed to rematch Mielnicki tonight, but showed up overweight and was instead penciled in to fight Spencer one weight class higher. I can see Martin making the early rounds competitive and possibly stealing some of them before Spencer starts to get used to Martin's awkward style. Ultimately, Spencer will get a clear unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 79-73 and 78-74.
Gideon Buthelezi vs. Sabelo Ngebinyana (IBO super flyweight title)... Prediction: Buthelezi by decision
Gideon Buthelezi defends his IBO 115-pound title for the sixth time against hard hitting Sabelo Ngebinyana in an all-South African match-up. Buthelezi is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Adrian Jimenez, whilst Ngebinyana is coming off a split decision victory over Ricardo Malajika. Although Buthelezi is coming off a two year layoff, I believe that he will utilize his experience and box from both the inside and outside to defeat Ngebinyana by unanimous decision. I can envision scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Can Xu vs. Leigh Wood (WBA featherweight championship)... Prediction: Xu by decision
Current WBA featherweight world champion Can Xu defends his title for the third time against battle-tested contender Leigh Wood. Xu is coming off a wide unanimous decision victory over Manny Robles III, whilst Wood is coming off a ninth-round knockout victory over Reece Mould. Although Xu is coming off a 1.5 year layoff, I believe that he will outwork Wood on both the inside and the outside to get a clear unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Tommy McCarthy vs. Chris Billam Smith (European cruiserweight championship)... Prediction: Smith by majority decision
Current EBU cruiserweight champion Tommy McCarthy defends his title for the second time against fellow Brit Chris Billam Smith. McCathy is coming off a sixth-round knockout victory over Alexander Jur, whilst Smith is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Vasil Ducar. I believe that Smith will outwork McCarthy in the first half of the fight until he gets a bit fatigued. Then McCarthy begins to take over and win most of the later rounds. Smith should have just enough rounds in the bank from the first half of the fight to win a majority decision. I can envision scores of 115-113 (twice) and 114-114.
Avni Yildirim vs. Jack Cullen (super middleweights)... Prediction: Yildirim by decision
Turkey's Avni Yildirim faces Jack Cullen in a te- round super middleweight bout. Yildirim is coming off a secon- round knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez, whilst Cullen is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jack Docherty. Both Yildirim and Cullen are known for being hit a lot and coming forward, so I believe that this fight will be action packed and fought at the center of the ring. I see Yildirim landing the harder and better shots throughout the fight to ultimately get a close unanimous decision victory. I can envision scores of 96-94
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Boxingtalk salutes 2012 Olympic champion Luke Campbell on his retirement |
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Boxingtalk salutes 2012 Olympic champion and lightweight contender Luke Campbell, who has announced his retirement from boxing. Campbell goes out at 20-4 and gave world lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko a really difficult fight in 2019. Boxingtalk wishes Campbell a successfull and rewarding retirement. Here is Campbell's statement: After a lot of thought and reflection, I have decided that now is the right time to hang up my gloves and retire from boxing. As soon as I first stepped into St Paul's Amateur Boxing Club in Hull, my dream was always to win the Olympics. By winning gold at London 2012, in front of home support and my family, I had in many ways already achieved my hopes and aspirations in the sport before my professional career even started. So, while for many turning pro is where it all begins, for me it was more of a bonus. And what a bonus it turned out to be, achieving more than I ever expected and giving me memories I will never forget.
From making my debut at Craven Park, to fighting at Wembley, beating domestic rivals, competing against pound-for-pound stars in America and here in the UK, headlining pay-per-views and always willing to take on anybody, it's been an incredible ride. “Probably my proudest victory as a professional though has been winning the backing of the fans. Every fight, right the way my debut in June 2013, up to my last fight in January 2021, the cheers and messages of encouragement have always been monumental.
Throughout my career I’ve tried to test myself against the very best in the industry and never shied away from anyone. “I’m so grateful this hasn’t gone unnoticed from supporters and I appreciate you all. The past year in boxing though has been tough. An extremely long training camp away from family meant I was only able to spend a few days with my newborn child and also resulted in me having Christmas apart from them on the other side of the world. It's in these moments that you realise what is truly important in life. I've lived my dreams and accomplished more than I ever imagined I would. In the same way that my dad was able to witness my greatest achievements, I want to be able to do that for my children and make sure I'm always there to see their biggest triumphs.
Boxing has been a part of who I am since the age of 13 and I would not have been able to reach half the heights I have without the incredible support of my wife Lyndsey, who has been with me every step and every punch of the way. “I cannot wait to spend more time with you and our three beautiful boys.
Thank you to my unsung hero my mum, the true power source and an endless support. Also thank you to Charlie and Karen, to Mike Bromby for looking after me in the early days, to everyone involved with the Great Britain team, especially Dave Alloway, Lee Pullen, Rob McCracken, Paul Walrmsley and Bob Dilon. Also, to Jorge Rubio and Stevie Smith, Salo Grosfeld and Robert Mazzucchelli in Miami, to Shane, Jake and Barry McGuigan, to Josh Pritchard, my physio Lisa Wiles, to Matchroom, Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith who’ve I’ve been with my whole career, Sky Sports and DAZN, to my agent Leisa Maloney, to my friends Steven Ramster, Kenny Marsden and Kane Campbell. And to the entire city of Hull. The list could go on.
Lastly, thank you to my biggest fan, my dad. You always believed in me, telling me from Day 1 that I would win the Olympics and then, later in your life, showing me exactly what a true fighter looks like. I miss you and will never stop trying to make you proud. And now for the next chapter, I’m excited to get started.”
