Former two-division champion Danny "Swift" Garcia conducted virtual media workout on Monday in preview of his pay-per-view showdown against IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. The big fight takes place on Saturday, December 5th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Training in his hometown of Philadelphia alongside his father and coach Angel Garcia, Garcia will look to become a unified 147-pound champion, which would match the accomplishment he achieved in becoming a unified 140-pound champion. The 32 year-old owns an impressive resumes with wins over Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Lamont Peterson, Robert Guerrero and Paulie Malignaggi. Here is what the workout participants had to say Monday:

 

DANNY GARCIA

 

"I feel great. It's been a long and tremendous camp. We've put in a lot of hard work. My body looks and feels like I'm 21-years-old again.

 

"I'm thankful for this big fight and for my family. I'm also thankful that my weight is good so I can eat a little bit on Thursday.

 

"This is another chapter in my career. This is my chance to have a beautiful moment to add to what I've already accomplished. This is a big fight for me to get back to where I want to be in my career.

 

"This is definitely a legacy fight. I feel like it's a legacy fight every time I get into the ring. There's been a lot of hard work put into this one and I'm just feeling ready to go.

 

"I've been the underdog my whole career. I'm in my comfort zone being an underdog and it's the energy I like to have. I just have to keep proving myself again and again. That's what keeps me going.

 

"I've fought some wizards in the ring. Facing guys like Zab Judah and Erik Morales are experiences that I went to school off of. Everything I've learned in my career has led me to this fight.

 

"If I wasn't from Philadelphia, I wouldn't be Danny Garcia. This city has made me what I am today. I grew up in that old school boxing mind set since I was a kid. I think it's served me well mentally and physically. Plus, my Puerto Rican heritage is another arsenal that I have in my repertoire and it really gives me the best of all worlds.

 

"There's no doubt I'm the hardest puncher Spence faced. I'm one of the hardest hitters in this sport. Almost anyone who steps in there against me is facing the biggest puncher they've seen.

 

"I can't say whether Spence is going to have ring rust because of his layoff. That's something that he has to figure out. I know that I'm ready to go. I can't worry about what he brings to the table. I just have to be the best Danny Garcia.

 

"This is the fight I have to win. This fight is for my legacy. There's only one goal, and that's to win on December 5."

 

ANGEL GARCIA, Garcia's Father & Trainer

 

"We've had a great camp and we can't wait to get in the ring. There's never been a fight that we've taken lightly. We've always taken everybody seriously, and of course that's the same for this fight. We don't change things, we just multiply fight by fight.

 

"Danny has always been the underdog. Whether it was Amir Khan or Lucas Matthysse, it doesn't matter. He's only the underdog because Spence is undefeated, but that doesn't mean anything when we get in the ring.

 

"What really matters is that once Danny lands his shots, will Spence be able to handle it? I'm not worried about anything else that's being said on the outside.

 

"If Danny throws a straight right and hits him flush, Spence isn't getting up. Spence hasn't really been hit yet. I respect every fighter, but Spence has only really fought three guys that people know. Just look at all the fighters Danny has fought. That resume matters."

 

 

Sampson Lewkowicz, promoter of lightweight contender Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) is submitting a formal request to the WBC for them to order negotiations to begin immediately for Fortuna to face current WBC regular lightweight champion Devin Haney (25-0, 15 KOs). In his request, Lewkowicz cites the extended series of cancelled and declined fights for his top-rated fighter:

 

[With the WBC's top championship around the waist of Vasiliy Lomachenko at the time], Fortunamade it to the #1 spot in the WBC ratings last November. Fortuna was supposed to face England’s Luke Campbell in April of this year for the vacant [regular] lightweight championship after then-regular Haney was sidelined by shoulder injury and demoted to “champion in recess.” However, the coronavirus pandemic prevented the fight from happening and gave Haney adequate time to recover. The WBC then reinstated Haney as champion and granted him a voluntary defense. then ordered Fortuna and Campbell meet for the WBC interim title and then face the winner of Haney’s voluntary defense immediately afterwards. That arrangement fell through though, when Campbell’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, announced he was planning to step over Fortuna to make a fight between Haney and Campbell. With Fortuna now looking for a new opponent, representatives from Golden Boy Promotions offered him a fight against Ryan Garcia, which Fortuna agreed to without hesitation, only to be later notified that Garcia didn’t want to face Fortuna.

 

Lewkowicz then arranged for Fortuna to face Jorge Linares (47-5, 29 KOs), a former three-division titlist in August. Unfortunately, Linares announced he had the coronavirus a couple of weeks before the fight and it was also cancelled. Since then, Haney has gone on to successfully make his voluntary defense against former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in November and Garcia is set to face Campbell in January of next year.

 

Fortuna, now the WBC #2 contender after the insertion of former champ Vasyl Lomachenko into the #1 spot [Lomachenko's conqueror Teofimo Lopez is the division's true world champion], was finally able to find someone to fight and looked sensational this past weekend in stopping Antonio Lozada Torres in six rounds.

 

Given these circumstances, Team Fortuna believes they are justified in requesting the WBC to grant this request for an immediate Fortuna vs. Haney fight. Fortuna has been a #1 or #2 contender for over a year while lower-rated contenders have secured fights against each other. With Lomachenko recoveringfrom surgery and looking for a rematch against Lopez, the Fortuna vs. Haney fight is a worthy match-up between champion and available top contender.

 

“Through his entire career, Javier Fortuna has fought anyone willing to fight,” said Lewkowicz. “He looked sensational beating Lozada on Saturday and has been a top contender for an exceptionally long time. He deserves an immediate shot at Devin Haney’s championship. I am sure the WBC will agree that the time has come for his long-awaited title challenge.

 

The return of former super middleweight title holder Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (40-0, 26 KOs) will be Friday night, December 18th, when he faces light heavyweight Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez (32-3, 25 KOs), live on pay-per-view from Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas. "Battle of Rio Grande" will be available for a suggested retail price of only $24.99.   The 29 year-old Ramirez (pictured) fighting out of Mazatlán, Mexico, became the first Mexican super middleweight champion in 2016, when he defeated WBO champion Arthur Abraham. Ramirez successfully defended his world title against Maksym Bursak, Jesse Hart, Habif Ahmed, Roamer Alexis Angulo and Hart in a rematch. Ramirez' last fight, his first as a light heavyweight, was last April in Los Angeles, in which "Zurdo" stopped Tommy Karpency in four rounds. Ramirez then became a promotional free agent.

 

Lopez will be fighting close to his home in Huntsville, Texas. "El Tigre" will be riding a ten-fight win streak into the ring for the Dec. 18th 12-round main event. He hasn't fought in 13 months, registering a ten-round decision win over 19-9-1 Denis Grachev. His previous fight was a fourth-round stoppage of 21-3 Alex Theran.

 

"I'm looking forward to hosting my first fight and appreciate all the support and love I've received from everybody," Ramirez said. I want to give special thanks to FITE.TV, El Tigre Promotions, Be Def Sports, and the state of Texas for being great partners in this event. I know it's been a long road to return, but I feel great having full control of my career and being able to fight whenever, wherever, and however, I want. As always, I appreciate my trainers - Julian Chua, Joel Flores, and Chris Wong - keeping me in shape since my last fight and I feel better than ever to step back in the ring. I'll see you guys December 18th in Texas!"  

 

 

 

Heavyweight Michael "The Bounty" Hunter of Las Vegas has booked a so-called stay busy fight that likely won't keep him very busy. Hunter (18-1-1) will face 37 year-old Chauncy "Hillyard Hammer" Welliver (57-13-5, 23 KOs). Welliver's last fight was in August, and he showed up at an astonishing 378 pounds in a stoppage loss to Cassius Chaney. The fight will take place in Galveston, Texas on December 18th on the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Alfonso Lopez undercard.  Hunter's last action was a twelve-round split draw a year ago in Saudi Arabia with top-ten contender Alexander Povetkin (35-2), the 2004 Olympic gold medalist. A decorated U.S. amateur boxer, Hunter's lone loss as a professional was a twelve-round unanimous decision in 2017 to another Olympic gold medalist (2012) Oleksandr Usyk (11-0), for the WBO cruiserweight title.  

 

Francisco Vargas KO3 Otto Gámez... Former WBC 130-pound champion Francisco “Bandido” Vargas returned from over a year of inactivity, knocking out Venezuela's Otto Gámez (19-4) in the third round. Vargas (27-2-2) ended the bout with a nice left uppercut. The Mexican launched his lightweight campaign after years at junior lightweight, including a WBC title reign from 2015-2017 that was ended by Miguel Berchelt.

 

Gohan Rodriguez W10 Taylor Quijada... In an immediate rematch, Gohan Rodriguez outboxed the previously unbeaten Taylor Quijada over ten rounds in a super flyweight bout held in San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico. The first bout, held in August, was an eight-round draw. This time, Rodríguez (listed at 13-1-1) landed better punches and used a lot of movement to avoid being tagged. He also scored a second-round knockdown of Quijada (listed at 10-1-2) with a right hook to the face. In round six, Taylor was deducted a point for low blows. Rodríguez took a unanimous decision victory via scores of 97-91 (twice) and 98-90.

