WBC orders rematch between Conceicao and Foster |
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According to a social media post by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC Board of Governors has ordered a direct rematch between WBC super featherweight champion Robson Conceciao and the man he controversially beat last month, former champion O'Shaquie Foster. On July 6th, Conceição upset Foster by split decision to win the WBC junior lightweight world title in a tactical affair. Conceição fell short in world title bids three times before but did just enough to edge the defending champion in a verdict that sparked immediate debate. Conceição (19-2-1, 9 KOs) prevailed by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Foster held a 116-112 edge on the third card. Boxingtalk reviewed the fight and scored it 115-113 for Foster.
Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) outlanded his challenger, 109 punches to 76, and vehemently disagreed with the verdict. “I don’t know, man. I thought it was easy. I thought it was an easy fight. I didn’t get touched except with a headbutt. I don’t know, man," Foster said. “I’ll be back. But I want the rematch. They stole this from me. They stole this fight from me. I just wanted to show the world I could bang it out, and if I want to, I don’t have to get touched. I guess it wasn’t good enough for the judges.”
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WBC orders rematch between Conceicao and Foster
According to a social media post by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC Board of Governors has ordered a direct rematch between WBC super featherweight champion Robson Conceciao and the man he controversially beat last month, former champion O'Shaquie Foster. On July 6th, Conceição upset Foster by split decision to win the WBC junior lightweight world title in a tactical affair. Conceição fell short in world title bids three times before but did just enough to edge the defending champion in a verdict that sparked immediate debate. Conceição (19-2-1, 9 KOs) prevailed by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Foster held a 116-112 edge on the third card. Boxingtalk reviewed the fight and scored it 115-113 for Foster.
Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) outlanded his challenger, 109 punches to 76, and vehemently disagreed with the verdict. “I don’t know, man. I thought it was easy. I thought it was an easy fight. I didn’t get touched except with a headbutt. I don’t know, man," Foster said. “I’ll be back. But I want the rematch. They stole this from me. They stole this fight from me. I just wanted to show the world I could bang it out, and if I want to, I don’t have to get touched. I guess it wasn’t good enough for the judges.”
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Chisora shows up to weigh-in wearing a Zhang mask |
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At the weigh-in for tomorrow's heavyweight fight in London, Derek Chisora tried to get inside Joe Joyce's head. Chisora showed up wearing a Zhilei Zhang mask to remind Joyce of the two knockout losses Joyce suffered to Zhang in 2023. Eventually, the veteran warriors stepped on the scales, which registered 256.7 pounds for Chisora and 281.2 for Joyce. For his best fights, Joyce was generally in the 250s and 260s.
Joyce-Chisora plus the following two bouts will be streamed in the United States on ESPN+ at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT:
Ryan Garner 129.4 pounds vs. Archie Sharp 129.1 (ten rounds); and
Moses Itauma 239.8 vs. Mariusz Wach 287.4 (ten rounds).
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Chisora shows up to weigh-in wearing a Zhang mask
At the weigh-in for tomorrow's heavyweight fight in London, Derek Chisora tried to get inside Joe Joyce's head. Chisora showed up wearing a Zhilei Zhang mask to remind Joyce of the two knockout losses Joyce suffered to Zhang in 2023. Eventually, the veteran warriors stepped on the scales, which registered 256.7 pounds for Chisora and 281.2 for Joyce. For his best fights, Joyce was generally in the 250s and 260s.
Joyce-Chisora plus the following two bouts will be streamed in the United States on ESPN+ at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT:
Ryan Garner 129.4 pounds vs. Archie Sharp 129.1 (ten rounds); and
Moses Itauma 239.8 vs. Mariusz Wach 287.4 (ten rounds).
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Danny Garcia gets opportunity to become a three-division champ |
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The September 14th co-feature prior to Canelo Alvarez's world super middleweight championship defense vs. Edgar Berlanga will feature Cuba's Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara facing Danny “Swift” García (pictured), a former two-division champion. Garcia will fight as a middleweight for the first time in his career in what will be a high-stakes matchup for Lara’s WBA championship. This fights matches two fighters with more world championship experience than almost anyone else in this era of boxing, with a combined 24 appearances in world title fights.
Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs) had a long reign as WBA 154-pound champ and is now in the midst of a second title run, this time at 160-pounds.
Lara captured his current title initially as a secondary title, scoring a first-round knockout of Thomas LaManna in May 2021. He KO’d Gary O’Sullivan in May 2022 and most recently sparked out Michael Zerafa in round two in March. Along the way, Lara was upgraded to WBA champ when Gennady Golovkin retired. Prior to his middleweight exploits, Lara was the longest reigning 154-pound champion before he lost a split-decision to Jarrett Hurd in a 2018 title unification match that earned “Fight of the Year” honors from the BWAA. Lara returned from that fight and battled former 154-pound world titleholder Brian Castaño to an exciting draw in another narrow fight that could have gone Lara’s way. He faced a slew of the top 154-pounders in the sport, including Canelo Álvarez, ahead of his middleweight debut.
“My fight with Danny García will be a classic battle between two legendary fighters of our era,” said Lara. “We’ve both faced the best, have impressive resumes and have competed at the top level for a long time. I’m excited for this fight. I encourage all my Mexican fans to tune in on Mexican Independence Day, bring your flags and support this great event. I will represent not only Cuba, but also Mexico on this day against Puerto Rico. To everyone watching at T-Mobile Arena and on the pay-per-view on Prime Video, you will witness greatness in the ring throughout the action-packed night of boxing. I look forward to putting on a show and being the first to knock out Danny García. This will be an epic showdown!”
A champion at 140 and 147 pounds, García (37-3, 21 KOs) owns one of the sport’s more impressive resumes as he now seeks to add a middleweight world title to his list of accomplishments. In his last fight, contested at 154 pounds, he kept José Benavídez Jr. at bay on his way to a twelve-round decision victory. The Philadelphia native has proudly represented his Puerto Rican heritage throughout a career that includes wins over a string of champions including Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt. As a welterweight, he added triumphs over Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi, and Robert Guerrero, defeating Guerrero for a vacant title in 2016. García’s campaign at welterweight included narrow defeats to some of the sport’s most talented and rugged fighters in Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, and then unbeaten unified champion Errol Spence Jr.
“This is a legacy fight and an opportunity to win a championship in my third weight class,” said García. “Lara is a great champion who’s been around for a while, but so have I. On Sept. 14th, I’m bringing the Danny García show to Las Vegas and making it a historic night.”
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Danny Garcia gets opportunity to become a three-division champ
The September 14th co-feature prior to Canelo Alvarez's world super middleweight championship defense vs. Edgar Berlanga will feature Cuba's Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara facing Danny “Swift” García (pictured), a former two-division champion. Garcia will fight as a middleweight for the first time in his career in what will be a high-stakes matchup for Lara’s WBA championship. This fights matches two fighters with more world championship experience than almost anyone else in this era of boxing, with a combined 24 appearances in world title fights.
Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs) had a long reign as WBA 154-pound champ and is now in the midst of a second title run, this time at 160-pounds.