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Boxingtalk salutes 2012 Olympic champion Luke Campbell on his retirement
Boxingtalk salutes 2012 Olympic champion and lightweight contender Luke Campbell, who has announced his retirement from boxing. Campbell goes out at 20-4 and gave world lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko a really difficult fight in 2019. Boxingtalk wishes Campbell a successfull and rewarding retirement. Here is Campbell's statement: After a lot of thought and reflection, I have decided that now is the right time to hang up my gloves and retire from boxing. As soon as I first stepped into St Paul's Amateur Boxing Club in Hull, my dream was always to win the Olympics. By winning gold at London 2012, in front of home support and my family, I had in many ways already achieved my hopes and aspirations in the sport before my professional career even started. So, while for many turning pro is where it all begins, for me it was more of a bonus. And what a bonus it turned out to be, achieving more than I ever expected and giving me memories I will never forget.
From making my debut at Craven Park, to fighting at Wembley, beating domestic rivals, competing against pound-for-pound stars in America and here in the UK, headlining pay-per-views and always willing to take on anybody, it's been an incredible ride. “Probably my proudest victory as a professional though has been winning the backing of the fans. Every fight, right the way my debut in June 2013, up to my last fight in January 2021, the cheers and messages of encouragement have always been monumental.
Throughout my career I’ve tried to test myself against the very best in the industry and never shied away from anyone. “I’m so grateful this hasn’t gone unnoticed from supporters and I appreciate you all. The past year in boxing though has been tough. An extremely long training camp away from family meant I was only able to spend a few days with my newborn child and also resulted in me having Christmas apart from them on the other side of the world. It's in these moments that you realise what is truly important in life. I've lived my dreams and accomplished more than I ever imagined I would. In the same way that my dad was able to witness my greatest achievements, I want to be able to do that for my children and make sure I'm always there to see their biggest triumphs.
Boxing has been a part of who I am since the age of 13 and I would not have been able to reach half the heights I have without the incredible support of my wife Lyndsey, who has been with me every step and every punch of the way. “I cannot wait to spend more time with you and our three beautiful boys.
Thank you to my unsung hero my mum, the true power source and an endless support. Also thank you to Charlie and Karen, to Mike Bromby for looking after me in the early days, to everyone involved with the Great Britain team, especially Dave Alloway, Lee Pullen, Rob McCracken, Paul Walrmsley and Bob Dilon. Also, to Jorge Rubio and Stevie Smith, Salo Grosfeld and Robert Mazzucchelli in Miami, to Shane, Jake and Barry McGuigan, to Josh Pritchard, my physio Lisa Wiles, to Matchroom, Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith who’ve I’ve been with my whole career, Sky Sports and DAZN, to my agent Leisa Maloney, to my friends Steven Ramster, Kenny Marsden and Kane Campbell. And to the entire city of Hull. The list could go on.
Lastly, thank you to my biggest fan, my dad. You always believed in me, telling me from Day 1 that I would win the Olympics and then, later in your life, showing me exactly what a true fighter looks like. I miss you and will never stop trying to make you proud. And now for the next chapter, I’m excited to get started.”
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Late replacement Rice: "I’m very prepared" for Coffie tonight |
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Tonight (Saturday) on Fox PBC Fight Night and on Fox Deportes, unbeaten Michael Coffie battles late replacement Jonathan Rice in Newark, New Jersey. Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:
JOHNATHAN RICE
“I’m feeling great. I’m very prepared and excited. I’m also grateful for the opportunity. I was upset to hear about Gerald Washington getting sick and I wish him a speedy recovery, but when it’s time for your opportunity, you have to step up.
“I was on standby in the event that something happened to the fighters in the main event. I knew that I always had to be prepared no matter what.
“I have to give it my all on Saturday. I have to do my best to impress everyone. This is my time to show everyone who I am. The biggest thing is that I’m going out there to go to battle.
“I definitely feel like I’m a different kind of opponent than Gerald would have been. It’s going to be an exciting fight because of the unknown. We’re both coming to prove ourselves, so it’s really just about who wants it more.
“The pressure is really on me right now. Gerald was a big name and everyone wanted to see how Coffie did against him. My pride and ego is on the line, but I’m only focused on what I have to gain. Coffie has to prove himself against me now.
“When I got the call, I knew that I was already prepared to step right in. I had just done 20 rounds of sparring with Michael Hunter. That left me with zero doubt in myself. I’m going to do my best to capitalize on those rounds.
“I took a shot from Efe Ajagba that I didn’t see and that would put most people down, but I stayed up. That really gave me a lot of confidence. I’m more focused on my offense because I know I can take that big punch. I’m coming forward with a lot of offense.”
MICHAEL COFFIE
“I feel blessed to have this opportunity and it keeps me smiling. I know that this kind of situation is not normal for everyone, but I just have to go out and take advantage of it.
“When I look at Jonnie Rice, I think he might be more durable than Gerald Washington. To me, that just makes this a better fight. He’s big and tall, but so am I. He’s got some good experience with some known prospects and he’s gone the distance. I think it makes for a better fight for the fans. That’s what I want to give them.
“There’s some level of difficulty with a late opponent change. I can’t know for sure if he’s a tougher opponent until I’m in the ring with him. That’s just life though. You have to be prepared for things to go unexpectedly. I’ll be prepared for anything Saturday.
“I think there are definitely big names around the corner for me. Sooner rather than later too. What’s worked out in my favor is the learning curve of this sport. I’ve been able to pick up intricate parts of the sport quickly.
“I already had mental toughness coming into the sport. I’ve just been building it in the gym and then displaying it in the ring. It’s about building up brick-by-brick.
“The hardest part of this sport is the training, but it’s enjoyable to me because it’s what I’m used to. Even if I wasn’t boxing, I’d still be in the gym doing something. The most enjoyable part though is that I get to participate in a sport that I love. I have a lot of years left to give.
“My trainer always told me that every camp, we’re training to fight the champion. It doesn’t matter too much that the opponent was switched. The fighting styles are different, but the stature is similar. No matter who it is in front of me, I would have put in the same effort in the gym.