 

Juan Félix Gómez W8 Izán Dura ... In a lightweight fight held in Spain, Juan Félix Gómez (9-0) defeated Izán Dura (3-6) via decision in an eight-round, all-Spanish fight.Gomez hopes to fight for Spain's domestic championship in his next bout. source for all results: wbc

 

 

MTK Global announced the signing of undefeated junior welterweight Lindolfo Delgado. Delgado (listed as 11-0, but more accurately 20-5 including the World Series of Boxing) will be advised by MTK Global and managed by Rick Mirigian, as he looks to build on his professional career. The 25 year-old represented Mexico at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He joins Vergil Ortiz, Joshua Franco, Hector Tanajara and Misael Rodriguez by teaming up with MTK Global and Mirigian, much to the delight of Delgado. He said: “I am happy to have signed with MTK Global as an advisor. I believe that we are about to do great things and I am sure that they will help me reach my maximum potential and my goals as well. It’s going to be even better since Rick Mirigian is going to take over my management and I think that with this team we are going to achieve my goals.”

 

MTK Global CEO Bob Yalen added: “We’re delighted to again be working with Rick Mirigian to sign the highly-rated Lindolfo Delgado. He represented his country at the Olympics and has taken the paid ranks by storm, so it’s another big statement of intent for our expansion into the North American market.”

 

Mirigian said: “Delgado is a special fighter. He’s a 2016 Olympian who will rip through the 140 pound division in the near future. At 11-0 with 11 KO’s, he possesses the rare combination of skill, power, speed and movie star appeal. With MTK, RGBA and myself we will make sure he reaches his full potential inside and outside the ring.”

Thompson Boxing Promotions returns on Sunday, December 20th with the final 3.2.1. Boxing event of the year. The free stream will air live on Thompson's website, as well as its Facebook and YouTube pages. The event will take place at the Omega Products International Event Center in Corona, CA, and will start at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. The main event has lightweight Michael “The West Texas Warrior” Dutchover (14-1, 10 KOs) against Mexico's Jose Luis "La Boa" Rodriguez (23-13-1, 13 KOs) in an eight rounder. In the eight-round co-feature, two Californians will face off as Saul "The Beast" Sanchez (14-1, 8 KO) takes on Mario Hernandez (10-1-1, 3 KOs) in the super flyweight division. Middleweight Richard “Cool Breeze” Brewart Jr. (7-0, 3 KO), of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, will face Louis Hernandez (8-0-1, 6 KOs), Jackson, MS in the six-round opening bout.



"My last opponent suffered a bad accident, so I was unable to fight," said Dutchover of his thwarted effort in early November to secure an opponent for that event. "I am now very focused and working hard in the gym with my coach Danny Zamora and my stablemate, Ruben Torres and I am ready to finish 2020 with a bang."

 

Rodriguez, who has been in the ring with  two-division champion Jose Pedraza (28-3, 13 KOs), WBA regular 140-pound title holder Mario Barrios (26-0, 17 KOs), Felix Verdejo (27-1, 17 KOs), Antonio Orozco (28-2, 17 KOs), Bakhtiyar Eyubov (14-2-1, 12 KOs), and Sharif Bogere (32-2, 20 KOs) will be the most experienced fighter Dutchover has ever faced. 

 

As for the co-feature, Sanchez said, "I am working hard in the gym with my coach Manny Robles and ready for a fight that will hopefully get me a world ranking. I am focused and ready to show the world, why I am one of the top prospects in all of boxing."

 

"This [Sanchez-Hernandez] is a great fight for the fans with two L.A. fighters facing each other," said Hernandez. "I view this as a world title fight, and I am going to be in the best shape of my career, Sanchez better be ready."

 

For the opening bout, Brewart said, “This is a fight that will show I’m ready for the next level and victory against Hernandez will prove I’m a top prospect. I have no doubt in my ability to have my hand raised after this fight. My hard work will pay off.” 

 

“I will have to bring the fight to Brewart and force him into uncomfortable situations,” said Hernandez. “My plan is to not let this fight go the distance.” 

 

“We're excited to a final show close to the holidays to celebrate and otherwise bizarre year,” said promoter Ken Thompson. “We're focusing on bringing the best fights possible and we want to finish the year well and look into starting 2021 with a lot of momentum.”

 

“It is exciting to see how the 3.2.1 Boxing series has progressed,” said Alex Camponovo, Thompson Boxing's general manager and creator of 3.2.1 Boxing. “We have worked hard to make these shows possible, and we're slowly getting back to putting on the stacked fight cards we were able to do before the pandemic. We have some great fights that fans of boxing should be able to enjoy.”

 

Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Doug Fischer, while Jessica Rosales will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.

 

3.2.1 Boxing is sponsored by Thompson Building Materials, transforming spaces in beautiful places; Omega Products International, the leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Henry / Fortifiber, moisture system control as easy as 1,2,3; and Makita, rule the outdoors.

 

 

Featherweight Ricky Medina (7-0, 6 KOs) will make his return to the ring after a nine-month absence when he faces Gabino Hernandez (7-7-3, 2 KOs) on Friday, December 4th in Matamoros, Mexico. “It feels good to be back in the ring," said Medina. “The world has changed a lot, and I am just thankful to continue my career before the year is over. My last fight was in February, and I am glad I can get one more fight this year. Although there may be some ring rust to shake off, I feel I need to make a statement in this fight,” Medina continued. “I’m going to be very aggressive in this fight with my mind on doing some damage. I never go looking for the knockout, but in this fight I’ll be letting my hands fly with bad intentions.”

 

“Medina has some heavy hands and were expecting to see them on display in this bout," said Greg Hannely, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing, who manages Medina. “Medina has stayed in the gym and been grinding for the chance to get on a card. Now he has his opportunity, and we know he will make the most of it.”

 

“Medina is the type of fighter every promoter hopes to work with,” said Rick Morones, of TMB Entertainment, Medina’s promoter. “Medina is in-shape year around and works hard on his craft, making sure the fans are treated each time he fights. Medina is a special talent.”

 

"I want to prove a point with this fight," concluded Medina. "I feel that next year will be a big year for me, and I am ready for those big fights to happen soon!"

 

MTK Global will serve as the boxing advisors to Core Sports for the upcoming boxing match between strongmen Eddie “the Beast” Hall and Thor “the Mountain” Björnsson. The clash will be billed as "The Heaviest Boxing Match in History" and is tentatively scheduled for Las Vegas in September 2021. Hall holds a number of accolades, including winning the 2017 World’s Strongest Man, and also winning UK’s Strongest Man every year from 2011 to 2016. Björnsson’s resume includes wins at the 2018 World’s Strongest Man, 2018 World’s Ultimate Strongman, 2018 to 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic and Iceland’s Strongest Man every year from 2011 to 2020. He is also known for playing Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones.

 

In 2016, Hall set a new deadlift world record with 500 kg (1,100 lb), with that record standing until 2 May 2020, when it was broken by Björnsson, who deadlifted 501 kg (1,105 lb) in Iceland. That only helped to further the rivalry between the two strongmen, and they are now due to settle their differences inside the boxing ring.

 

Hall said: “I’m training for this fight like I trained to be the strongest man in the world, no stone unturned and anyone in my way is getting milled down. “With the experience MTK Global brings to the table, this event will be even better than it was going to be. As for the fight itself, I have zero doubt in my mind that crybaby Thor is getting folded in half and sent packing back to Iceland.”

 

Björnsson said: “I’m very excited with MTK Global’s involvement as this is something I’ve been taking very seriously and I want others to know how serious this fight will be! I’ve been extremely focused and dedicated in my training as always and I am looking forward to getting in that ring!”

 

Core Sports CEO Don Idrees said: “What would happen when two of the biggest, strongest, most dedicated athletes on the planet cross over to a different sport and put their heart and soul into a new endeavor? If that wasn’t exciting enough, having the biggest force in boxing as our advisors takes this fight, which risked being seen as one dimensional, to a whole new level. This will be a spectacular and inspiring story to be talked about for years to come regardless of who wins.”

 

MTK Global Chief Strategy Officer Paul Gibson added: “It’s great to be involved in this event. In boxing it tends to be the big men who receive most of the attention and it is difficult to find two bigger athletes than Thor and Eddie. I’ve been pleasantly surprised watching footage of their training and sparring. There is a personal and very genuine grudge between the two and that is driving both to take the contest extremely seriously. From fighter preparation, to operational and logistical advice, to the overall commercialisation of the event, our experience and expertise at the highest level of professional boxing will help make the event a huge success.”

Giovannie “King Gio” Gonzalez and Jose Luis Roa will box each other in a lightweight main event scheduled for November 29th in Tijuana. Gonzalez, of Mexican heritage but fighting out of Stockton, California, is 10-5-1 since turning professional in 2017, but can feels hard done by in a few of the blemishes on his record. He has boxed in Mexico eleven times previously as a pro.Roa from Mexicali, is the younger man by five years at twenty-five, and his record looks more glossy at 9-1-1, losing only his pro debut. But he has not quite faced the level of opposition that Gonzalez has, and this will be his first real step-up fight. The ten-round bout will be the main event of a card at Nuevo Plaza De Torros, promoted by Borizteca Boxing Promotions in association with King Gio Boxing Promotions. It will be streamed live by Fight Hub TV from noon local time.

British heavyweight Tom Little after a TKO Loss to Alen "The Savage" Babic: "Last night didn’t go my way unfortunately burst ear drum in 1st rnd taking my feet away but congrats to Babic. He fought his fight and got the job done. [I'm] going to take some time with my family and enjoy my Christmas. God bless and sorry I didn’t get the result  but thanks for all the support."