Lara captured his current title initially as a secondary title, scoring a first-round knockout of Thomas LaManna in May 2021. He KO’d Gary O’Sullivan in May 2022 and most recently sparked out Michael Zerafa in round two in March. Along the way, Lara was upgraded to WBA champ when Gennady Golovkin retired. Prior to his middleweight exploits, Lara was the longest reigning 154-pound champion before he lost a split-decision to Jarrett Hurd in a 2018 title unification match that earned “Fight of the Year” honors from the BWAA. Lara returned from that fight and battled former 154-pound world titleholder Brian Castaño to an exciting draw in another narrow fight that could have gone Lara’s way. He faced a slew of the top 154-pounders in the sport, including Canelo Álvarez, ahead of his middleweight debut.
“My fight with Danny García will be a classic battle between two legendary fighters of our era,” said Lara. “We’ve both faced the best, have impressive resumes and have competed at the top level for a long time. I’m excited for this fight. I encourage all my Mexican fans to tune in on Mexican Independence Day, bring your flags and support this great event. I will represent not only Cuba, but also Mexico on this day against Puerto Rico. To everyone watching at T-Mobile Arena and on the pay-per-view on Prime Video, you will witness greatness in the ring throughout the action-packed night of boxing. I look forward to putting on a show and being the first to knock out Danny García. This will be an epic showdown!”
A champion at 140 and 147 pounds, García (37-3, 21 KOs) owns one of the sport’s more impressive resumes as he now seeks to add a middleweight world title to his list of accomplishments. In his last fight, contested at 154 pounds, he kept José Benavídez Jr. at bay on his way to a twelve-round decision victory. The Philadelphia native has proudly represented his Puerto Rican heritage throughout a career that includes wins over a string of champions including Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt. As a welterweight, he added triumphs over Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi, and Robert Guerrero, defeating Guerrero for a vacant title in 2016. García’s campaign at welterweight included narrow defeats to some of the sport’s most talented and rugged fighters in Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, and then unbeaten unified champion Errol Spence Jr.
“This is a legacy fight and an opportunity to win a championship in my third weight class,” said García. “Lara is a great champion who’s been around for a while, but so have I. On Sept. 14th, I’m bringing the Danny García show to Las Vegas and making it a historic night.”
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US Olympians learn of their draws |
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Team USA will have eight boxers competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. These eight boxers learned their paths to gold, including their first-round opponents during Thursday’s Olympic Games tournament draw. The Paris 2024 Olympic boxing tournament has 13 weight divisions, seven for men and six for women’s. Competition in Paris will begin on Saturday, July 27th, before concluding on Saturday, August 10th, at the Roland-Garros Stadium and the North Paris Arena. Here is an in-depth look at Team USA’s path to gold for USA Boxing’s eight competitors:
Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendale, Calif.) will get Team USA started in Paris and will go head-to-head against the experienced Estelle Mossely out of France during the first day of competition. Mossely is 11-0 in her professional career and has won an IBO championship. These two seasoned boxers will square off in the lightweight division around 3:20 p.m. ET on July 27th. The American will make her Olympic debut after qualifying during the Pan American Games in October, where she secured the bronze medal. Mossely will make her Olympic return after becoming the first French female Olympic boxing gold medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 2016 gold medalist is a four-time French national champion and a two-time world amateur championships medalist.
Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) will be the lone American boxer representing Team USA on day two, Sunday, July 28th. Hill will go up against Omid Ahmadisafa, an Iranian-born kickboxer who represents the Refugee Olympic Team, beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Hill qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. Hill has won two medals in the last two years, including a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in October.
Day three will include Team USA super heavyweight, Joshua Edwards (Houston, Texas), who takes on Italy’s Diego Lenzi. Edwards punched his ticket at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where he won gold. Lenzi qualified for Paris at the first Olympic qualification tournament in Italy in March 2024. These two super heavyweights will take the ring on Monday, July 29th, at approximately 6:36 a.m. ET.
Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) will lead the way for the stars and the stripes on Tuesday, July 30th, as she will face off against Mijgona Samadova from Tajikistan, starting at 11:38 a.m. ET. Mendoza is the youngest of the eight American boxers and makes her Olympic debut at just 20 years old, after punching her ticket at the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. The Caldwell, Idaho, native won three medals in 2023 and looks to carry that momentum to Paris.
Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.) and Jahmal Harvey (Oxon Hill, Md.) each picked up opening-round byes, granting both competitors extra rest before stepping into the ring on Wednesday, July 31st. Jones is one of Team USA's leaders and captains this year and qualified for Paris at the first World Qualification Tournament. Jones will box against Kan Chia Wei out of Chinese Taipei [Taiwan]. Chia Wei won silver at the 2022 Asian Games and placed fifth in 2018 at the same event. The two contenders will go head-to-head at 5:48 p.m. ET.
As for Harvey, he will go up against a similar opponent in Luiz Gabriel Oliveria. Harvey, a native of Oxon Hill, Md., has already squared off against the Brazilian five times in his career with wins in three of those bouts. The two featherweight boxers most recently competed at the 2023 Pan American Games semifinals, where Harvey won to punch his Olympic ticket. Harvey and Oliveira will square off for the sixth time around 10:02 a.m. ET.
Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas) and Morelle McCane (Cleveland, Ohio) round out the eight for Team USA. Both boxers will start in the round of 16 and will need three wins each to medal. Lozano will get things started at 10:02 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1st, and will take on the winner between Mexico’s Pihla Kaivo-Oja and Zambia’s Margaret Tembo.
McCane will face Navbakhor Khamidova out of Uzbekistan in the welterweight class at 10:50 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1st. Khamidova qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Second World Qualification Tournament. McCane went on to win silver at the Pan American Games where she punched her ticket to Paris. McCane is the fifth consecutive Olympic boxer from Cleveland and the first female Olympic boxer from her city.
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US Olympians learn of their draws
Team USA will have eight boxers competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. These eight boxers learned their paths to gold, including their first-round opponents during Thursday’s Olympic Games tournament draw. The Paris 2024 Olympic boxing tournament has 13 weight divisions, seven for men and six for women’s. Competition in Paris will begin on Saturday, July 27th, before concluding on Saturday, August 10th, at the Roland-Garros Stadium and the North Paris Arena. Here is an in-depth look at Team USA’s path to gold for USA Boxing’s eight competitors:
Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendale, Calif.) will get Team USA started in Paris and will go head-to-head against the experienced Estelle Mossely out of France during the first day of competition. Mossely is 11-0 in her professional career and has won an IBO championship. These two seasoned boxers will square off in the lightweight division around 3:20 p.m. ET on July 27th. The American will make her Olympic debut after qualifying during the Pan American Games in October, where she secured the bronze medal. Mossely will make her Olympic return after becoming the first French female Olympic boxing gold medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 2016 gold medalist is a four-time French national champion and a two-time world amateur championships medalist.
Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) will be the lone American boxer representing Team USA on day two, Sunday, July 28th. Hill will go up against Omid Ahmadisafa, an Iranian-born kickboxer who represents the Refugee Olympic Team, beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Hill qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. Hill has won two medals in the last two years, including a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in October.
Day three will include Team USA super heavyweight, Joshua Edwards (Houston, Texas), who takes on Italy’s Diego Lenzi. Edwards punched his ticket at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where he won gold. Lenzi qualified for Paris at the first Olympic qualification tournament in Italy in March 2024. These two super heavyweights will take the ring on Monday, July 29th, at approximately 6:36 a.m. ET.
Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) will lead the way for the stars and the stripes on Tuesday, July 30th, as she will face off against Mijgona Samadova from Tajikistan, starting at 11:38 a.m. ET. Mendoza is the youngest of the eight American boxers and makes her Olympic debut at just 20 years old, after punching her ticket at the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. The Caldwell, Idaho, native won three medals in 2023 and looks to carry that momentum to Paris.
Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.) and Jahmal Harvey (Oxon Hill, Md.) each picked up opening-round byes, granting both competitors extra rest before stepping into the ring on Wednesday, July 31st. Jones is one of Team USA's leaders and captains this year and qualified for Paris at the first World Qualification Tournament. Jones will box against Kan Chia Wei out of Chinese Taipei [Taiwan]. Chia Wei won silver at the 2022 Asian Games and placed fifth in 2018 at the same event. The two contenders will go head-to-head at 5:48 p.m. ET.
As for Harvey, he will go up against a similar opponent in Luiz Gabriel Oliveria. Harvey, a native of Oxon Hill, Md., has already squared off against the Brazilian five times in his career with wins in three of those bouts. The two featherweight boxers most recently competed at the 2023 Pan American Games semifinals, where Harvey won to punch his Olympic ticket. Harvey and Oliveira will square off for the sixth time around 10:02 a.m. ET.
Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas) and Morelle McCane (Cleveland, Ohio) round out the eight for Team USA. Both boxers will start in the round of 16 and will need three wins each to medal. Lozano will get things started at 10:02 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1st, and will take on the winner between Mexico’s Pihla Kaivo-Oja and Zambia’s Margaret Tembo.
McCane will face Navbakhor Khamidova out of Uzbekistan in the welterweight class at 10:50 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1st. Khamidova qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Second World Qualification Tournament. McCane went on to win silver at the Pan American Games where she punched her ticket to Paris. McCane is the fifth consecutive Olympic boxer from Cleveland and the first female Olympic boxer from her city.
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Canelo Alvarez to defend vs. Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14th |
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World super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Álvarez will put his WBC, WBA and WBO titles on the line against undefeated Edgar Berlanga as Canelo Promotions presents a Mexican Independence Day weekend show headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video taking place Saturday, Sept. 14th from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The chief supporting bout feature Cuban star and reigning WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara taking on former two-division champion Danny “Swift” García in a twelve-round showdown between two of this era’s most accomplished fighters. The main event will deliver the latest chapter in the boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico with the fighting pride of Mexico in Álvarez dueling Puerto Rico’s Edgar Berlanga. Highlighted by numerous historic matchups including Salvador Sánchez vs. Wilfredo Gómez and Julio César Chávez Sr. vs. Héctor Camacho, Canelo is no stranger to this heated rivalry, having defeated Puerto Rican Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto in one of the biggest Mexico vs. Puerto Rico fights in recent memory.
In addition to the pay-per-view broadcast being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to purchase the broadcast via DAZN.com. Additionally, fans can purchase it at PPV.com. On top of those options, fans will continue to be able to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets. Pre-sale tickets are available Monday, July 29th from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC. The public on-sale is scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions, in association with Matchroom Boxing.
“Every day we are preparing,” said Eddy Reynoso, Canelo’s manager and trainer. “We know that Berlanga is a good fighter, a strong, undefeated fighter. The confrontations within boxing between Mexico and Puerto Rico are always intense fights, very morbid fights and, above all, very good boxing. Puerto Rico has produced many world champions and hall of fame fighters. Mexico has done the same. It is going to be a very attractive fight against a great fighter in Berlanga who’s undefeated and faced some of the best fighters competing at 168 pounds over the last few years.”
“I’m excited for my guy, Edgar Berlanga, to get a shot at the king of boxing Canelo Álvarez,” said Keith Connolly, Berlanga’s manager. “I want to thank all the players involved in helping me get this deal over the line. Canelo vs. Berlanga is renewing the Mexico vs Puerto Rico rivalry, which is the best in boxing history. Sept. 14th is a can’t miss event for fans around the world.”
“Mexican Independence Day weekend is synonymous with big Canelo Álvarez fights, and Saturday, Sept. 14 will be the next chapter of that historic story,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Canelo has long reigned as the 168-pound king and will put his three unified world titles up against a young, power-punching contender in Edgar Berlanga as he looks to once again score a victory for his home country in the storied rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. With the addition of the Erislandy Lara vs. Danny García world championship battle in the co-main event, plus more matchups to come, everything lines up for an event worthy of the holiday weekend live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in another stacked PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video.”
“Edgar Berlanga’s nickname is the Chosen One and I’m so happy he got the golden pick for Sept. 14,” said Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing. “This is the fight we dreamed about when we signed Edgar last year and he is ready to give everything for himself, his family and for Puerto Rico. You have a young, unbeaten, fearless puncher ready to tackle one of the all-time greats - get ready for drama in Las Vegas!”
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Canelo Alvarez to defend vs. Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14th
World super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Álvarez will put his WBC, WBA and WBO titles on the line against undefeated Edgar Berlanga as Canelo Promotions presents a Mexican Independence Day weekend show headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video taking place Saturday, Sept. 14th from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The chief supporting bout feature Cuban star and reigning WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara taking on former two-division champion Danny “Swift” García in a twelve-round showdown between two of this era’s most accomplished fighters. The main event will deliver the latest chapter in the boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico with the fighting pride of Mexico in Álvarez dueling Puerto Rico’s Edgar Berlanga. Highlighted by numerous historic matchups including Salvador Sánchez vs. Wilfredo Gómez and Julio César Chávez Sr. vs. Héctor Camacho, Canelo is no stranger to this heated rivalry, having defeated Puerto Rican Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto in one of the biggest Mexico vs. Puerto Rico fights in recent memory.
In addition to the pay-per-view broadcast being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to purchase the broadcast via DAZN.com. Additionally, fans can purchase it at PPV.com. On top of those options, fans will continue to be able to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets. Pre-sale tickets are available Monday, July 29th from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC. The public on-sale is scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions, in association with Matchroom Boxing.
“Every day we are preparing,” said Eddy Reynoso, Canelo’s manager and trainer. “We know that Berlanga is a good fighter, a strong, undefeated fighter. The confrontations within boxing between Mexico and Puerto Rico are always intense fights, very morbid fights and, above all, very good boxing. Puerto Rico has produced many world champions and hall of fame fighters. Mexico has done the same. It is going to be a very attractive fight against a great fighter in Berlanga who’s undefeated and faced some of the best fighters competing at 168 pounds over the last few years.”
“I’m excited for my guy, Edgar Berlanga, to get a shot at the king of boxing Canelo Álvarez,” said Keith Connolly, Berlanga’s manager. “I want to thank all the players involved in helping me get this deal over the line. Canelo vs. Berlanga is renewing the Mexico vs Puerto Rico rivalry, which is the best in boxing history. Sept. 14th is a can’t miss event for fans around the world.”