“After my initial reaction to hearing about Gerald getting sick, I just had to change the focus to Rice. I watched some tape and we made some minor tweaks to what we’re doing. We’re ready to go now and Saturday should be a good night.
“We’re the big guys, so you can expect big shots, blood and fireworks. Make sure you don’t miss it on Saturday night.
“My ability to focus and compartmentalize has helped me the most in my boxing career. I learn what the mission is, install a game plan and then follow it. It’s Marine Corps stuff really.”
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Late replacement Rice: "I’m very prepared" for Coffie tonight
Tonight (Saturday) on Fox PBC Fight Night and on Fox Deportes, unbeaten Michael Coffie battles late replacement Jonathan Rice in Newark, New Jersey. Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:
JOHNATHAN RICE
“I’m feeling great. I’m very prepared and excited. I’m also grateful for the opportunity. I was upset to hear about Gerald Washington getting sick and I wish him a speedy recovery, but when it’s time for your opportunity, you have to step up.
“I was on standby in the event that something happened to the fighters in the main event. I knew that I always had to be prepared no matter what.
“I have to give it my all on Saturday. I have to do my best to impress everyone. This is my time to show everyone who I am. The biggest thing is that I’m going out there to go to battle.
“I definitely feel like I’m a different kind of opponent than Gerald would have been. It’s going to be an exciting fight because of the unknown. We’re both coming to prove ourselves, so it’s really just about who wants it more.
“The pressure is really on me right now. Gerald was a big name and everyone wanted to see how Coffie did against him. My pride and ego is on the line, but I’m only focused on what I have to gain. Coffie has to prove himself against me now.
“When I got the call, I knew that I was already prepared to step right in. I had just done 20 rounds of sparring with Michael Hunter. That left me with zero doubt in myself. I’m going to do my best to capitalize on those rounds.
“I took a shot from Efe Ajagba that I didn’t see and that would put most people down, but I stayed up. That really gave me a lot of confidence. I’m more focused on my offense because I know I can take that big punch. I’m coming forward with a lot of offense.”
MICHAEL COFFIE
“I feel blessed to have this opportunity and it keeps me smiling. I know that this kind of situation is not normal for everyone, but I just have to go out and take advantage of it.
“When I look at Jonnie Rice, I think he might be more durable than Gerald Washington. To me, that just makes this a better fight. He’s big and tall, but so am I. He’s got some good experience with some known prospects and he’s gone the distance. I think it makes for a better fight for the fans. That’s what I want to give them.
“There’s some level of difficulty with a late opponent change. I can’t know for sure if he’s a tougher opponent until I’m in the ring with him. That’s just life though. You have to be prepared for things to go unexpectedly. I’ll be prepared for anything Saturday.
“I think there are definitely big names around the corner for me. Sooner rather than later too. What’s worked out in my favor is the learning curve of this sport. I’ve been able to pick up intricate parts of the sport quickly.
“I already had mental toughness coming into the sport. I’ve just been building it in the gym and then displaying it in the ring. It’s about building up brick-by-brick.
“The hardest part of this sport is the training, but it’s enjoyable to me because it’s what I’m used to. Even if I wasn’t boxing, I’d still be in the gym doing something. The most enjoyable part though is that I get to participate in a sport that I love. I have a lot of years left to give.
“My trainer always told me that every camp, we’re training to fight the champion. It doesn’t matter too much that the opponent was switched. The fighting styles are different, but the stature is similar. No matter who it is in front of me, I would have put in the same effort in the gym.
“After my initial reaction to hearing about Gerald getting sick, I just had to change the focus to Rice. I watched some tape and we made some minor tweaks to what we’re doing. We’re ready to go now and Saturday should be a good night.
“We’re the big guys, so you can expect big shots, blood and fireworks. Make sure you don’t miss it on Saturday night.
“My ability to focus and compartmentalize has helped me the most in my boxing career. I learn what the mission is, install a game plan and then follow it. It’s Marine Corps stuff really.”
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Introducing teenage junior middleweight Junaid Bostan |
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British amateur Junaid Bostan is among a group of young boxers turning professional with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. Warren made a deal with BT Sports for six shows this year that will feature British prospects and Bostan is among a group of at least eight Queensberry signees. The Rotherham junior middleweight is a double national champion and boxed for England since he was 13 years old. Now 19, Junaid boxes out of the Sheffield’s fast rising Steel City gym where he trains alongside IBF flyweight champion Sunny Edwards. He is trained by the gym’s head Grant Smith.
“Grant asked me if I wanted to turn professional and I wasn’t too sure because I wanted to go in the National Elite Championships,” said Bostan who will make his professional debut in late July or August. I decided to have a meeting with Queensberry. I liked what I heard, what I was offered and decided to accept it. The Elites have been rescheduled for later this year and it would have been next year before I boxed professional had I entered them. There is no time to waste. I believe my style is more suited to the professionals and my personality should help me do well. I don’t feel I am just a boxer. I want to entertain people inside and out of the ring.”
The youngster has been trained by Smith since he was 12 years old, having spent his earliest boxing years training under the late Brendan Ingle. Having started boxing with Ingle it’s no surprise to learn that Bostan is a tricky switch hitter who can expect to bamboozle opponents. He has sparred with a string of top fighters and helped European welterweight champion David Avanesyan prepare for his win against Josh Kelly.
There is no doubting the influence that Edwards and of course, trainer Smith have had on him. Bostan added: “Sunny started at the gym two weeks before I did so I have been with him since the start. Seeing him winning the Elites and going on to win a professional World championship has given me confidence. If he has done it with Grant there is no reason why I can’t. Right now, turning over I will get good experience and I will be in very good hands with Grant and Queensberry. I know in my career I will be wanting to do stuff a lot quicker than Grant will. What he says I will do. This has been a long time coming and I want to show what I am about. In the first year I want to prove myself and I will from my first fight. I won’t say I am the biggest puncher, but if I land, you know about it. I am more of a boxer and I like to entertain. I don’t really have idols but I love watching boxers with personality like Pernell Whitaker, Hector Camacho, Caleb Plant, Fernando Vargas and of course Naseem Hamed.”