RCC Boxing Promotions has a show on December 5th in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Olympic champion Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (8-2 including the World Series of Boxing) of Uzbekistan will face Manuk Dilanyan of Armenia (11-4-1). This is a new opponent for Gaibnazarov as the orginally announced foe was Russian welterweight Igor Adleiba (10-0-1). Gaibnazaov's pro career stalled after a May 2019 loss to Mykal Fox in Las Vegas, although he did come back later that year to defeat Vladislav Baranov (6-6-2) in Kazakhstan. Also on the December 5th show, super featherweight Evgeny Chuprakov (22-3) takes on Sardor Muzaffarov of Uzbekistan. Muzaffarov is just 4-3 as a pro, but had a strong amateur career, placing second in his country's national championship tournament last year.

 

According to the Detroit Free Press, former WBC 154-pound champion Tony Harrison and his family organized-- and put in the work-- on a Thanksgiving food distribution that distributed several hundred Thanksgiving meals in his native Detroit. Harrison worked with the Gleaners Community Food Bank to distribute 12 large pallets of food. Boxingtalk salutes the Harrison family and looks forward to seeing him back in the ring in 2021. Boxingtalk also sends its belated condolences to the Harrison family, as the Free Press article reports that Harrison's father and trainer, Ali Salaam El, died from the coronavirus earlier this year. He was only 59 years old.

 

Javier Fortuna TKO6 Antonio Lozada ... The Dominican Republic's Javier "El Abejon" Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) stopped Mexico's Antonio Lozada (40-5-1, 34 KOs) in the sixth round of their lightweight clash Saturday on Fox Sport 1 PBC Fight Night from Staples Center in Los Angeles. A former WBA regular champion at 130 pounds, the 30-year-old Fortuna came out attacking from the opening bell. He landed a blitz of powerful lefts and rights to the head of Lozada, culminating in a left to the head for a quick knockdown near the end of the opening frame. Normally an aggressive pressure fighter, the 31 year-old Lozada seemed overwhelmed by the hand speed of Fortuna, who boxed and slugged with equal dominance. Fortuna switched from all-out brawling to technically picking apart Lozada from rounds two through five, landing sharp counter punches and strong opening lefts and rights. In round six, Fortuna caught Lozada with another haymaker and this time didn't let him off the hook. After a sustained two-fisted assault on the dazed but still coherent Lozada, referee Gerard White waved off the bout at 2:34. Fortuna sustained a small cut from an accidental headbutt above the right eye in round one, but it was not a factor. Fortuna threw 316 punches and landed 107 according to CompuBox. Lozada threw 292 and landed just 45. source: pbc

 

 

Conor Benn W10 Sebastian Formella ... Conor Benn put himself on the welterweight map on Saturday at England's Wembley Arena, defeated Germany's Sebastian Formella by a wide unanimous decision. The 24 yer-old Benn defeated the former IBO champion by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 99-92. Benn is now 17-0, while Formella, who recently lost to ex-welterweight champion Shawn Porter, slips to 22-2.  “I just stuck to my boxing,” Benn told Matchroom. “I was hitting him with some hard shots. The guy just went 12 rounds with Shawn Porter and I think I beat him more convincingly. I didn’t lose a round. It was an okay night’s work. I’ve had harder spars than that. I’m not being funny. I’ve been sparring with Middleweights and Super-Middleweights in 18oz gloves. They wear 14oz gloves and I wear 18oz gloves. When it comes to punching power, if I’m not going to bang them out, I’ll wear them down.

 

“[Against Fomrella], I stayed cool and composed the whole ten rounds. I could have done 15. I’m barely breaking a sweat now. He tried it on the inside and I beat him to the punches on the inside. He tried it at range and I beat him to the punches at range. I was quicker, faster and stronger. People think their experience is going to get to me, what experience? Jussi Koivula got banged out in two rounds and if they want to go ten or twelve I’ll outbox them for ten or twelve. People will always question me because of my vulnerability. I’m hungry like I come from the ends. I’m hungry like I came from nothing. I fight like a starving man. You don’t need to come form poverty, come from having nothing, to be a great fighter. I have a great life. I live such a blessed life, but I still fight like a starving man because of that championship mindset, that hunger and will to win. I’ve just beaten a former IBO World Champion. I’m pushing on. The only domestic fight I’m interested in, the only domestic fight that the public keep talking about, not Instagram, is the Josh Kelly fight. That’s the only fight I’m interested in. If not, get me Samuel Vargas. Get me some of these top Yanks, I’ll have a bit of them. The only domestic fight I’m interested in is Josh Kelly. Let’s have it.” source: matchroom

 

Matchroom press release:  Fabio Wardley produced a stunning one-punch knockout of Richard Lartey to further enhance his status. The unbeaten 25 year-old was testing himself at a higher level after winning the English Title in the summer and he dramatically stopped Lartey, even quicker than current British champion Daniel Dubois.

 

“The first round took some adjusting,” said Wardley afterwards. “I like to use that first round to gather information, figure out my opponent, see where gaps are, see what’s going on. Just analyse the whole situation. I did that, took a few shots doing it but that’s all part of the game. A bit of that chin check thing was ticked off for me. I can take a bang and it’s not going to give me too much bother. We got through that first round and I figured out what I was going to do from then onwards.

 

“I stung him with a few jabs and I always saw that those gloves came straight up in front of him. I fought sting him with one and come around the side. That was the plan and it came off perfectly. Nobody is ever going to grumble at an early night’s work. I get to go back and chill out now. I need to start getting those rounds in and get tougher tests. I’ve ticked that box of ‘do I have one punch power?’.

 

“The comparisons are always going to come. Does me knocking out Lartey quicker than Daniel Dubois mean I’m better than him? Does it mean I’d do the same to Daniel? Boxing isn’t that cut and dry. There’s a lot more to it. I take it for what it is. I beat Richard Lartey in two round and I’m happy with that performance. I did well and that’s all you take from it. We keep moving and we keep working.”

 

Alen Babic TKO3 Tom Little ... Alen Babic toppled Tom Little twice in another brutal knockout win as the Croatian heavyweight continued the blistering start to his career with a sixth straight stoppage. Babic came charging out in the second round. Little did his best to return fire but his resistance was broken in the third. Little wilted to the canvas after a ferocious cluster of punches, and Babic sensed the end was near, unloading another powerful barrage that dropped his opponent by the ropes, prompting the referee to wave it off. “My Savage Army, I never lie to you,” Babic told Matchroom. “If I tell them I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it. I said I would do it in the first round and it should have been in the first round, he was well prepared. He could take a punch. I think I broke both of my knuckles on his head. I can feel it. He can take a punch. Nobody can go three rounds with me. I had fuel in my tank for twenty like that. Filip Hrgovic bet against me, I’m so glad he lost money on me. He is my fellow Croat, we live like 2 km away from each other. He bet against me. That just shows he doesn’t know sh*t about boxing. He doesn’t know the history of boxing. He’s just a technical guy, a very good technical guy. As soon as the fans come back, I want him.

 

“I’m going to take Tom back to my Savage Army because he’s a good guy. He’s a good fighter but he’s not even close to my level. He’s [about 28 pounds] heavier than me. and I want you to write that down. I box every day. I don’t do anything out of the ring. My training is old school, boxing, sparring and pads. Just that. I didn’t do a single push up or pull up. I’m not faking anything. Hrgovic is a fake. I’m real and I want to fight. I like fist fights. I think it was a beautiful fight. I want to give people entertainment. That’s who I am and I’m always going to be like that. Unless somebody tests me I’m going to keep knocking them out. Give me a strong puncher, a knockout artist. You’re going to see the sweet science. I can do it. I can punch and I have stamina. I have a strong head, you can’t beat that with muscles.”

 

Jez Smith W6 Ben Ridings... Middleweight Jez Smith (12-2-1) sealed a shutout points win to end the unbeaten record of Ben Ridings (3-1). The superior experience of Smith showed from the opening bell as he outworked the rugged Ridings to earn a 60-54 verdict after six rounds from referee Robert Williams. “I’m over the moon,” Smith said afterwards. “I can’t put it into words. I had a game plan and I knew what I was going to do. I knew I had a good game plan so I stuck to my boxing. I think it was a dominant performance. The referee didn’t give him a round. If I can box like that and do that when I’m not even 30% fit,  imagine what I can do when I’m fully fit. I took this fight on five days’ notice, I’m not taking anything away from Ben, I knew I was levels above him. I’ve hardly been in the gym. I’m going to dedicate myself to this craft. I’m going to be back with another win on my record. I’m a fighting man. As soon as I got the call to fight live on Sky Sports on a massive bill like this I jumped at the chance. I’ll fight anyone. I’m going to get back down to Light-Middleweight. Me and Ted Cheeseman have unfinished business from the amateurs. Me and him had a fight called off after one round as there was fighting in the arena. That would be an electric fight with fireworks. If he wants it he can have it. I’ve put myself on the map so hopefully I can start being used on these big shows more. I knew tonight was my night. I knew I had to go in there and put on a boxing performance. I believe that’s what I did. He hardly touched me. I claimed every round. I think this is the biggest arena that I’ve fought in so far in my career. I’m ecstatic and over the moon. I just want to say a massive thank yo to Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for giving me this opportunity. I’ll be ready for the call when it comes again.”