“Mexican Independence Day weekend is synonymous with big Canelo Álvarez fights, and Saturday, Sept. 14 will be the next chapter of that historic story,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Canelo has long reigned as the 168-pound king and will put his three unified world titles up against a young, power-punching contender in Edgar Berlanga as he looks to once again score a victory for his home country in the storied rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. With the addition of the Erislandy Lara vs. Danny García world championship battle in the co-main event, plus more matchups to come, everything lines up for an event worthy of the holiday weekend live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in another stacked PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video.”
“Edgar Berlanga’s nickname is the Chosen One and I’m so happy he got the golden pick for Sept. 14,” said Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing. “This is the fight we dreamed about when we signed Edgar last year and he is ready to give everything for himself, his family and for Puerto Rico. You have a young, unbeaten, fearless puncher ready to tackle one of the all-time greats - get ready for drama in Las Vegas!”
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Final presser quotes from Detroit |
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The final press conference was held today for the Detroit show featuring world middleweight champion Claressa “GWOAT” Shields attempting to win a historic title in a fourth weight division by challenging WBC women’s heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on Saturday, July 27th at Little Caesars Arena and live on DAZN. The vacant WBO light heavyweight championship will also be on the line. [The WBC recognizes 175+ pounds as the weight limit for the women's heavyweight division].
Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) of Flint, Mich., and Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec, will headline the show presented by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents that also features a ten-round junior welterweight co-feature pitting Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera against Hugo Alberto “Nato” Roldan and also Shohjahon “Descendant of Tamerlane” Ergashev taking on Julian “The Quiet Storm” Smith in another ten-round junior welterweight bout. Tickets for the July 27th event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.
Here is what the conference participants had to say today:
Claressa Shields
Vanessa did not train hard enough for this fight. I saw her hitting the pads yesterday at the media workout, trying to impress me. I was not impressed. I sparred against bears for this camp. She’s sparring with girls I beat up already.
I’m happy she’s here. I hope she hits like a heavyweight because if she’s not punching like a heavyweight, she’s going to sleep.
She says she doesn’t trash talk. I trash talk and back it up. I will be heavyweight champion Saturday, and nobody will stand in my way. Her size means nothing to me. I’m coming from 160 pounds, but I will be the bear Saturday night.
She rubs me the wrong way. When I take her belt from her, she’s going back to Canada with nothing. She’s going home with a paycheck and beltless. That’s it.
I got to eat better and drink a lot more water for this camp. When you’ve beat everyone at 160 and 168, where else can you go but to heavyweight?
Pray for Vanessa because she’s going down Saturday night. If you’re not here July 27 you’ll be missing greatness. This fight will be one of my biggest fights. I’ll be a 15-time world champion come Saturday night. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do to keep the T-rex off her Saturday night.
Amanda Serrano, Katie Taylor, Alicia Baumgartner, all of you can make a fight with me and we will see who the real GWOAT is. IT’S WAR TIME!
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse
I’m thrilled to be here. It ‘s an honor. My hard work is done. I had a great camp, and my team is behind me. A lot of fans from Quebec will be here also.
I’m not a trash talker, I respect Claressa Shields and I know what’s she accomplished, but a fight is a fight. I’ll be ready Saturday night and I’m coming home with the belt in my suitcase. It’s going to be a fight, but I’m going to win it.
Honestly Claressa, I hope you didn’t waste to much energy putting on a show here. All this showing off is pointless. I’m ready to fight and nothing you say today will make a difference. Be ready Saturday night.
I had the best camp of my life and I’ve been focused on just this fight for a very long time. I’m in the best shape ever and I’m ready to shock the world.
Dmitriy Salita, Salita Promotions
Over the last couple days, there has been a lot of debate about who the GWOAT is and I’ve learned not to be emotional, but it did stir me up. Claressa Shields is the most accomplished women in boxing in history and she’s done things never done before. The term GWOAT was never spoken before Claressa. Her incredible personality and accomplishments have made women’s boxing what it is today. She’s given other women the confidence to believe they can be the best someday.
Claressa dreamed of being a champion as a child in Flint. Flint is struggling every day and to be a young person and decide to become everything she’s become is incredible. There is absolutely no debate who the GWOAT is.
What concerns me about this fight is that Vanessa has all the right ingredients of a champion. There will be 20,000 fans will be rooting against her. We saw her in the gym, and she looks sharp and strong. This is Claressa’s biggest challenge, and we look forward to a fantastic night of boxing. Save your ticket. It will be a collector’s item.
Mark Taffet, President Mark Taffet Media
When we saw we had the opportunity to come back for another fight at Little Caesars Arena, we all said let’s do it! Thanks to everyone for all their hard work to make this incredible fight happen.
Claressa is the GWOAT inside the ring, but she also strives to be great outside the ring by fighting for women’s equality and encouraging women to be their best and realize their dreams.
Imagine being a child growing up in your own home and facing horrors that you can’t imagine, things that no child should have to face with every room you walk in and every door you go through. Those are some of the things Claressa Shields faced as a child. She was nine before she could utter a word. She was a teenager before her words were decipherable. Somehow this kid went to a boxing gym and became not just a survivor but someone who achieved the unthinkable, after going through the unthinkable.
Michel Rivera
Hello beautiful people. I’m glad to be here in Detroit and in a big event with the best woman in boxing. I’m so excited and I look forward to putting on a good show Saturday.
Roldan is a tough fighter with a good record and he ‘s coming to win but obviously he will lose. I am a superstar! La Zarza Ali Rivera!
Training went good because I am tougher than the toughest.
Shohjahon Ergashev
I love Detroit. I’m from Uzbekistan and the first time I boxed professionally was in Detroit. I met SugarHill here and my promoter Dmitriy Salita. Detroit is my second home.
Good luck to Claressa Saturday night.
I studied him on YouTube and he’s not bad. He can fight. I’m more experienced and I am a future champion. I will stop him before the fifth round. If not, I will break his ribs.
We prepared for a hard fight. I will continue progressing my boxing skills and I will be world champion very soon. Thanks to my promoter. He’s doing a great job.
Headlining the non-televised portion of the night will be a 10-round junior welterweigh battle between undefeated knockout artist Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (15-0, 14 KOs) of Pomona, CA, and Hector Edgardo “Pajarito” Sarmiento (21-2, 14 KOs) from Cordoba, Argentina, as well as an eight-round women’s junior welterweigh battle where Samantha Worthington (8-0, 6 KOs) will put her undefeated record on the line against Hungary’s Edina Kiss (16-20, 9 KOs).
In a six-round junior middleweight battle, Dearborn Heights, Michigan’s Husam "Lion Heart" Al Mashhadi (9-1, 8 KOs) will take on Argentina’s Bruno Leonardo Romay (22-13, 19 KOs). In a six-round featherweight showdown, Pontiac, Michigan’s Cameran “The Problem” Pankey (9-1, 4 KOs) will take on Mooresville, North Carolina’s Shaileik Paisley (4-4, 3 KOs).
Also featured that night will be an eight-round female heavyweight fight between Houston, Texas’ Danielle Perkins (4-0, 2 KOs) and Scotland’s Christianne Fahey (2-1, 2 KOs), as well as an exciting all-Detroit six-round junior middleweight scrap between once-beaten Gordie Russ II (6-1, 6 KOs) and once-beaten Josiah Shackleford (3-1, 2 KOs).