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Introducing teenage junior middleweight Junaid Bostan
British amateur Junaid Bostan is among a group of young boxers turning professional with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. Warren made a deal with BT Sports for six shows this year that will feature British prospects and Bostan is among a group of at least eight Queensberry signees. The Rotherham junior middleweight is a double national champion and boxed for England since he was 13 years old. Now 19, Junaid boxes out of the Sheffield’s fast rising Steel City gym where he trains alongside IBF flyweight champion Sunny Edwards. He is trained by the gym’s head Grant Smith.
“Grant asked me if I wanted to turn professional and I wasn’t too sure because I wanted to go in the National Elite Championships,” said Bostan who will make his professional debut in late July or August. I decided to have a meeting with Queensberry. I liked what I heard, what I was offered and decided to accept it. The Elites have been rescheduled for later this year and it would have been next year before I boxed professional had I entered them. There is no time to waste. I believe my style is more suited to the professionals and my personality should help me do well. I don’t feel I am just a boxer. I want to entertain people inside and out of the ring.”
The youngster has been trained by Smith since he was 12 years old, having spent his earliest boxing years training under the late Brendan Ingle. Having started boxing with Ingle it’s no surprise to learn that Bostan is a tricky switch hitter who can expect to bamboozle opponents. He has sparred with a string of top fighters and helped European welterweight champion David Avanesyan prepare for his win against Josh Kelly.
There is no doubting the influence that Edwards and of course, trainer Smith have had on him. Bostan added: “Sunny started at the gym two weeks before I did so I have been with him since the start. Seeing him winning the Elites and going on to win a professional World championship has given me confidence. If he has done it with Grant there is no reason why I can’t. Right now, turning over I will get good experience and I will be in very good hands with Grant and Queensberry. I know in my career I will be wanting to do stuff a lot quicker than Grant will. What he says I will do. This has been a long time coming and I want to show what I am about. In the first year I want to prove myself and I will from my first fight. I won’t say I am the biggest puncher, but if I land, you know about it. I am more of a boxer and I like to entertain. I don’t really have idols but I love watching boxers with personality like Pernell Whitaker, Hector Camacho, Caleb Plant, Fernando Vargas and of course Naseem Hamed.”
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Weigh-in report from New Jersey: all kinds of changes to Fox line-up |
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PBC has completely overhauled Saturday's three-fight PBC on Fox telecast over the last few days, but the show will go on in Newark, New Jersey now that the weigh-in is complete. Heavyweight Gerald Washington tested positive for the coronavirus test, and could not fight Michael Coffie as scheduled. Instead Coffie (271.3 pounds) will face Jonathan Rice (13-6-1) who weighed in at 268.6. James Martin showed up at 151.5 pounds for what was supposed to be a welterweight rematch against Vito Mielnicki Jr. Instead, Martin will fight junior middleweight Joey Spencer (156.5) in the broadcast opener. Spencer was supposed to fight Dan Karpency, who is off the show for an unspecified reason. As for Mielnicki, he weighed in at 147 and will face Noah Kidd (6-3-2), who was pulled from an undercard bout. Kidd weighed in at 144.6. For the post-main event FS1 broadcast, Andre Dirrell weighed in at 175.5 for his bout against Christopher Brooker, who came in bang on the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds.
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Weigh-in report from New Jersey: all kinds of changes to Fox line-up
PBC has completely overhauled Saturday's three-fight PBC on Fox telecast over the last few days, but the show will go on in Newark, New Jersey now that the weigh-in is complete. Heavyweight Gerald Washington tested positive for the coronavirus test, and could not fight Michael Coffie as scheduled. Instead Coffie (271.3 pounds) will face Jonathan Rice (13-6-1) who weighed in at 268.6. James Martin showed up at 151.5 pounds for what was supposed to be a welterweight rematch against Vito Mielnicki Jr. Instead, Martin will fight junior middleweight Joey Spencer (156.5) in the broadcast opener. Spencer was supposed to fight Dan Karpency, who is off the show for an unspecified reason. As for Mielnicki, he weighed in at 147 and will face Noah Kidd (6-3-2), who was pulled from an undercard bout. Kidd weighed in at 144.6. For the post-main event FS1 broadcast, Andre Dirrell weighed in at 175.5 for his bout against Christopher Brooker, who came in bang on the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds.
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Weigh-in report from Matchroom Fight Camp |
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Leigh Wood (24-2, 14 KOs) challenges Xu Can (18-2, 3 KOs) for Can's WBA featherweight title during the launch of Matchroom Fight Camp this weekend, live on DAZN from Brentwood, England. The weigh-in took place on Friday, with Wood tipping the scales at 125 pounds 5 ounces, while defending champion Can was slightly lighter at 125 pounds, 3 ounces. It will be Can’s first fight since back in November 2019, when he made the second successful defence of his WBA title with a unanimous decision win over Manny Robles. Wood is looking to build on his stoppage win over Reece Mould back in February, where he knocked out the previously unbeaten opponent to claim the British featherweight title.The Nottingham boxer also has stoppage wins over the likes of David Oliver Joyce and Ryan Doyle in his career, and now steps up in competition to take on Can.