 

 

Liam Davies TKO6 Sean Cairns... Donnington’s Liam Davies (8-0) secured the vacant English bantamweight title with a stylish stoppage victory over Sean Cairns (7-3) in the opening bout of the evening. The 24-year-old caught Cairns regularly with straight right hands, forcing the Liverpudlian’s corner to call a halt to the fight after the sixth round. “The new English bantamweight champion sounds good,” Davies told Matchroom afterwards. “It is music to my ears. I’m just happy. I knew I could do it. It was just about getting in there and getting the job done, making sure that everything went to plan. I felt like it did tonight. I still had a lot left in the tank. I wasn’t slowing down for nothing. I was building up the pressure and putting my punches together. You’ve got to give it to him, he’s as tough as anything. He kept coming and coming! That’s why I didn’t go mad with it. I respected how tough he was and how game he was. Full respect to Sean and I wish him all the best in the future. I’d give myself an eight out of ten. I know there’s still more to come from me. I just hope I get the chance to come again and show another level because this is just the start for me. I’m looking to build and get more belts around my waist. The show in Telford didn’t go ahead but I landed on my feet fighting live on Sky Sports here wining my first title. This is a memory that I will never forget and hopefully something that we can build on. I don’t fold under pressure. If anything, I rise to it. I rise to the occasion and next time I’ll rise again with a bigger and better performance for another belt hopefully. That’s the plan. I’m here to impress and I felt like I did tonight. I did what I intended to do. I won in style. Most people would have gone over. I hit him hard and you’ve got to respect him for taking those shots. I don’t think most bantamweights could have taken that power. Roll on whoever is next because I’m coming now.” source: matchroom

 

 

Jackie Nava W10 Marisol Corona ... Mexican women's boxing legend Jackie Nava took a deserved victory by unanimous decision over Marisol Corona on a Zanfer show at the TV Azteca studios in Mexico City. Corona (11-8-3, 4 KOs) had a few good moments where she landed sme combinations of her own, but not enough to win a significant number of rounds. The 40 year-old Nava improved to 37-4-4 with 16 KOs, winning the super bantamweight contest by scores of 97-93 (twice) and 99-91. She was a WBA bantamweight champion and a WBC/WBA super bantamweight champion. source: zanfer 

 

In undercard action from the PBC card at Los Angeles' Staples Center, a ten-round lightweight showdown saw Austin Dulay (14-2, 10 KOs) earn a wide unanimous decision over Jose Luis Gallegos (19-10, 14 KOs). Representing his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, the southpaw Dulay used his superior skills, speed and work rate to control most of the action, but Gallegos never made it easy. Using strong straight left hands and uppercuts, the 25 year-old Dulay was able to stifle the pressuring style of Gallegos and outwork him in the exchanges. Gallegos was never able to solve Dulay's quick pot shots from the outside. As is customary when an orthodox fighter faces a southpaw the fight featured several unintentional headbutts. The one-sided scores were 100-90 (twice) and 99-91 for Dulay.

 

MORE RESULTS

 

In a six-round lightweight fight, 18 year-old Fernando Molina (3-0, 2 KOs) won his United States debut by taking a unanimous decision over Jose Zaragoza (5-3-1, 2 KOs). A decorated amateur, Molina showed good punching power by dropping Zaragoza with a perfectly timed right uppercut in round two and then cruised the rest of the way for the comfortable points win. The 32 year-old Zaragoza had his occasional moments, but didn't have the tools to match the speed and ring savvy of Molina. Through the six rounds, Molina threw 370 punches and landed 107. Zaragoza threw 377 and landed 61. All three judges scored it 60-53.

 

Houston's Oscar Perez (2-0, 1 KO) scored a first round knockout over Porterville, California's Christian Marron (0-1) 1:24 into their welterweight clash. source for all results: pbc press release

On December 3rd, Ring City will present its second show, broadcast live from Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. In the main event, Serhii Bohachuck (18-0, 18 KOs) meets Brandon Adams (21-3, 13 KOs) in a ten-round super middleweight main event. There will be two supooritng bouts for the show: welterweight Brian Ceballo (11-0, 6 KOs) clashing with Larry Gomez (10-1, 8 KOs) in over ten rounds and, in rare women's heavyweight action, 2019 amateur world champion Danielle Perkins (1-0, 1 KO) faces Princess Hairston (1-0, 1 KO) in a six-round matchup.

 

Ireland's Fearghus Quinn will take on Scott James on the Golden Contract show on Wednesday December 2nd at Production Park Studios in Wakefield, England live on Sky Sports and on ESPN+. The middleweight Quinn (1-0) is back following a successful pro debut against former Southern Area champion Robbie Chapman in August. He now turns his attention to James (6-6-1), who has shared the ring with the likes of Lewis Crocker, Liam Wells and Hamzah Sheereaz. Quinn said: “I’m delighted to get out again so soon. I know with there being fewer fights on shows it’s hard to get everyone out, so I’m glad to have another fight in before the end of the year. I was very happy with how my debut went. It was a new experience and a strange one with no crowd and having to isolate, so I was pleased to go out and put on a good performance and have something to build off. I don’t know a whole lot about Scott James, I’ve just seen a few clips on YouTube. He seems like a tough, strong opponent and comes forward, so it should be a good fight.”

 

MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton added: “We’re excited to have Fearghus Quinn back on next month’s Golden Contract show. He was extremely impressive in his professional debut against Robbie Chapman, and now has another tough test by facing Scott James. It looks set to be a fantastic Golden Contract event with some brilliant fights on the card, so fans are in for a treat on Wednesday 2 December.”

 

In the featured bouts on the show, Jazza Dickens takes on Ryan Walsh in the Golden Contract featherweight final and Ricards Bolotniks faces Serge Michel in the light heavyweight final,

 

For Saturday's Fox Sports 1 show in Los Angeles on Saturday, Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna weighed in at 135.2 pounds, one pound heavier than Antonio Lozada's 134.2. Fortuna (35-2-1), a former WBA regular title holder at 130 pounds, faces Lozada (40-4-1) in the ten-round main event... In the co-feature, Austin Dulay (13-2) weighed in at 137.8 compared to Jose Luis Gallego's 136.6. Gallego is 19-9.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the boxers' weights for Saturday night's Toscano Promotions card in Tijuana, Mexico:

 

Manuel Jaimes 132 pounds -vs.- Cristian Vazquez 132;

Damian Sosa 153 -vs.- Ernesto Olvera 153

Alessandro Riguccini 151.5 -vs.- Ivan Alvarez 153

Jose Alvarado 131.5 -vs.- Christian Flores 130

Wade Jones III 140 -vs.- Francisco Hernandez 144

Leonid Grachev 226.5 -vs.- Imanol Contreras 291

Alan Garcia 135 -vs.- Jorge Garcia 135

 

Showtime has reconfigured its December 12th line-up after Nordine Oubaali tested positive for the coronavirus. Oubaali was supposed to defend his WBC bantamweigh title against Nonito Donaire. Showtime's new main event will highlight the 130-pound division as WBA interim belt holder Chris “Primetime” Colbert (pictured) faces hard-hitting Jaime Arboleda at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The tripleheader, originally scheduled for November 28th, will also see Matt Korobov and Ronald Ellis battle in over ten middleweight rounds and junior welterweight Richardson Hitchins taking on the toughest test of his young career as he faces former junior lightweight title holder Argenis Mendez in a ten-round telecast opener. 

 

“This main event on December 12th will pit two of the 130-pound division’s most exciting rising talents against each other as the sublimely skilled Chris Colbert faces the powerful Jaime Arboleda in a can’t-miss showdown,” said promoter Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The co-feature will see two middleweight contenders in Matt Korobov and Ronald Ellis looking to show that they’re among the division’s elite, while the Showtime opener features the exciting prospect Richardson Hitchins against the always tough Argenis Mendez in a big step-up fight. These are three evenly-matched bouts that should make for nonstop drama on fight night.” 

 

Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (14-0, 5 KOs) has quickly shot up the 130-pound rankings, taking on high-level competition in his first 14 pro fights. The 24 year-old beat then-undefeated Austin Dulay, Titus Williams and Antonio Dubose, all in his first eight fights as a professional.  In 2019, Colbert added four more victories to his tally, including an explosive first-round knockout of veteran Miguel Beltran Jr. Most recently, Colbert won his interim belt by dropping former super featherweight tile holder Jezreel Corrales on his way to a unanimous decision in their January 2020 clash. 

 

“I’m super excited to be making my big stage debut in the main event,” said Colbert. “It’s been a long camp, but training is going great. I’m looking to put on a dominant performance, and I’m looking for the knockout if it’s there. If I can get it, that would be splendid. I know Jaime is going to come to fight. He wants the belt as bad as I want to keep the belt. It’s all going to come down to stamina, ring IQ and who has the greater will to win. I feel like I’m the guy for the job. There’s no way in hell I’m giving up my belt in my first defense.”

 

The 26 year-old Arboleda (16-1, 13 KOs) has amassed a six-fight winning streak heading into the matchup against Colbert, with five of those victories coming inside of the distance. Born in Curundu, Panama, and now fighting out Miami, Fla. Arboleda has fought professionally since 2014 and scored knockouts over two then-undefeated opponents in 2019, Victor Betancourt and Jose Saant. In his last fight, Arboleda [controversially] bested Jayson Velez by unanimous decision to win his first 12-round fight this February. 

 

"Every boxer's dream is to fight for a title and be victorious without leaving any doubt,” said Arboleda. “That is my plan for December 12th. I'm having the best preparation of my entire career. I feel great, strong and fast like never before. I'm sure it will be a very exciting fight from the very first round.”

 

Korobov (28-3-1, 14 KOs) returns to action after losing his December 2019 clash against Chris Eubank Jr. when he suffered a shoulder injury that forced the fight to end in the second round.  Korobov, who notched 300 wins as a decorated amateur, came into that fight off of a majority draw against Immanuwel Aleem, after serving notice to the middleweight division that he would be a threat when he lost a hard-fought decision to undefeated middleweight champion Jermall Charlo in December. Born in Orotukan, Russia, and now living in St. Petersburg, Fla, Korobov was a late replacement and gave Charlo a tougher fight than many experts expected. Korobov had been riding a four-fight win streak before the Charlo fight, following his first professional defeat against Andy Lee in a 2014 middleweight title fight.