Rounding out the action will be Flint’s own Jaquan McElroy, who will make his professional boxing debut in a four-round welterweight bout against Travis Floyd of Douglasville, GA.
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Final presser quotes from Detroit
The final press conference was held today for the Detroit show featuring world middleweight champion Claressa “GWOAT” Shields attempting to win a historic title in a fourth weight division by challenging WBC women’s heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on Saturday, July 27th at Little Caesars Arena and live on DAZN. The vacant WBO light heavyweight championship will also be on the line. [The WBC recognizes 175+ pounds as the weight limit for the women's heavyweight division].
Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) of Flint, Mich., and Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec, will headline the show presented by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents that also features a ten-round junior welterweight co-feature pitting Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera against Hugo Alberto “Nato” Roldan and also Shohjahon “Descendant of Tamerlane” Ergashev taking on Julian “The Quiet Storm” Smith in another ten-round junior welterweight bout. Tickets for the July 27th event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.
Here is what the conference participants had to say today:
Claressa Shields
Vanessa did not train hard enough for this fight. I saw her hitting the pads yesterday at the media workout, trying to impress me. I was not impressed. I sparred against bears for this camp. She’s sparring with girls I beat up already.
I’m happy she’s here. I hope she hits like a heavyweight because if she’s not punching like a heavyweight, she’s going to sleep.
She says she doesn’t trash talk. I trash talk and back it up. I will be heavyweight champion Saturday, and nobody will stand in my way. Her size means nothing to me. I’m coming from 160 pounds, but I will be the bear Saturday night.
She rubs me the wrong way. When I take her belt from her, she’s going back to Canada with nothing. She’s going home with a paycheck and beltless. That’s it.
I got to eat better and drink a lot more water for this camp. When you’ve beat everyone at 160 and 168, where else can you go but to heavyweight?
Pray for Vanessa because she’s going down Saturday night. If you’re not here July 27 you’ll be missing greatness. This fight will be one of my biggest fights. I’ll be a 15-time world champion come Saturday night. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do to keep the T-rex off her Saturday night.
Amanda Serrano, Katie Taylor, Alicia Baumgartner, all of you can make a fight with me and we will see who the real GWOAT is. IT’S WAR TIME!
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse
I’m thrilled to be here. It ‘s an honor. My hard work is done. I had a great camp, and my team is behind me. A lot of fans from Quebec will be here also.
I’m not a trash talker, I respect Claressa Shields and I know what’s she accomplished, but a fight is a fight. I’ll be ready Saturday night and I’m coming home with the belt in my suitcase. It’s going to be a fight, but I’m going to win it.
Honestly Claressa, I hope you didn’t waste to much energy putting on a show here. All this showing off is pointless. I’m ready to fight and nothing you say today will make a difference. Be ready Saturday night.
I had the best camp of my life and I’ve been focused on just this fight for a very long time. I’m in the best shape ever and I’m ready to shock the world.
Dmitriy Salita, Salita Promotions
Over the last couple days, there has been a lot of debate about who the GWOAT is and I’ve learned not to be emotional, but it did stir me up. Claressa Shields is the most accomplished women in boxing in history and she’s done things never done before. The term GWOAT was never spoken before Claressa. Her incredible personality and accomplishments have made women’s boxing what it is today. She’s given other women the confidence to believe they can be the best someday.
Claressa dreamed of being a champion as a child in Flint. Flint is struggling every day and to be a young person and decide to become everything she’s become is incredible. There is absolutely no debate who the GWOAT is.
What concerns me about this fight is that Vanessa has all the right ingredients of a champion. There will be 20,000 fans will be rooting against her. We saw her in the gym, and she looks sharp and strong. This is Claressa’s biggest challenge, and we look forward to a fantastic night of boxing. Save your ticket. It will be a collector’s item.
Mark Taffet, President Mark Taffet Media
When we saw we had the opportunity to come back for another fight at Little Caesars Arena, we all said let’s do it! Thanks to everyone for all their hard work to make this incredible fight happen.
Claressa is the GWOAT inside the ring, but she also strives to be great outside the ring by fighting for women’s equality and encouraging women to be their best and realize their dreams.
Imagine being a child growing up in your own home and facing horrors that you can’t imagine, things that no child should have to face with every room you walk in and every door you go through. Those are some of the things Claressa Shields faced as a child. She was nine before she could utter a word. She was a teenager before her words were decipherable. Somehow this kid went to a boxing gym and became not just a survivor but someone who achieved the unthinkable, after going through the unthinkable.
Michel Rivera
Hello beautiful people. I’m glad to be here in Detroit and in a big event with the best woman in boxing. I’m so excited and I look forward to putting on a good show Saturday.
Roldan is a tough fighter with a good record and he ‘s coming to win but obviously he will lose. I am a superstar! La Zarza Ali Rivera!
Training went good because I am tougher than the toughest.
Shohjahon Ergashev
I love Detroit. I’m from Uzbekistan and the first time I boxed professionally was in Detroit. I met SugarHill here and my promoter Dmitriy Salita. Detroit is my second home.
Good luck to Claressa Saturday night.
I studied him on YouTube and he’s not bad. He can fight. I’m more experienced and I am a future champion. I will stop him before the fifth round. If not, I will break his ribs.
We prepared for a hard fight. I will continue progressing my boxing skills and I will be world champion very soon. Thanks to my promoter. He’s doing a great job.
Headlining the non-televised portion of the night will be a 10-round junior welterweigh battle between undefeated knockout artist Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (15-0, 14 KOs) of Pomona, CA, and Hector Edgardo “Pajarito” Sarmiento (21-2, 14 KOs) from Cordoba, Argentina, as well as an eight-round women’s junior welterweigh battle where Samantha Worthington (8-0, 6 KOs) will put her undefeated record on the line against Hungary’s Edina Kiss (16-20, 9 KOs).
In a six-round junior middleweight battle, Dearborn Heights, Michigan’s Husam "Lion Heart" Al Mashhadi (9-1, 8 KOs) will take on Argentina’s Bruno Leonardo Romay (22-13, 19 KOs). In a six-round featherweight showdown, Pontiac, Michigan’s Cameran “The Problem” Pankey (9-1, 4 KOs) will take on Mooresville, North Carolina’s Shaileik Paisley (4-4, 3 KOs).
Also featured that night will be an eight-round female heavyweight fight between Houston, Texas’ Danielle Perkins (4-0, 2 KOs) and Scotland’s Christianne Fahey (2-1, 2 KOs), as well as an exciting all-Detroit six-round junior middleweight scrap between once-beaten Gordie Russ II (6-1, 6 KOs) and once-beaten Josiah Shackleford (3-1, 2 KOs).
Rounding out the action will be Flint’s own Jaquan McElroy, who will make his professional boxing debut in a four-round welterweight bout against Travis Floyd of Douglasville, GA.