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Weigh-in report from Matchroom Fight Camp
Leigh Wood (24-2, 14 KOs) challenges Xu Can (18-2, 3 KOs) for Can's WBA featherweight title during the launch of Matchroom Fight Camp this weekend, live on DAZN from Brentwood, England. The weigh-in took place on Friday, with Wood tipping the scales at 125 pounds 5 ounces, while defending champion Can was slightly lighter at 125 pounds, 3 ounces. It will be Can’s first fight since back in November 2019, when he made the second successful defence of his WBA title with a unanimous decision win over Manny Robles. Wood is looking to build on his stoppage win over Reece Mould back in February, where he knocked out the previously unbeaten opponent to claim the British featherweight title.The Nottingham boxer also has stoppage wins over the likes of David Oliver Joyce and Ryan Doyle in his career, and now steps up in competition to take on Can.
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Coronavirus KOs two more fights this weekend |
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Junior welterweight Karl Dargan will take on Ivan Delgado in an eight-round attraction, while unbeaten heavyweight Norman Neely faces Juan Torres in a six-round battle as part of FS1 PBC Fight Night (also on Fox Deportes) this Saturday, July 31st from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The previously scheduled Maliek Montgomery vs. Ángel Contreras and Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach matches slated to appear on FS1 were cancelled after positive coronavirus tests for Montgomery and DeLoach. FS1 PBC Fight Night is topped by veteran contender and Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell competing for the second time at light heavyweight as he faces Philadelphia’s Chris Brooker in a ten-round fight.
FS1 PBC Fight Night begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT following the FOX PBC Fight Night lineup headlined by rising unbeaten heavyweight Michael Coffie squaring off against Jonnie Rice.
The Fox broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will also see Philadelphia welterweight James Martin battle New Jersey-native Vito Mielnicki Jr. in an eight-round rematch in the co-feature and unbeaten Joey Spencer take on Dan Karpency in an eight-round showdown.
A Philadelphia native, Dargan (19-1, 9 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since November 2018, looking to make it three-straight wins since his lone defeat against Tony Luis in 2015. Dargan has fought professionally since 2007, turning pro after a sensational amateur career that included two U.S. Amateur Championships and a Pan American Games gold medal.
He will be opposed by Los Angeles’ Delgado (13-3-2, 6 KOs), who looks to bounce back from a pair of recent defeats against contenders Hector Tanajara and Romero Duno.
The 31-year-old Neely (8-0, 7 KOs) trains alongside Vito Mielnicki Jr. and most recently delivered a second-round knockout victory over Victor Mashaka in June. The Paterson, New Jersey-native will return to fight in his home state for the first time as a pro Saturday night when he takes on the 34-year-old Torres (6-3-1, 3 KOs).
Fighting out of Cypress, Texas, Torres most recently stopped Ramon Olivas in the third round in May.
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Coronavirus KOs two more fights this weekend
Junior welterweight Karl Dargan will take on Ivan Delgado in an eight-round attraction, while unbeaten heavyweight Norman Neely faces Juan Torres in a six-round battle as part of FS1 PBC Fight Night (also on Fox Deportes) this Saturday, July 31st from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The previously scheduled Maliek Montgomery vs. Ángel Contreras and Paul Kroll vs. Justin DeLoach matches slated to appear on FS1 were cancelled after positive coronavirus tests for Montgomery and DeLoach. FS1 PBC Fight Night is topped by veteran contender and Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell competing for the second time at light heavyweight as he faces Philadelphia’s Chris Brooker in a ten-round fight.
FS1 PBC Fight Night begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT following the FOX PBC Fight Night lineup headlined by rising unbeaten heavyweight Michael Coffie squaring off against Jonnie Rice.
The Fox broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will also see Philadelphia welterweight James Martin battle New Jersey-native Vito Mielnicki Jr. in an eight-round rematch in the co-feature and unbeaten Joey Spencer take on Dan Karpency in an eight-round showdown.
A Philadelphia native, Dargan (19-1, 9 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since November 2018, looking to make it three-straight wins since his lone defeat against Tony Luis in 2015. Dargan has fought professionally since 2007, turning pro after a sensational amateur career that included two U.S. Amateur Championships and a Pan American Games gold medal.
He will be opposed by Los Angeles’ Delgado (13-3-2, 6 KOs), who looks to bounce back from a pair of recent defeats against contenders Hector Tanajara and Romero Duno.
The 31-year-old Neely (8-0, 7 KOs) trains alongside Vito Mielnicki Jr. and most recently delivered a second-round knockout victory over Victor Mashaka in June. The Paterson, New Jersey-native will return to fight in his home state for the first time as a pro Saturday night when he takes on the 34-year-old Torres (6-3-1, 3 KOs).
Fighting out of Cypress, Texas, Torres most recently stopped Ramon Olivas in the third round in May.
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Olympic update: Cuba's Ronel Iglesias still rolling; Team GB clinches two more medals |
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Ronel Iglesias (Cuba) W3 Delante Johnson (Cleveland)... Delante Johnson (Cleveland, Ohio) saw his Olympic dream end against four-time Olympian Roniel Iglesias of Cuba. A 2012 gold medalist and 2008 bronze medalist, Iglesias won the bout which was decided by a unanimous decision.
Pat McCormack (GB) W3 Bobo Baturov (UZB)... Team GB is now guaranteed at least three boxing medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Pat McCormack overcame a determined challenge from Uzbekistan’s Bobo Baturov to secure a (4:1) split decision victory in his welterweight contest and set-up a semi-final clash with Ireland’s Aidan Walsh. McCormack said: “It was a good fight. I got the first two rounds under my belt and got cut in the last one when he was coming in with his head and throwing the kitchen sink at it, but I got through, got the win and I’m over the moon. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of, getting a medal at the Olympics, but now it’s time to change the color. That’s the aim.
Ben Whittaker (GB) W3 Keno Machado (Brazil)... Ben Whittaker’s light-heavyweight contest was even tighter and the Team GB man had to win the last round to secure a (3:2) split decision victory over Brazil’s Keno Machado to earn his medal and a place in Sunday’s semi-final against ROC’s Imam Khataev. The victories for McCormack and Whittaker mean Team GB has equalled the boxing medal count from Rio 2016. Whittaker said: “I’ve been saying after every fight, a bronze is nothing, a silver’s nothing, but once you get that feeling (of winning a medal), I can’t help but let the emotion out of me. I was crying. I tried to keep as calm as I could, but I couldn’t help it.