 

"I am excited to be back in a PBC event on Showtime December 12th," said Korobov. "I have a difficult opponent, but I expect to win and prove that I am back and even better prepared. I must win against Ellis in order to get Jermall Charlo back in the ring. Of course, I believe I beat Charlo, but that is the past. Ellis is in my future, and I am coming to show I am still one of the best middleweights in the world."

 

The 31 year-old Ellis (17-1-2, 11 KOs) will look to build off of his last outing, which saw him edge fellow contender Immanuwel Aleem by majority decision in December 2019. For Ellis, that fight got him back in the win column after his first career defeat, a majority decision against DeAndre Ware in March 2019. The Lynn, Mass.-native is the older brother of welterweight Rashidi Ellis, and had an impressive amateur career including a 2010 National Golden Gloves championship capped off by a victory over Terrell Gausha. 

 

"It's time for me to show out on December 12th," said Ellis. "Korobov had his chance against the top middleweights, and now it's my time to take advantage of this opportunity and use a win over him to reach that level. We're working hard in San Diego sparring with Canelo Alvarez so that everything is perfect and I'm at my best on fight night."

 

A native of Brooklyn, Hitchins (11-0, 5 KOs) turned pro in 2017 after representing Haiti at the 2016 Olympics. The 23 year-old has flashed impressive skills as he’s amassed an unbeaten record in the pro ranks, which is the product of an extensive amateur career. Hitchins scored four victories in 2019, before debuting in 2020 with a decision victory over Nicholas DeLomba. In his first two 10-round bouts as a professional, the southpaw has scored decisive unanimous decisions. 

 

“I don't overlook any opponent, but I believe I have a better and sharper skillset than Mendez,” said Hitchins. “I have all of the intangibles to become a world champion. That's often mistaken as being cocky, but it's really just me believing in myself more than anyone else. I will take this fight seriously like I do any other fight and continue to do what I do in order to get one step closer to that title shot. Being in camp with Floyd Mayweather and Gervonta Davis, I've learned a lot. I feel like I have to one-up the competition. They really pushed me to be a better fighter.”

 

A former IBF super featherweight champion, Mendez (25-5-3, 12 KOs) has a reputation for providing stiff challenges to the sport’s best and has proven to be a durable contender at 140-pounds. In 2019, Mendez fought to back-to-back draws against super lightweight contenders, first against Anthony Peterson in March and then against the unbeaten Juan Heraldez in May. Born in San Juan de La Maguana, Dominican Republic, Mendez now fights out of Yonkers, N.Y. and owns victories over Eddie Ramirez, Ivan Redkach and former titlist Miguel Vazquez. He has also gone toe-to-toe with former champions Rances Barthelemy and Robert Easter Jr. 

 

“I’m facing a young prospect who’s hungry for success, but I’m hungrier today than I’ve ever been in my career and I have the experience to go along with it,” said Mendez. “I’m also extremely motivated for this fight, which isn’t good news for Hitchins. When fight time comes on December 12th, you’ll witness an intelligent but more aggressive Argenis Mendez.”

 

Julio Ceja shared insight into his training camp and previewed his upcoming featherweight showdown against  Eduardo Ramirez, a WBC eliminator that will kick off the December 5th pay-per-view event headlined by Errol Spence Jr. vs. Danny Garcia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This training camp was the second for Ceja with Ismael Salas in Las Vegas, a highly-regarded trainer who has worked with Erislandy Lara, plus Rances and Leduan Barthelemy, among others.

 

"We've been in training for two months with coach Salas and we've been really focused on my strength work," said Ceja. "We've been going over every detail because we know that Ramirez is a strong and dangerous fighter. Salas is familiar with him from when Leduan fought him, so we're going to have a perfect game plan for December 5th."

 

In his most recent fight, the 28 year-old Ceja challenged unbeaten WBA 122-pound regular title holder Brandon Figueroa last November. Although Ceja gave Figueroa a tough test in a fight scoed a split draw, Ceja was not able to win the title due to missing weight the day before. Now officially moving up to 126 pounds, Ceja expects the extra weight to benefit him against Ramirez.

 

"We've had some trouble making 122-pounds for the last few fights, so that's why we decided it was time to move up to featherweight," said Ceja. "I'm working really hard and I feel stronger than ever. There are no concerns about making weight. We are about to finish our sparring and I can't wait to show off my improvements in the ring."

 

The Tlalnepantla, Mexico native will be facing another Mexican fighter in Ramirez, opening up the pay-per-view undercard that features two other fights with Mexican or Mexican-American fighters squaring off in the Sebastian Fundora vs. Jorge Cota and Josesito Lopez vs. Francisco Santana matchups. With these styles in tow, Ceja predicts another classic Mexican battle.

 

"This is a fight with two Mexican warriors, so it's going to be spectacular," said Ceja. "Boxing fans know that when two Mexican fighters meet, especially in the U.S., there are going to be fireworks. Ramirez is smart and strong, but we're planning to out think and out work him. This fight is definitely going to steal the show and be a match that people will be talking about afterward."

 

In this WBC title eliminator, Ceja will be able to put himself into a position to potentially challenge Gary Russell Jr. in the near future. While Ceja plans to be ready for anyone he ends up facing for the title, Ceja believes his performance in defeat against Guillermo Rigondeaux showed that he can match up well with highly skilled fighters such as Russell.

 

"This fight on December 5th is an amazing opportunity to [land a] fight for a world title," said Ceja. "We're only focused on Ramirez, but after this fight, whoever the champion is, that's who I'm going to be ready to face. I'll say yes right away. People saw what I did to Rigondeaux and that I was beating him before the referee stopped the fight too early. I showed my strength in that fight and I showed how I would give Gary Russell Jr. problems."

Battle hardened fighters Sam Eggington (28-7, 17 KOs) and Ashley Theophane  (50-8-1, 19 KOs),  will clash on Friday December 11th over twelve rounds live in the UK on free-to-air Channel 5. The show will be staged behind-closed-doors in Redditch, England. Promoter Mick Hennessy will release further details of the fight card in due course. Birmingham’s Eggington so far has had an eight year career as a working-class warrior with the dream of a world title shot. Last year, he went on the road and brought home a second-round KO win over Orlando Fiordigiglio in Florence. Eggington's signature win was ending the career of former champion Paulie Malignaggi in March of 2017. In his last fight in August, Eggington was involved in a toe-to-toe battle with Ted Cheeseman that he lost on a close points decision following a thrilling final round.

 

Eggington knows he has to do a number on Theophane to keep his world title dream alive and has promised to make it an early ending. He said, “I’m still just 27 and I’ve accomplished so much in under 10 years as a pro, but the World title is the one thing that’s missing and I desperately want that more than anything else.  Winning this fight is absolutely crucial to me and my future so there’s no ifs or buts, I have to win, full stop. I’m coming off the Cheeseman fight that I don’t believe I lost, I one hundred percent won that fight and the scoring was dreadful with everything hedging towards him. [But] I’m now focused on Theophane who’s a good name.  He knows the game inside out and he’s experienced and well travelled, we’re both solid pros and know what’s on the line. He’ll want to win bad and so do I, I’m not planning on it going the twelve rounds, I’ll be getting him out of there inside that.”

 

Paddington’s Theophane the former British 140-pound champion, hasn’t had an easy ride in his career spanning 17 years that has seen him fight all around the world. Previously promoted by Floyd Mayweather’s TMT outfit, "Treasure" fought on the undercard of Mayweather’s fight against Andre Berto in September 2015 when he won a points decision over Steve Chambers.

 

In his only world title attempt, he faced Adrien Broner for the WBA 140-pound title in April 2016, but the American failed to make the weight the day before and was stripped of the title.  With the title vacant, only Theophane could claim the belt if he won and despite a brave performance he was halted in the ninth round.

 

Theophane then targeted 50 professional career wins and achieved that with a victory over Patta Varduashvili in Germany in December 2017.  In his last fight in October 2019 he defeated the  former IBF 154-pound champion Kassim Ouma in Denmark.

 

He previously fought on two Hennessy Sports shows prior to his World tour when he defeated British Super-Lightweight Champion Lenny Daws (February 2011) and in the next fight defended the title against Jason Cook (July 2011), both fights were televised live on Channel 5.

 

Outside of the ring Theophane has also done incredible work in his community to raise awareness of youth knife crime through going into schools and talking to kids to encourage them to take up  boxing training and get off the streets.

 

Theophane believes it’s an even fight with a blend of youth against experience and he’s confident of victory in his 60th pro fight.

 

He said, “Sam is very physically strong. He’s not afraid to go into enemy territory so that says a lot about his character. A weakness is that maybe he’s too brave for his own good.”

 

“Fights with Josh Kelly and Conor Benn never materialised for me and I believe that Sam is probably tougher opposition than them. He’s young, experienced and a former British, Commonwealth and European champion,”

 

“I’ve watched him once when he fought Malignaggi. That was an impressive win over a former world champion.  He’s been stopped twice so it’s possible I can do that too.  I believe it’s a great fight. Youth versus experience, it’s a 50/50 fight,”

 

“At this stage in my career. I’ve done everything except win the world title. I’ve beaten world champions, fought at the MGM Grand. I’ve headlined in Las Vegas. I’ve fought and won in twelve countries on my two-year world tour to achieve my 50 wins. I’m content. Right now. I’ll take it one fight at a time.”