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A few words with Omar Trinidad before tonight's fight |
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Los Angeles' Omar Trinidad (15-0-1) will headline a 360 Promotions card Friday at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California when he faces Victor Slavinskyi (15-2-1) of the Ukraine. Trinidad, a 28 year-old featherweight is called the “King of Los Angeles” when it comes to the boxing scene in his hometown, which he describes as an entire kingdom. “It is a big place with a lot of culture too. It’s surreal to be called that, and it’s an honor that people say that. I never asked for it, and coming from them, it is quite an honor,” said the boxer. “It is very satisfying. I was always a boxer and it gives me adrenaline and excitement to put my hands on someone and be very competitive, which allowed me to become competitive. After going through everything I went through, it’s surreal, I never took anything lightly, plus it’s satisfying because I don’t think anyone is doing it like that nowadays, and if they do it’s very rare.
“Many people tend to take the easy way out, but not me. I like to recognize the bad and the good, and I’m all for that. Boxing is my sport and I am here to put on a show every time I go into the ring,” Trinidad commented.
The boxer is a memory of an era of Los Angeles boxing that we could take advantage of. In the 60s and 70s, boxers fought at the Grand Olympic Auditorium and left their mark on the residents, one of them being Trinidad’s father, who led his son to love the sport.
“My dad grew up with boxing and always mentioned big names. Boxing has always been in the family and my dad always told me that I fight like his favorite old school boxers. And there’s no doubt what my dad is like, having his own son in his favorite sport. “I’m pretty sure he’s happy every day,” he added.
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A few words with Omar Trinidad before tonight's fight
Los Angeles' Omar Trinidad (15-0-1) will headline a 360 Promotions card Friday at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California when he faces Victor Slavinskyi (15-2-1) of the Ukraine. Trinidad, a 28 year-old featherweight is called the “King of Los Angeles” when it comes to the boxing scene in his hometown, which he describes as an entire kingdom. “It is a big place with a lot of culture too. It’s surreal to be called that, and it’s an honor that people say that. I never asked for it, and coming from them, it is quite an honor,” said the boxer. “It is very satisfying. I was always a boxer and it gives me adrenaline and excitement to put my hands on someone and be very competitive, which allowed me to become competitive. After going through everything I went through, it’s surreal, I never took anything lightly, plus it’s satisfying because I don’t think anyone is doing it like that nowadays, and if they do it’s very rare.
“Many people tend to take the easy way out, but not me. I like to recognize the bad and the good, and I’m all for that. Boxing is my sport and I am here to put on a show every time I go into the ring,” Trinidad commented.
The boxer is a memory of an era of Los Angeles boxing that we could take advantage of. In the 60s and 70s, boxers fought at the Grand Olympic Auditorium and left their mark on the residents, one of them being Trinidad’s father, who led his son to love the sport.
“My dad grew up with boxing and always mentioned big names. Boxing has always been in the family and my dad always told me that I fight like his favorite old school boxers. And there’s no doubt what my dad is like, having his own son in his favorite sport. “I’m pretty sure he’s happy every day,” he added.
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Colombian teenager Juan Narvaez looks to continue KO streak |
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Colombian super middleweight Juan Narvaez hosts Venezuela's Jose Espinoza (15-3 with 12 KOs) this Saturday in Barranquilla, Colombia. Narvaez, age 19, is a top Colombian boxing prospect with a record of 8-0 and 8 KOs. The Cartagena native made his debut last year and has already become the national champion with a win over Jhon Teheran last May. Along the way he has knocked out very experienced fighters like Ricardo Torres and Darleys Perez. His opponent will be Espinoza, a 36-year old with experience in Switzerland and Argentina who will try to make the night difficult for the home fighter. From Los Teques, Espinoza comes from defeating Dervi Castillo in June and feels ready for a new international challenge.
On the same show, Undefeated Esteban Garzon will clash with Deimer Guerra in a lightweight bout. Garzon has 9 wins, 5 of them by knockout. Guerra has 8 wins, 3 losses and 7 knockouts. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube on the official channel of the WBA. Garzón, age 24, started his professional career in 2022. He has been growing steadily and now he finds himself with a great opportunity to make an important leap in the professional arena. Guerra, age 23, is not at a high point, as he has lost two of his last three fights but he comes with great motivation to change the course of his career.
Another featured bout on Saturday's card will see John Lenon Gutierrez and Camilo Rodriguez square off in a lightweight contest. Gutierrez has a record of 9 wins, no losses and 6 knockouts, while Rodriguez has 8 wins, 1 loss and 6 knockouts. The bout will be part of the event promoted by Probox Colombia and will be broadcast live on the official WBA YouTube channel.
Gutierrez is a fighter with a good amateur career and has been adapting to professional boxing and is undefeated since his debut in in 2021. The 30-year-old Antioquia native comes to the fight with a three-bout knockout streak. He will fight Rodriguez, 26 years old, who is from Bogota and has also won three fights in a row via knockout, all of them in 2024.
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Colombian teenager Juan Narvaez looks to continue KO streak
Colombian super middleweight Juan Narvaez hosts Venezuela's Jose Espinoza (15-3 with 12 KOs) this Saturday in Barranquilla, Colombia. Narvaez, age 19, is a top Colombian boxing prospect with a record of 8-0 and 8 KOs. The Cartagena native made his debut last year and has already become the national champion with a win over Jhon Teheran last May. Along the way he has knocked out very experienced fighters like Ricardo Torres and Darleys Perez. His opponent will be Espinoza, a 36-year old with experience in Switzerland and Argentina who will try to make the night difficult for the home fighter. From Los Teques, Espinoza comes from defeating Dervi Castillo in June and feels ready for a new international challenge.
On the same show, Undefeated Esteban Garzon will clash with Deimer Guerra in a lightweight bout. Garzon has 9 wins, 5 of them by knockout. Guerra has 8 wins, 3 losses and 7 knockouts. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube on the official channel of the WBA. Garzón, age 24, started his professional career in 2022. He has been growing steadily and now he finds himself with a great opportunity to make an important leap in the professional arena. Guerra, age 23, is not at a high point, as he has lost two of his last three fights but he comes with great motivation to change the course of his career.
Another featured bout on Saturday's card will see John Lenon Gutierrez and Camilo Rodriguez square off in a lightweight contest. Gutierrez has a record of 9 wins, no losses and 6 knockouts, while Rodriguez has 8 wins, 1 loss and 6 knockouts. The bout will be part of the event promoted by Probox Colombia and will be broadcast live on the official WBA YouTube channel.
Gutierrez is a fighter with a good amateur career and has been adapting to professional boxing and is undefeated since his debut in in 2021. The 30-year-old Antioquia native comes to the fight with a three-bout knockout streak. He will fight Rodriguez, 26 years old, who is from Bogota and has also won three fights in a row via knockout, all of them in 2024.
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Weigh-in report from Atlantic City, NJ |
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Here are the boxers' weights for Friday night's Boxing Insider Promotions card that will take place at Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey and streamed live on DAZN:
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Weigh-in report from Atlantic City, NJ
Here are the boxers' weights for Friday night's Boxing Insider Promotions card that will take place at Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey and streamed live on DAZN:
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Team Combat League update: Philly and Miami advance in playoffs |
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Team Combat League’s Season 2 quarterfinals continued last Sunday with a doubleheader from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, where, in the night’s opening leg, coach Herman Caicedo’s Miami Stealth earned a spot in the TCL semifinals with a 229-222 victory Benny Roman and Ryan O'Leary’s defending champion N.Y.C. Attitude. In the second match-up, the regular season league-leading Philly Smoke reasserted themselves as favorites to win it all this year by taking down the Las Vegas Hustle 229-223 in front of their hometown fans.