Oshae Jones (Toledo, Ohio) W3 Maria Moronta (Dominican Republic)... Welterweight Oshae Jones (Toledo, Ohio) continues to make history at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. After becoming the first female welterweight to represent Team USA in an Olympic Games, her 4-0 victory over Maria Moronta of the Dominican Republic secures her a medal to become to first female welterweight medalist for USA. Jones put on a strong performance in the first and second round, taking all five judges’ cards to take the lead heading into the final round. The final round saw Jones opponent try to come from behind, landing a few more shots and earning the 3-2 decision for that round. However, the damage was already done in the first two rounds, leaving Jones victorious and advancing to the medal rounds. The 2019 Pan American Games Champion will return to the ring on Wednesday, August 4th, for her semi-final matchup against the two-time world amateurs silver medalist Hong Gu of China.
Caroline Dubois (Great Britain) W3 Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Massachsuetts)... American lghtweight Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Mass.) fell short against the 2018 Youth Olympic and Youth World Champion Caroline Dubois of Great Britain. Dubois had the height and reach advantage, but this was still considered an upset. It was a majority decision, with two of the five judges calling it even.
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Olympic update: Cuba's Ronel Iglesias still rolling; Team GB clinches two more medals
Ronel Iglesias (Cuba) W3 Delante Johnson (Cleveland)... Delante Johnson (Cleveland, Ohio) saw his Olympic dream end against four-time Olympian Roniel Iglesias of Cuba. A 2012 gold medalist and 2008 bronze medalist, Iglesias won the bout which was decided by a unanimous decision.
Pat McCormack (GB) W3 Bobo Baturov (UZB)... Team GB is now guaranteed at least three boxing medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Pat McCormack overcame a determined challenge from Uzbekistan’s Bobo Baturov to secure a (4:1) split decision victory in his welterweight contest and set-up a semi-final clash with Ireland’s Aidan Walsh. McCormack said: “It was a good fight. I got the first two rounds under my belt and got cut in the last one when he was coming in with his head and throwing the kitchen sink at it, but I got through, got the win and I’m over the moon. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of, getting a medal at the Olympics, but now it’s time to change the color. That’s the aim.
Ben Whittaker (GB) W3 Keno Machado (Brazil)... Ben Whittaker’s light-heavyweight contest was even tighter and the Team GB man had to win the last round to secure a (3:2) split decision victory over Brazil’s Keno Machado to earn his medal and a place in Sunday’s semi-final against ROC’s Imam Khataev. The victories for McCormack and Whittaker mean Team GB has equalled the boxing medal count from Rio 2016. Whittaker said: “I’ve been saying after every fight, a bronze is nothing, a silver’s nothing, but once you get that feeling (of winning a medal), I can’t help but let the emotion out of me. I was crying. I tried to keep as calm as I could, but I couldn’t help it.
Oshae Jones (Toledo, Ohio) W3 Maria Moronta (Dominican Republic)... Welterweight Oshae Jones (Toledo, Ohio) continues to make history at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. After becoming the first female welterweight to represent Team USA in an Olympic Games, her 4-0 victory over Maria Moronta of the Dominican Republic secures her a medal to become to first female welterweight medalist for USA. Jones put on a strong performance in the first and second round, taking all five judges’ cards to take the lead heading into the final round. The final round saw Jones opponent try to come from behind, landing a few more shots and earning the 3-2 decision for that round. However, the damage was already done in the first two rounds, leaving Jones victorious and advancing to the medal rounds. The 2019 Pan American Games Champion will return to the ring on Wednesday, August 4th, for her semi-final matchup against the two-time world amateurs silver medalist Hong Gu of China.
Caroline Dubois (Great Britain) W3 Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Massachsuetts)... American lghtweight Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Mass.) fell short against the 2018 Youth Olympic and Youth World Champion Caroline Dubois of Great Britain. Dubois had the height and reach advantage, but this was still considered an upset. It was a majority decision, with two of the five judges calling it even.
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Do you know boxing better than a 14 year old? Week 13 |
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Julius Indongo vs. Hassan Mwakinyo (junior middleweights)... Prediction: Mwakinyo by early KO
One Friday fight to predict, with more to come for Saturday, so be sure to check back. Friday's action takes place in Tanzania, where former unified WBA and IBF 140-pound champion Julius Indongo battles hard-hitting Hassan Mwakinyo in a twelve-round 154-pound bout. Indongo is from Namibia and Mwakinyo is from Tanzania, so the bigger man also has the home-field advantage over the former champ. Indongo is coming off a disappointing second-round knockout loss to Daniyar Yeleussinov, whilst Mwakinyo is coming off a ninth-round knockout victory over Maiala Antonio. I believe that Mwakinyo will start out strong and pressure Indongo similar to how he did against Sam Eggington in 2018, a second-round KO. I can see Indongo get dropped and ultimately stopped from rounds two to round six.
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Do you know boxing better than a 14 year old? Week 13
Julius Indongo vs. Hassan Mwakinyo (junior middleweights)... Prediction: Mwakinyo by early KO
One Friday fight to predict, with more to come for Saturday, so be sure to check back. Friday's action takes place in Tanzania, where former unified WBA and IBF 140-pound champion Julius Indongo battles hard-hitting Hassan Mwakinyo in a twelve-round 154-pound bout. Indongo is from Namibia and Mwakinyo is from Tanzania, so the bigger man also has the home-field advantage over the former champ. Indongo is coming off a disappointing second-round knockout loss to Daniyar Yeleussinov, whilst Mwakinyo is coming off a ninth-round knockout victory over Maiala Antonio. I believe that Mwakinyo will start out strong and pressure Indongo similar to how he did against Sam Eggington in 2018, a second-round KO. I can see Indongo get dropped and ultimately stopped from rounds two to round six.