 

“I’m training for the win. That is my aim to achieve my 51st win in my 60th professional fight.”

 

 

Juan Barajas D8 Bruno Sandoval... In Sonora, Mexico, super middleweight Juan "Just Business" Barajas and Bruno "Tiburon" Sandoval battled to an eight-round draw. The 24 year-old Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), fighting out of Victorville, California, remained unbeaten, albeit fighting to a draw with Mexican knockout artist Sandoval (21-4-2, 17 KOs). Barajas won 97-93 on one of the judges' scorecards, lost 96-94 on the second, and the third judge scored the fight 95-95.

 

Jesus Moroyoqui Palomares W6 Jaime Portillo... In a battle of unbeatens, Mexican middleweight Jesus "Mazo" Moroyoqui Palomares (6-0-1, 4 KOs) won a six-round unanimous decision against his countryman Jaime Portillo (3-1, 3 KOs).

 

Geovany Bruzon TKO3 Jesus Nerio... Cuban heavyweight Geovany "La Bestia" Bruzon (3-0, 3 KOs), now fighting out of Guatemala, stopped Jesus "Dandy" Nerio (14-9-1, 6 KOs) in the third round. Bruzon, 22, was the 2014 Cuban National Youth champion. The southpaw displayed his great hand speed and power against Nerio. source for all results above: rjj boxing

 

 

 The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced that Panam Sports has upgraded boxer Naomi Graham to a gold medal for her performances at the 2019 Pan American Games. The medal reallocation is the result of a disqualification ruling or doping offense. [Venezuela's Jessica Caicedo originally won the gold medal but has been stripped of her medal]. With the medal reallocation, Graham becomes the women's middleweight champion at her first Pan American Games. A staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, Graham was named captain of the USA Boxing Team as she continues to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. 

 

"I'm overjoyed to be upgraded to the gold medal and to be named the Pan American champion," said Graham. "Thank you to the United States Army for the continuous support so I am able to compete at such a high level while still serving my country. I would also like to thank the USOPC and Panam Sports for their commitment to clean and fair sport.

 

Two other athletes [in sports other than boxing] also were upgraded under similar circumstances. "On behalf of the USOPC, I congratulate these terrific athletes on their performances in Lima. While we regret it is not possible to give them back their celebratory moment at the Pan American Games, we are thrilled to honor them today," said USOPC President Susanne Lyons. "Doping has no place in the Olympic and Paralympic movements, and we will continue to work diligently until we can ensure athletes around the world are competing fairly. Today we are one step closer towards the equitable playing field our athletes - and all athletes - deserve."

 

"It's imperative that every athlete is competing in a clean and fair environment, and I'm proud of Panam Sports and the USOPC for standing strong in that commitment," said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic. "I send my sincere congratulations to Naomi [Graham], Kamran [Madani] and Taylor [Abbott] for their medals and thank them for their outstanding performances in Lima last year." 

 

The medals will be presented to the athletes in a virtual medal ceremony on Nov. 18th hosted by USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland, Ilic, Lyons, and features National Governing Body representatives, coaches, teammates, family and friends.

 

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's BKFC-14 took place last week in Miami, Florida. It was headlined by the BKFC 155-pound title bout between champion Luis ‘Baboon’ Palomino and challenger Jim ‘The Bare Knuckle Beast’ Alers. Palomino quickly finished the highly touted Alers to the surprise of many... professional boxer Uly Diaz defeated Donelei Benedetto with a three-second knockout (the fighters begin each bare knuckles bout squared up in the center of the ring). Diaz, age 39, is 12-1 in traditional boxing as a light heavyweight / crusierweight... For the first time in modern bare knuckle fighting history, a fight went into a sudden death round as Tyler Vogel and Jake Bostwick needed more than five rounds to determine a winner in their 185-pound brawl.  Bostwick picked up the win in overtime... In a women's fight, Britain Hart got a decision win over Randine Eckholm, then called out former UFC fighter Paige Van Zant who will make her bare knuckle debut on Super Bowl weekend.

 

MORE RESULTS:

 

(175lbs bout) Francesco Ricchi defeated Noah Cutter via TKO – Round 3, 0:31

 

(135lbs bout) Jarod Grant defeated Chris Johnson via TKO (corner threw in towel) – Round 3, 0:24

 

(155lbs bout) Eddie Hoch defeated Jeff Chiffens via KO (corner threw in towel) – Round 2, 1:01

 

(195lbs bout) Lorenzo Hunt defeated Davian Green via TKO – Round 2, 0:49

 

(165lbs bout) Alan Arzeno defeated Fred Pierce via TKO (leg injury) – Round 1, 1:31

 

(175lbs bout) Kenmon Evans defeated Sedric Johnson via KO – Round 1, 1:40

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez’s clash with Callum Smith for Smith's WBA super middleweight championship will take place with a limited live crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday December 19th, live on DAZN in 200+ countries and on TV Azteca in Mexico.An announcement on ticket prices and on-sale dates will be made early next week. Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) fights at the venue for the second time in his storied career having beaten Austin Trout there in April 2013, and it’s the fourth time the Mexican pound-for-pound king has boxed in Texas having also beaten James Kirkland and Smith’s older brother Liam in the Lone Star state.

 

Smith (27-0 19 KOs) will be gunning for revenge for ‘Beefy’s’ defeat in September 2016, and the Liverpool star will look to stake his position as the #1 super middleweight in the world with victory on the biggest night of his eight-year pro career.

 

The Alamodome has a rich history of staging blockbuster fights, including the infamous draw between Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez and the late great Pernell Whitaker in April of the stadiums opening year in 1993. Manny Pacquiao, Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Canelo himself have headlined since then – and Canelo is excited to return to San Antonio and fight in front of his adoring faithful. “I am thrilled to be back at the Alamodome and very thankful to be fighting in front of my fans on December 19,” said Canelo. “I have great memories of my previous bouts in Texas, and I expect this to be a special fight to close out the year.”

 

“It’s fantastic news to be able to hold this great fight in front of fans and in a great stadium like the Alamodome,” said Eddie Hearn, managing director of Matchroom Sport. “It’s a fight that deserves to be witnessed in the flesh and those fans that snap up the hottest ticket in town next week will be in for a brilliant night of action, topped by the pound-for-pound king taking on the number one Super-Middleweight in the world – a simply unmissable occasion for those in attendance and watching live on DAZN.”

 

 

Matchroom's December 12th undercard continues to grow with quality match-ups. Undefeated Souleymane Cissokho will face Great Britain's Kieran Conway in a junior middleweight bout added to the December 12th show headlined by the WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight championship fight between Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev. The Senegalese-born Cissokho (13-0 including the World Series of Boxing) has been inactive since September 2019 but will start his belated 2020 campaign with a difficult foreign-soil test against Conway (15-1-1, 3 KOs). In Conway's last action, he defeated Nav Mansouri back in August. 

 

Two heavyweight bouts were added to the December 12th bill eariler this week: Hughie Fury (24-3, 14 KOs) against Mariusz Wach (36-6, 19 KOs) and Martin Bakole (15-1, 12 KOs) encountering Sergey Kuzmin (16-2 including the World Series of Boxing). The show already includes Lawrence Okolie (14-0, 11 KOs) taking on Krzysztof Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBO cruiserweight championship. 

 

Cissokho, who fights out of France, said: “I’m very excited to get back in the ring as part of a huge card on December 12th. It has been a difficult year for everyone and I am itching to fight. I cant wait to put on a show and showcase my skills in the UK for the first time. It’s a dream come true to be able to perform for the British public. 

 

Conway said: “I’m looking forward to this fight massively. It’s another big fight for me, another big challenge and another big win. Being on this show is huge. There’s going to be massive viewing figures and I’m excited to be part of the whole thing. I know Cissokho was a very good amateur, and I know he’s skilful but I’m looking forward to showcasing my own skills and showing more of what I’m about. He hasn’t fought for a while, so it could be an advantage for me. Being out the ring for a year does nobody any favours but we will see on fight night, either way I’m looking to dominate. After this fight I’d expect more big fights and for people to not overlook me anymore.”

 

 

 

O’Shaquie Foster TKO9 Miguel Roman... Super featherweight contender O’Shaquie Foster rose to the occasion Thursday night, stopping Mexico's Miguel Roman in the ninth round on Ring City’s inaugural fight card at Los Angeles' Wild Card Boxing Club. Foster (18-2,11 KOs) dominated the fight, setting the precedent with a big right hand that floored Roman (62-14, 47 KOs) 1:30 into the first round. The punch cut into Roman’s eye and the 34 year-old took time to regain momentum.

 

“I feel great and like I showed everybody I can box” Foster told ringside reporter Curran Bhatia. “I showed the world that I’m talented and hope everyone will want to see me fight again.”

 

Roman, who entered the fight with over triple the number of knockouts as Foster, showed his signature fortitude. While Foster controlled the distance and created angles, Roman tried to force the action throughout, refusing to give up the inside. But Foster’s conditioning and eye for creating opportunities couldn’t be matched and earned him his long-awaited coming out win.

 

“It feels unbelievable to be on this stage and show my talent to the world,” Foster continued. “I would love to face the winner of Berchelt vs. Valdez next, or even Carl Frampton. Any of the top guys, I’m ready to get in the ring with.”