MIAMI STEALTH 229, NYC ATTITUDE 222
The Stealth sprinted out to the early lead by winning four of the first six fights and never relinquished it. New York brought Miami’s lead down to a single point in Round 13, after featherweight Kayla Yontef defeated Miami’s Katharina Lehner 10-9 to make the score 123-122. However, the powerful fists of Miami middleweight Yordan "El Diamante" Barrera crushed their comeback hopes by knocking out N.Y.C.’s Eslih Owusu in Round 14. The one-punch KO earned Barrera the night’s first star award.
“This feels excellent. I train very hard to do that, especially when my team needs it,” said Barrera. “I’m grateful to be here and thankful to the New York team for coming and competing so hard. I expected nothing less. Thank you to TCL. My teammates and I have trained hard in the gym together from day one and it feels like we are going to win it all.”
The second star of the night was Miami middleweight Raidel Rodriguez, who defeated New York’s Lasha Gurguliani in Rounds 6 and 19 by dual 10-9 margins. The third star was awarded to New York heavyweight Pryce Taylor for his two 10-9 victories over Nestor Santana in Round 8 and Gustavo Trujillo in Round 23.
New York welterweight and TCL Rookie of the Year and TCL Most Entertaining Fighter Award dual nominee Ryan Zempoaltecatl went 1-1 on the night, defeating Miami’s Orestes Velazquez 10-9 in Round 12 and losing 10-9 to veteran Claudio Marrero in Round 20, as did TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee Yunieski Gonzalez, who defeated New York’s Tre'Vaughn Jones 10-9 in Round 18 and lost 10-9 to Atif Oberlton in Round 15.
Featherweight Rookie of the Year nominee Enrique Leon lost his only appearance 10-9 to Opeyemi Adeyemi in Round 1. TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee featherweight former world champion “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey won her one appearance 10-9 over Tyler Schaefer in Round 10, while fellow nominee welterweight Melissa “Little Miss Tyson” St Vil was 0-2 against Miami’s star U.S. Olympian Ginny Fuchs.
Miami Rookie of the Year Award nominee welterweight Samantha Ginithan saw her undefeated TCL record drop to 8-1, 1 KO by losing 10-9 to New York’s Feifilimai Faiva in Round 5.
The Fight of the Night was awarded to the Round 3 lightweight brawl between New York’s Sherbek Rakhmatulloev and Miami’s Armando Rabi, who traded knockdowns during their three furious minutes of action, won by Rabi 9-8 for his mid-round comeback to put his team up 29-26.
“It helps to have a set team,” said happy Miami coach Herman Caicedo. “We’ve been together the whole year and I’ve been able to coach them. They know what to expect. I believe that’s an advantage. I feel fabulous and I’m happy to be here. TCL is a super exciting platform that gives anything boxing-related a run for its money. We’ll clean up mistakes we made today and we’re coming back to win the whole thing. We’re not here to just do well.”
PHILLY SMOKE 229, LAS VEGAS HUSTLE 223
Coach Bob Kane’s Philly Smoke ran off ten consecutive victories to begin the match and never looked back, conceding just four in-ring defeats all night. The final score was misleading because Philly elected to save their top fighters for the semifinals and accepted 10-7 decisions in the final two fights to tighten the score of what had been an absolute team domination throughout.
Coach Jeff Mayweather’s Las Vegas Hustle got a third-star performance from lightweight Estevan Partida for his free-swinging 10-9 victory over Avery Sparrow to grab his team’s first victory in Round 11. The Hustle’s TCL Most Valuable Fighter and Most Entertaining Fighter Award double-nominee and heavyweight powerhouse Patrick Mailata lost his Round 8 showdown against fellow fan-favorite Joey Dawejko of Philly.
Burgeoning welterweight Darian Castro of Las Vegas dropped his Round 4 showdown against Philly’s Isaiah Johnson, but rebounded to win his rematch against Johnson in Round 19. The Round 19 match was later voted the Fight of the Night.
Philly Smoke Steve Cunningham Jr. picked up the night’s second star award for his Rounds 6 and 18 victories over fellow “son of boxing royalty” Sharif Rahman. Philly featherweight Shera Mae Patricio was named first star for her 10-9 victories over Jamie Mitchell in a sensational Round 2 brawl and Melissa Odessa Parker in Round 10.
“It feels amazing just to be out here representing Philly,” said Patricio. “We put on a show, so we came to eat and sweep, let’s go!!! We got champions. We warriors. We bring it every time, so we are going all the way!”
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Team Combat League update: Philly and Miami advance in playoffs
Team Combat League’s Season 2 quarterfinals continued last Sunday with a doubleheader from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, where, in the night’s opening leg, coach Herman Caicedo’s Miami Stealth earned a spot in the TCL semifinals with a 229-222 victory Benny Roman and Ryan O'Leary’s defending champion N.Y.C. Attitude. In the second match-up, the regular season league-leading Philly Smoke reasserted themselves as favorites to win it all this year by taking down the Las Vegas Hustle 229-223 in front of their hometown fans.
MIAMI STEALTH 229, NYC ATTITUDE 222
The Stealth sprinted out to the early lead by winning four of the first six fights and never relinquished it. New York brought Miami’s lead down to a single point in Round 13, after featherweight Kayla Yontef defeated Miami’s Katharina Lehner 10-9 to make the score 123-122. However, the powerful fists of Miami middleweight Yordan "El Diamante" Barrera crushed their comeback hopes by knocking out N.Y.C.’s Eslih Owusu in Round 14. The one-punch KO earned Barrera the night’s first star award.
“This feels excellent. I train very hard to do that, especially when my team needs it,” said Barrera. “I’m grateful to be here and thankful to the New York team for coming and competing so hard. I expected nothing less. Thank you to TCL. My teammates and I have trained hard in the gym together from day one and it feels like we are going to win it all.”
The second star of the night was Miami middleweight Raidel Rodriguez, who defeated New York’s Lasha Gurguliani in Rounds 6 and 19 by dual 10-9 margins. The third star was awarded to New York heavyweight Pryce Taylor for his two 10-9 victories over Nestor Santana in Round 8 and Gustavo Trujillo in Round 23.
New York welterweight and TCL Rookie of the Year and TCL Most Entertaining Fighter Award dual nominee Ryan Zempoaltecatl went 1-1 on the night, defeating Miami’s Orestes Velazquez 10-9 in Round 12 and losing 10-9 to veteran Claudio Marrero in Round 20, as did TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee Yunieski Gonzalez, who defeated New York’s Tre'Vaughn Jones 10-9 in Round 18 and lost 10-9 to Atif Oberlton in Round 15.
Featherweight Rookie of the Year nominee Enrique Leon lost his only appearance 10-9 to Opeyemi Adeyemi in Round 1. TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee featherweight former world champion “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey won her one appearance 10-9 over Tyler Schaefer in Round 10, while fellow nominee welterweight Melissa “Little Miss Tyson” St Vil was 0-2 against Miami’s star U.S. Olympian Ginny Fuchs.