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David Benavidez gets hometown date on Aug. 28th |
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Unbeaten former two-time champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez (pictured) will square off against former IBF champion Jose Uzcategui in a WBC super middleweight title eliminator as Benavídez returns to his hometown of Phoenix for the first time in six years. The fight will be a Showtime main event on Saturday, August 28th in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns. The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature the much-awaited return of David's older brother Jose Benavídez, who faces Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in the ten-round junior middleweight co-feature. Kicking off the telecast is undefeated Carlos Castro taking on former title challenger Oscar Escandon in a ten-round super bantamweight bout. The Benavídez brothers and Castro all hail from Phoenix. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
“I am happy to be bringing David ‘El Bandera Roja’ Benavidez back to his hometown to fight after so many years away,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “It is going to be a sensational welcome party for him and all the fans.”
Still just 24 years-old, Benavídez (24-0, 21 KOs) enters this fight having knocked out his last four opponents, including a September 2019 knockout of two-time super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell. Most recently, he earned stoppage victories over Roamer Alexis Angulo in August 2020 and Ronald Ellis in March of this year. Benavídez is trained by his father José Sr., alongside his brother and former title challenger, José Jr. In 2017, he became the youngest super middleweight champion in boxing history by defeating Ronald Gavril at just 20 years old. Representing his native Phoenix, Ariz., Benavídez went from a 15-year-old prodigy sparring with Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin, to world title contender with a 10-fight knockout streak from 2015 through 2017, including a highlight-reel knockout of Rogelio Medina with a seven-punch combination that earned him his first title opportunity.
“I’m super excited to fight in front of my hometown fans,” said Benavídez. “It’s a dream come true for me to come back home as a [former] two-time world champion. I’m training for Uzcategui like he’s a world champ because he has a lot of experience and he’s a hungry fighter. I know that he needs this win, but I won’t let that happen. I’m staying dedicated and motivated to win on August 28th on Showtime and I want to look impressive doing it in order to get even bigger and better fights in the future.”
Born in Venezuela and fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico, Uzcategui (31-4, 26 KOs) captured a 168-pound world title in March of 2018 by stopping veteran contender Andre Dirrell after eight rounds. The 30-year-old put himself in position to fight for a title with four-straight stoppage victories from 2015 through 2016, including a win over then-unbeaten Julius Jackson. Since losing the title to unbeaten champion Caleb Plant in January 2019, Uzcategui has rebounded to win three of his last four fights, including knockout wins in 2021 over Jaime Hernandez Lopez and Josue Obando.
“I’m excited to be back on the big stage for this fight,” said Uzcategui. “I know what I’m up against with Benavídez. He’s a great fighter, and that’s my biggest motivation. This is going to be a war and I can’t wait to give the people a great fight. Both of us come to brawl, so this is going to be a classic on August 28th.”
Castro (26-0, 11 KOs) has climbed the rankings since turning pro in 2012 as he seeks a shot at a super bantamweight championship. The Phoenix-native added two victories in 2020, defeating Jesus Ruiz in February before stopping longtime contender Cesar Juarez in four rounds in July. Castro was coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him score three victories, including 10-round unanimous decision triumphs over former title challenger Genesis Servania and veteran contender Mario Diaz.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to fight an excellent opponent in Oscar Escandon,” said Castro. “I’m very motivated to put on a great performance in front of my hometown fans. On August 28, I’m going to be ready to showcase all of my skills and hard work in the ring so I leave with my hand raised.”
A native of Ibague, Colombia, Escandon (26-5, 18 KOs) has faced a slew of top contenders and champions including featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. and super bantamweight champion Brandon Figueroa, plus hard-hitting contender Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Escandon captured an interim title in 2016 when he knocked out Robinson Castellanos to earn his world title shot against Russell. Most recently, Escandon scored a first-round knockout over previously unbeaten contender Jhack Tepora in December of 2019.
"I'm very focused on training for this fight because I know a win can lead me back to another world title opportunity," said Escandon. "Castro is a good young fighter who has a solid jab and can move. But I think he’s the perfect opponent for me. There are a lot of things we can do to win this fight and I can't wait to go in there on August 28 and show it."
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David Benavidez gets hometown date on Aug. 28th
Unbeaten former two-time champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez (pictured) will square off against former IBF champion Jose Uzcategui in a WBC super middleweight title eliminator as Benavídez returns to his hometown of Phoenix for the first time in six years. The fight will be a Showtime main event on Saturday, August 28th in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns. The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature the much-awaited return of David's older brother Jose Benavídez, who faces Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in the ten-round junior middleweight co-feature. Kicking off the telecast is undefeated Carlos Castro taking on former title challenger Oscar Escandon in a ten-round super bantamweight bout. The Benavídez brothers and Castro all hail from Phoenix. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
“I am happy to be bringing David ‘El Bandera Roja’ Benavidez back to his hometown to fight after so many years away,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “It is going to be a sensational welcome party for him and all the fans.”
Still just 24 years-old, Benavídez (24-0, 21 KOs) enters this fight having knocked out his last four opponents, including a September 2019 knockout of two-time super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell. Most recently, he earned stoppage victories over Roamer Alexis Angulo in August 2020 and Ronald Ellis in March of this year. Benavídez is trained by his father José Sr., alongside his brother and former title challenger, José Jr. In 2017, he became the youngest super middleweight champion in boxing history by defeating Ronald Gavril at just 20 years old. Representing his native Phoenix, Ariz., Benavídez went from a 15-year-old prodigy sparring with Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin, to world title contender with a 10-fight knockout streak from 2015 through 2017, including a highlight-reel knockout of Rogelio Medina with a seven-punch combination that earned him his first title opportunity.