 

William Zepeda TKO5 Roberto Ramirez... In the co-feature, Mexican slugger William Zepeda (22-0, 20 KOs) didn’t disappoint in his U.S. debut, stopping Roberto Ramirez (23-3-1, 16 KOs) in the latter half of the fifth round to snap Ramirez’s ten-fight win streak. The win marked Zepeda’s twelfth consecutive stoppage to bring his total to 20. Zepeda got the job done efficiently and stayed consistent throughout. Both fighters came out utilizing the jab, relying heavily on their front hand in the initial rounds. Zepeda gained confidence with each round and opened it up in the third, where he unleashed a high volume of punches. The pressure paid off as Ramirez tired and began to lean in, negating his own height advantage. The momentum was heavily in Zepeda’s favor in the fifth round as he became more comfortable sneaking in his right hook and landing it effectively. Referee Ray Corona stopped the fight with 20 seconds remaining in the fifth round when a hurt and tired Ramirez was caught on the ropes.

 

Eduardo Hernandez KO3 Eduardo Garza... In "the battle of Eduardos" Eduardo Hernandez (30-1, 27 KOs) dominated Eduardo Garza (15-3-1, 8 KOs) on his way to a third-round stoppage. Garza dominated from the opening bell, quickly getting comfortable with his right uppercut and seizing control of the action. Hernandez employed an arsenal of crisp punches to keep Garza cornered and overwhelmed. A body shot with 45 seconds remaining in the third round dropped Garza for goodfor all results: source for all results: press release

 

Successive Ring City cards will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST on Dec. 3 and Dec. 17. Ring City fights will stream live on the NBC Sports app, with highlights featured on NBC Sports’ YouTube Channel.

 

WBC / IBF welterweight champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. brought fans and media into his training camp Thursday during a virtual media workout as he prepares to take on former two-division champion Danny Garcia in a pay-per-view main event on Saturday, December 5th from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Desoto, TX native Spence will return to the ring after two huge wins in 2019 followed by a horrific auto accident that saw him ejected from his vehicle. In March 2019, he defeated four-division champion Mikey Garcia by unanimous decision, before unfiying welterweight titles in September by defeating Shawn Porter in one of the year's best fights. Spence was joined at the workout by his longtime trainer Derrick James. Here is what the workout participants had to say Thursday:

 

ERROL SPENCE JR.:

 

"I'm feeling great right now. I'm in shape and ready to go. We've been training hard and we're 100% percent focused. I'm ready to put on a great show for my hometown fans.

 

"I'm not concerned about ring rust. We have a game plan and I'm working with my coach every day on it. I'm going to stick to the plan and use it December 5. I can't wait.

 

"I picked Danny Garcia because he's a tough opponent with a granite chin. He's always in tough close fights. He's going to bring the best out of me.

 

"If I took a tune-up fight, I wouldn't be as focused or dedicated as I am right now. I know Danny's dad is pushing him to take my belts in my hometown. So I' staying focused to make sure that doesn't happen.

 

"c You can see I'm sweating today and I'm not dried out. There's no struggle to make weight. I'm just feeling good.

 

"I don't know if Danny is the hardest puncher I've faced. We'll see when I get into the ring against him. But I know that I'm not Amir Khan or Adrian Granados or anyone else that he's knocked out.

 

"I'm just going to feel him out. If I can press him early, I'm going to press and do what I do. We have a great game plan. Everyone has to tune in and watch what I'm going to do because this is guaranteed to be an exciting fight.

 

"There was a lot of uncertainty after my accident, but I knew that I wanted to keep training and make sure that I'm 100% ready to get into the ring. The doctors gave me the okay and said everything is fine, so I'm ready to go.

 

"It's a blessing to have my son born during training camp. Seeing his face just pushes me to work harder. Along with my two daughters, I want to give all of them a great future. The only way I can do that is by training hard, staying focused and getting this victory on December 5.

 

"I want to make an impactful statement. I guarantee there's going to be highlights everywhere from this one. It's going to be a great performance.

 

"My message to the rest of the division is just, line 'em up. Everyone knows who to talk to. All the other top welterweights, anyone else in my way, can come and try to get it."

 

DERRICK JAMES, Spence's Trainer:

 

"Errol has been working hard. The dedication and determination are there. He's pushing himself as hard or harder than ever. You can tell there's a competition within himself so that he can push himself to be the best he's ever been.

 

"Danny is a very smart fighter. He's one of the most decorated fighters in the sport and he's got a great resume. He's definitely a threat. So me and Errol both need to be on our 'A' game to be able to beat him.

 

"We don't worry about what Angel Garcia is saying. On this level, you have to have that confidence that Angel has in Danny. We always believe we're going to win. If it's the Dallas vs. Philadelphia rivalry inspires them, then that's fine. We have our own motivations that inspire.

 

"The key to Errol's power is his body. He's punching with his whole body. He's really focused on his technique and putting all 147 pounds of pressure into a shot. It could lead to a knockout at any point in the fight."

 

2016 Olympic medallist Misael Rodriguez (listed at 10-0, but more accurately 12-8 including the World Series of Boxing) will be advised by MTK Global and managed by Rick Mirigian, with the two boxing forces guiding the career of the 26 year-old Mexican.  A sensational amateur career saw him take bronze as a middleweight at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Rodriguez is already extremely popular around the world, with over 300,000 followers on Instagram, and he’s happy with this next step in his career. Rodriguez said: “Signing with MTK Global is an important step, and having them on my side as advisors is something that will help to strengthen my career... I will continue making history, just as I did for my country. MTK Global and Rick Mirigan have both done things well in the boxing world, and I know that my career will explode and the big cards will come. I have been training a lot for this moment, and I am ready and excited as I want to be world champion.”

 

MTK Global CEO Bob Yalen said: “We’re proud to be announcing the signing of Misael Rodriguez. He’s regarded as one of the best rising stars in boxing, and we’re excited to be working with Rick Mirigian to guide his career. He has already proven himself to be an incredible amateur star by capturing an Olympic medal, and we’re convinced that he can have just as much success as a professional.”

 

Mirigian said: “Outside of Canelo, Misael is Mexico’s most popular active fighter. He was the only Mexican Olympian to medal in the past 25 years, he has been on reality shows and has 300,000 organic Instagram followers and can fight his ass off. MTK and I have major things for 2021 in store for this undefeated star.”

 

Rodriguez is the latest big name to team up with MTK Global and Rick Mirigian, following on from welterweight superstar Vergil Ortiz Jr, super-flyweight world champion Josh Franco, and unbeaten Hector Tanajara over the past week.

 

Further news on more additions between MTK Global and Mirigian will be announced in the coming days.

 

With Tyson Fury calling of his Dec. 5th fight, Queensberry Promotions will carry on that night with Anthony Yarde battling Lyndon Arthur in the new main event on BT Sport. Arthur’s Commonwealth light heavyweight strap will be at stake in the bout, originally slated as the cheif support for Fury vs. Agit Kabayel. Yarde-Arthur will mark the end of a huge two-week celebration of Queensberry principal Frank Warren's 40- year anniversary in professional boxing. Arthur (17-0, 12 KOs) won his title in October 2019 outpointing Emmanuel Anim, and in his first defense a little under four months ago, he won clearly on points against Dec Spelman. Yarde (20-1, 19 KOs) previously lost a title challenge to Sergey Kovalev but went one better than Arthur against Spelman in September, stopping Spelman in the sixth round.

 

"King" Arthur said: “What a great fight it is to be involved in. Being behind closed doors means there would have been a few stare downs at press conferences by now, but it takes nothing away when we fight. A lot of boxing fans are in lockdown, they all have an opinion and they will all tune in to BT Sport. I’m excited knowing that... I could have stopped Spelman if I upped the pressure. I was in first gear and not even blowing,” insisted Manchester man Arthur.

 

The 29 year-old added: “Yarde has power, but to nullify it I will make sure I am not there to be hit. Everyone can hit hard if you stand in front of them. I have power as well and he needs to nullify mine. I’m not worried about his power. The two twelve rounders against Anim and Spelman have brought me on leaps and bounds. It’s 24 rounds experience in two fights. You cannot buy that. I’ve watched Yarde’s two fights since Kovalev and he hasn’t shown anything different. You get what you see.”

 

Yarde went to Kovalev’s Russian back yard in August 2019 and came close to beating the then-WBO champion before running out of steam in round eleven. He returned in February and hammered Diego Jair Ramirez inside two rounds before his win over Spelman.

 

Yarde, 29, said: “I hope and believe this will deliver a thrilling end to what has been a difficult year for everybody. “Top domestic fights like this are what boxing fans tell us they want and I am happy to be part of what will be a special night in London – a special place for a special fight. From my side, I will be about bringing entertainment for the viewers, spectacular action and a devastating finish. I want to make it a memorable fight that will be remembered for a long time. I am totally focused only on this fight and I am treating it just as seriously as I would for a world title. I take every fight seriously and right now I am just working towards getting the job done in the best fashion.”

 

It will also be a night to remember for Warren, as it concludes the two-week celebration of his 40th anniversary of promoting his first ever British Boxing Board of Control show. The Hall-of-Fame promoter said: “It will be a memorable occasion for me personally, but to promote two world class boxers in the Queensberry stable going against each other is the icing on the cake. Anthony and Lyndon agreeing to fight tells you about their confidence levels and how they feel their place is in the pecking order. I believe the winner will become the mandatory for the WBO title. There are two guarantees. Anthony and Lyndon will deliver excitement and the winner will be in the world title picture in 2021. The fight was first scheduled for April. Sadly the pandemic has kept delaying it. Of course I would have loved a packed house, but we couldn’t delay it any further.”