“I’m super excited to fight in front of my hometown fans,” said Benavídez. “It’s a dream come true for me to come back home as a [former] two-time world champion. I’m training for Uzcategui like he’s a world champ because he has a lot of experience and he’s a hungry fighter. I know that he needs this win, but I won’t let that happen. I’m staying dedicated and motivated to win on August 28th on Showtime and I want to look impressive doing it in order to get even bigger and better fights in the future.”
Born in Venezuela and fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico, Uzcategui (31-4, 26 KOs) captured a 168-pound world title in March of 2018 by stopping veteran contender Andre Dirrell after eight rounds. The 30-year-old put himself in position to fight for a title with four-straight stoppage victories from 2015 through 2016, including a win over then-unbeaten Julius Jackson. Since losing the title to unbeaten champion Caleb Plant in January 2019, Uzcategui has rebounded to win three of his last four fights, including knockout wins in 2021 over Jaime Hernandez Lopez and Josue Obando.
“I’m excited to be back on the big stage for this fight,” said Uzcategui. “I know what I’m up against with Benavídez. He’s a great fighter, and that’s my biggest motivation. This is going to be a war and I can’t wait to give the people a great fight. Both of us come to brawl, so this is going to be a classic on August 28th.”
Castro (26-0, 11 KOs) has climbed the rankings since turning pro in 2012 as he seeks a shot at a super bantamweight championship. The Phoenix-native added two victories in 2020, defeating Jesus Ruiz in February before stopping longtime contender Cesar Juarez in four rounds in July. Castro was coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him score three victories, including 10-round unanimous decision triumphs over former title challenger Genesis Servania and veteran contender Mario Diaz.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to fight an excellent opponent in Oscar Escandon,” said Castro. “I’m very motivated to put on a great performance in front of my hometown fans. On August 28, I’m going to be ready to showcase all of my skills and hard work in the ring so I leave with my hand raised.”
A native of Ibague, Colombia, Escandon (26-5, 18 KOs) has faced a slew of top contenders and champions including featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. and super bantamweight champion Brandon Figueroa, plus hard-hitting contender Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Escandon captured an interim title in 2016 when he knocked out Robinson Castellanos to earn his world title shot against Russell. Most recently, Escandon scored a first-round knockout over previously unbeaten contender Jhack Tepora in December of 2019.
"I'm very focused on training for this fight because I know a win can lead me back to another world title opportunity," said Escandon. "Castro is a good young fighter who has a solid jab and can move. But I think he’s the perfect opponent for me. There are a lot of things we can do to win this fight and I can't wait to go in there on August 28 and show it."
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Jose Benavidez returns for first fight since 2018 |
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Jose Benavídez (27-1, 18 KOs), the older brother of former suoer middleweight title holder David Benavidez returns on his brother's undercard to fight in his hometown of Phoenix. He'll face Francisco Emanuel Torres (17-3, 5 KOs) on August 28th. Age 28, Jose Benavídez will return to action for the first time since dropping a 147-pound title showdown to Terence Crawford in October 2018. Benavídez had previously earned wins over contenders such as Mauricio Herrera, Francisco Santana and Frank Rojas on his way to that world title opportunity.
“I’m really excited to be back in the ring after being out for a while,” said Benavidez. “I feel more mature, motivated and stronger than ever. Fighting alongside my brother and in my hometown is really a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to making a tremendous comeback. It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me, I guarantee that I’m going to take them out. No one is going to want to miss this night, because me and my brother are bringing the fireworks.”
A native of boxing-rich Buenos Aires, Argentina, Torres enters this fight the winner of his last nine contests dating back to 2018. The 31 year-old will fight in the U.S. for the third time on August 28, having scored stateside victories over Cleotis Pendarvis in August 2020 and Louis Hernandez in February of this year. Torres most recently won a unanimous decision over Alexi Rivera in June as he prepares for his toughest fight to date against Benavídez.
“I’m very pumped up for this fight,” said Torres. “I want to thank my whole team for this opportunity to participate in such an important fight. This is a great chance for me to go to the next level against a great fighter who’s had an exceptional career. I will work very hard to get the victory on August 14th and raise high the flag of Argentina.”
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Jose Benavidez returns for first fight since 2018
Jose Benavídez (27-1, 18 KOs), the older brother of former suoer middleweight title holder David Benavidez returns on his brother's undercard to fight in his hometown of Phoenix. He'll face Francisco Emanuel Torres (17-3, 5 KOs) on August 28th. Age 28, Jose Benavídez will return to action for the first time since dropping a 147-pound title showdown to Terence Crawford in October 2018. Benavídez had previously earned wins over contenders such as Mauricio Herrera, Francisco Santana and Frank Rojas on his way to that world title opportunity.
“I’m really excited to be back in the ring after being out for a while,” said Benavidez. “I feel more mature, motivated and stronger than ever. Fighting alongside my brother and in my hometown is really a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to making a tremendous comeback. It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me, I guarantee that I’m going to take them out. No one is going to want to miss this night, because me and my brother are bringing the fireworks.”
A native of boxing-rich Buenos Aires, Argentina, Torres enters this fight the winner of his last nine contests dating back to 2018. The 31 year-old will fight in the U.S. for the third time on August 28, having scored stateside victories over Cleotis Pendarvis in August 2020 and Louis Hernandez in February of this year. Torres most recently won a unanimous decision over Alexi Rivera in June as he prepares for his toughest fight to date against Benavídez.
“I’m very pumped up for this fight,” said Torres. “I want to thank my whole team for this opportunity to participate in such an important fight. This is a great chance for me to go to the next level against a great fighter who’s had an exceptional career. I will work very hard to get the victory on August 14th and raise high the flag of Argentina.”
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