Super middleweight Vaughn “The Animal” Alexander is looking to get back into contention for big fights and he’s willing to fight a man they are calling a monster, hard-punching first-round knockout specialist Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga, to do it.  “Why wouldn’t I want to fight Edgar Berlanga?” said a confident Alexander (15-4, 9 KOs). “He’s calls himself a monster. I want to find out. No hate at all; he’s doing what he’s supposed to do with the people they are putting him in with, but I think I will beat him.”

 

A St. Louis native, Alexander is the older brother of former two-weight champion Devon Alexander. Vaughn says he sees things in the 23 year-old Berlanga (15-0, 15 first-round KOs) that will not only allow him to snap the young slugger’s 15-fight first-round KO streak, but will also carry him to victory. “I will beat him. He’s knocking all these guys out that just stand there and offer no resistance. I will do the things that benefit me, not him; I will stand when I want to. And his power means nothing to me. I have a hell of a chin. I’ve even fought light heavyweights and still held my own. I think Edgar is a promising prospect, but let’s see what happens when someone gets out of the first round,” said Michael Cameron, Alexander’s manager. “Vaughn will take him deep into the fight. Nobody knocks Vaughn out. Let’s see what happens when a real fighter like Vaughn is still there late in a fight.”

 

Cameron says he’s reaching out to Berlanga’s people to try and make the fight happen, hoping they decide to try and give their fighter a challenge, rather than looking to continue the KO streak. “He’d be a good win for me,” continued Alexander. “With the wave he has going right now, it’ll put me back where I need to be to further my career. I’m not hating on him. Berlanga is a good up-and-coming prospect who is knocking everybody out because he’s a very good fighter. I’m just a real fighter in the same weight class and I feel I will beat him.”

 

Less than two weeks from his heavyweight bout scheduled for Saturday, November 28th in Los Angeles, CES Boxing's Juiseppe "Sicilian Nightmare" "Cusumano is now prepping for a boxing curveball – a sudden change in opponent. With Mississippi’s Nick Jones unable to obtain a license in the state of California, Cusumano (18-3, 16 KOs) will now challenge Greg Corbin (15-3, 9 KOs) of Dallas, a former National Golden Gloves champion and fellow 6-4 big man ready to embrace the opportunity of a lifetime on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. undercard at The Staples Center. 

 

Cusumano-Corbin, scheduled for eight rounds, is one of seven fights scheduled for November 28th, including the exhibition headliner between ring legends Tyson and Jones, who fight eight rounds for the [idiotic] WBC Frontline championship. With no fans in attendance, the card is available for purchase on pay per view via or on the newly-launched Triller app.

 

This is no walk in the park for Cusumano; Corbin started life as a pro with 15 consecutive victories, including a spectacular knockout win over Homero Fonseca in 2018. He is best remembered for his three staright losses to ex-IBF champion Charles Martin and rising prospects Filip Hrgovic and Stephan Shaw, who are now a combined 25-0.

 

Cusumano’s not-so-secret weapon may be the influence of his recent two-month training camp in Providence, where he trained under the guidance of Roland Estrada; his son, former Olympian and heavyweight contender Jason "Big Six" Estrada, and former cruiserweight title challenger Matt "Too Smooth" Godfrey. This is an ever-changing landscape for Cusumano, who typically trains in his hometown of Danville, VA, but decided to minimize distractions and add a new set of voices to his camp in anticipation of the biggest fight of his career. 

 

With Jones out, this is now a crossroads fight between two heavyweight contenders looking for a big win to get them back on track.

 

On December 5th in Los Angeles, Errol Spence will defend his WBC and IBF welterweight championships against Danny Garcia. On the same Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view show, "The Riverside Rocky" Josesito Lopez (37-8) battles Francisco Santana (25-8-1) in an all-California welterweight bout. Lopez has beaten former world title holder Victor Ortiz, and lost to Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana and Jessie Vargas. He also gave former welterweight champion Keith Thurman hell back in a January 2019 loss. Most recently, Lopez knocked out John Molina Jr. in September.  He's trained under the guidance of Robert Garcia. Here is what Lopez had to say on a media call yesterday:

 

Josesito Lopez: I'm thankful and glad to be fighting December 5 and I'm healthy.  Training camp has been going great.  And I'm excited for this fight with just a couple more weeks to go.

 

Q: First question is as far as your time working with Robert Garcia, describe some of the changes that you've seen in your boxing style in your fighting over the last year or two that you guys have been together.

 

Lopez: He's helped me become a smart technician. And then we have one of the best gyms in the entire world with the most amount of quality fighters. So, as far as experience, I bring the experience but quality fighters in sparring helps and they have the best of the best here.  No shortage of sparring, and good work and we all push each other.  So it's been all good since I made the move.

 

Q: As far as personal improvements that you've seen in your own boxing game, what are the one or two things that you feel that you've really tightened up as far as your performances?

 

Lopez : Well, when it comes to the top level of boxing, it's just the smallest of mistakes that can cost a lot.  And I've made those mistakes in the past and I've managed to correct them. And then Robert helped me to tweak small things that have made a big change in my boxing.  So those small changes can - it goes a long way for me.

 

Q: Do you feel a sense of that you have not as much time as you used to in order to try to get that championship?

 

Lopez: Yeah, I'm a little higher in age.  I feel that and I know that.  But I feel very, very good with Robert right now.  And I'm at a good time in my life where I'm balancing experience with strength and quality work with Robert. There has been nothing but good things, positive things throughout with him.  So, I'm excited.

 

Q: How do you see this fight playing out, ideally, what would you like to see occur?

 

Lopez: Well, obviously, ideally, I would like to come out with a victory, but I'm prepared for a war.  I'm prepared for anything that Francisco comes to bring to the ring.  He's a tough, gritty fighter that always comes to fight and I expect that.  I expect fireworks, I expect quite possibly the fight of the night.  So I'm ready for anything.

 

Q: In terms of your mentality, how do you get to that level mentally, of knowing you're going to be in for what many considered to be a war on December 5th?

 

Lopez: Well, mindset wise, every fight is the most important fight of my career.  This one, no less.  So, I come into the table as if it could possibly be my last fight and I bring everything. I trained hard.  I focused.  I've been away from home. 

 

Q: Do you think that after not fighting for roughly about a year or so, has it been good for you or has it refreshed you?

 

Lopez: Well you got to make the most of it. I wish I could have fought a little sooner but I make the most of it. I stayed active in the gym.  I'm constantly training, working with other guys.  I've had a few camp right before the shutdown. I was helping Mikey Garcia prepare for Jessie Vargas. So I've been training. I think for the most part, I'm just thankful and happy to be able to be fighting in this year, really a time where some fighters won't even get to fight this year. So, I'm glad I can.

 

Q: Have you seen Francisco fight?  What is it that you see in his game that you think that you may be able to exploit?

 

Lopez: Well, it's not necessarily what I see in him.  I just think I'm a better fighter than I was before.  And we both bring grit and determination to the fight, I think that's been clear. I just feel like I've been quite a bit smarter in my boxing throughout my last few fights.  And I'm able to have that ring IQ that's necessary for a fight like this.

 

Q: Can you talk about how your time with Robert Garcia helped you particularly in your last fight?

 

Lopez: Well, my time with Robert Garcia has been great. He's a good mentor and he has helped me with game plans.  Intelligent ring generalship and that showed against John Molina where I did knock him down early. We stayed patient.  I didn't make little mistakes and I still finished the job.  So, all that is basically where the work that Robert Garcia has shown.  It made me a little bit smarter in many ways. He says you work smarter not harder.  Even though I'm still working just as hard, I'm just getting a little smarter.

 

Q: What have you learned from the pandemic of overall?

 

Lopez: What I've learned is that with the shutting down and everything there, it gets tough for everyone and my heart goes out to definitely all the people that are struggling and hurting.  You know, everyone is struggling in some type of way. But you also got to make the most of your time. I've definitely sat down and made the most of my time.  I was able to do things that that are important to me. I started my own trucking company and the things that you put aside and procrastinate on doing, it was a good time to really realize the important things in life and then work hard for what you want. So although it's been a tough, tough time for myself and everyone else you make the most of this bad time.

 

Q: Any final comments before you get ready for December 5th?

 

Lopez: Well, I want to say that I'm very thankful to be fighting on PBC... They know a fight with myself is never a boring fight.  So, I'll definitely bring that action. I'm excited to be on the card with another exciting fighter that will bring fireworks. So, this is a fight that you can't miss.  And you can't blink because the fight could be over anytime.  I feel great and I'm excited to get out in there and then show everybody what I got.

 

 

Former two-division champion Jackie Nava and Sergio Alfredo Chirino will seek their second victories of this year on a show promoted in Mexico by Zanfer this Saturday at the TV Azteca studios in a closed-door event . The 40 year-old Nava (36-4-4, 16 KOs) will face Marisol Corona (11-7-3, 4 KOs) over ten rounds in a super bantamweight contest in which the 34 year-old Corona has both youth and speed in her favor. Chirino (17-6 including the World Series of Boxing) will face Antonio Tostado García (27-7, 8 KOs) over ten featherweoght rounds. For Chirino it will be his first ten-round fight, while Tostado has fought ten rounds or more six times. In 2014, Garcia lost a 115-pound title shot to Omar Narváez.

 

On the same show, Argi Cortés (16-2-2, 7 KOs) will face Martín Jiménez (14-8-0, 8 KOs) over eight bantamweight heats... Iván “Tsunami” García (8-0, 5 KOs) will mix it up with Carlos Mejía (5-1, 1 KO) in a flyweight six rounder... and Diego Melasco (5-0, 1 KO) will face José Yael Márquez (4-2, 3 KOs) over six junior flyweight sessions.