Miami Rookie of the Year Award nominee welterweight Samantha Ginithan saw her undefeated TCL record drop to 8-1, 1 KO by losing 10-9 to New York’s Feifilimai Faiva in Round 5.
The Fight of the Night was awarded to the Round 3 lightweight brawl between New York’s Sherbek Rakhmatulloev and Miami’s Armando Rabi, who traded knockdowns during their three furious minutes of action, won by Rabi 9-8 for his mid-round comeback to put his team up 29-26.
“It helps to have a set team,” said happy Miami coach Herman Caicedo. “We’ve been together the whole year and I’ve been able to coach them. They know what to expect. I believe that’s an advantage. I feel fabulous and I’m happy to be here. TCL is a super exciting platform that gives anything boxing-related a run for its money. We’ll clean up mistakes we made today and we’re coming back to win the whole thing. We’re not here to just do well.”
PHILLY SMOKE 229, LAS VEGAS HUSTLE 223
Coach Bob Kane’s Philly Smoke ran off ten consecutive victories to begin the match and never looked back, conceding just four in-ring defeats all night. The final score was misleading because Philly elected to save their top fighters for the semifinals and accepted 10-7 decisions in the final two fights to tighten the score of what had been an absolute team domination throughout.
Coach Jeff Mayweather’s Las Vegas Hustle got a third-star performance from lightweight Estevan Partida for his free-swinging 10-9 victory over Avery Sparrow to grab his team’s first victory in Round 11. The Hustle’s TCL Most Valuable Fighter and Most Entertaining Fighter Award double-nominee and heavyweight powerhouse Patrick Mailata lost his Round 8 showdown against fellow fan-favorite Joey Dawejko of Philly.
Burgeoning welterweight Darian Castro of Las Vegas dropped his Round 4 showdown against Philly’s Isaiah Johnson, but rebounded to win his rematch against Johnson in Round 19. The Round 19 match was later voted the Fight of the Night.
Philly Smoke Steve Cunningham Jr. picked up the night’s second star award for his Rounds 6 and 18 victories over fellow “son of boxing royalty” Sharif Rahman. Philly featherweight Shera Mae Patricio was named first star for her 10-9 victories over Jamie Mitchell in a sensational Round 2 brawl and Melissa Odessa Parker in Round 10.
“It feels amazing just to be out here representing Philly,” said Patricio. “We put on a show, so we came to eat and sweep, let’s go!!! We got champions. We warriors. We bring it every time, so we are going all the way!”
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Junto Nakatani now aligned with Top Rank |
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Teiken Promotions and M.T Boxing Gym have come to an agreement with Top Rank to co-promote Japanese pound-for-pound star, three-division king, and reigning WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani. He is expected to make his ring return before the end of the year. The 26 year-old Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs), from Sagamihara, Japan, defended his title last Saturday with a first-round stoppage over Vincent Astrolabio to improve to 7-0 in world title fights. The southpaw bulldozer, who trains in Los Angeles with Rudy Hernandez, is beginning to crack the top ten pound-for-pound lists.
“Junto Nakatani is an exceptional, unique talent,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “He is a force of nature and one of the sport’s most vicious punchers. The Junto Nakatani Era is just starting. He will be the pound-for-pound king one day, and I am thrilled that he’s decided to join the Top Rank stable.”
Nakatani said, “Thank you to Bob Arum and everyone at Top Rank. This is a significant moment in my career, and I want to continue giving boxing fans great fights.”
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Junto Nakatani now aligned with Top Rank
Teiken Promotions and M.T Boxing Gym have come to an agreement with Top Rank to co-promote Japanese pound-for-pound star, three-division king, and reigning WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani. He is expected to make his ring return before the end of the year. The 26 year-old Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs), from Sagamihara, Japan, defended his title last Saturday with a first-round stoppage over Vincent Astrolabio to improve to 7-0 in world title fights. The southpaw bulldozer, who trains in Los Angeles with Rudy Hernandez, is beginning to crack the top ten pound-for-pound lists.
“Junto Nakatani is an exceptional, unique talent,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “He is a force of nature and one of the sport’s most vicious punchers. The Junto Nakatani Era is just starting. He will be the pound-for-pound king one day, and I am thrilled that he’s decided to join the Top Rank stable.”
Nakatani said, “Thank you to Bob Arum and everyone at Top Rank. This is a significant moment in my career, and I want to continue giving boxing fans great fights.”
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WBA orders Roach vs. Batyrgaziev |
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The WBA Championships Committee has ordered a mandatory fight between its super featherweight champion, Lamont Roach Jr., and its interim title holder, Albert Batyrgaziev. The parties have thirty days to negotiate, a period that will end on August 22nd. If no deal is reached, WBA rules call for a purse bid. Eariler this month, in Serpukhov, Russia, the WBA interim super featherweight title was claimed by Batyrgaziev (10-0), the Russian Olympic champion who survived some rough moments early on to stop Ireland's Jono Carroll (24-2-1) in round nine. Carroll had won his last six fights following a loss to Maxi Hughes but with both eyes swelling, he went down twice in round nine. On the second knockdown, the referee stopped the fight without a count. Last November, Roach wrested away Héctor García’s WBA super featherweight title in his second attempt at a belt. Roach dropped García in the twelfth round and wound up winning a split decision by scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 113-114 in a technical and strategic fight. [The result is controversial as Roach appeared to knock Garcia down with an improper blow to the back of the head]. The knockdown caused the WBA title to change hands as it allowed Roach to avoid a split-draw. The punch in question was a the left hook that landed with 1:20 left in the fight and drove García into the canvas for the second time in his career.
In 2019, Roach came up short in his first title shot against Jamel Herring, also a southpaw, but made good on his second attempt on Saturday, while García (16-2, 10 KOs) was unsuccessful in his first defense of his WBA championship after he rose in weight and was stopped by lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis back in January. In that fight, García retired on his stool before the ninth round, complaining of impaired vision.
“Man, I’ve been waiting to hear ‘And the new’ for a long time,” said Roach, who improved to 24-1-1 with 9 KOs. “It’s about time though. All I needed was the spotlight. The first time I was a baby – I was 24 years old. Now I’m seasoned. I don’t think anyone can beat me. Nobody.”
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WBA orders Roach vs. Batyrgaziev
The WBA Championships Committee has ordered a mandatory fight between its super featherweight champion, Lamont Roach Jr., and its interim title holder, Albert Batyrgaziev. The parties have thirty days to negotiate, a period that will end on August 22nd. If no deal is reached, WBA rules call for a purse bid. Eariler this month, in Serpukhov, Russia, the WBA interim super featherweight title was claimed by Batyrgaziev (10-0), the Russian Olympic champion who survived some rough moments early on to stop Ireland's Jono Carroll (24-2-1) in round nine. Carroll had won his last six fights following a loss to Maxi Hughes but with both eyes swelling, he went down twice in round nine. On the second knockdown, the referee stopped the fight without a count. Last November, Roach wrested away Héctor García’s WBA super featherweight title in his second attempt at a belt. Roach dropped García in the twelfth round and wound up winning a split decision by scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 113-114 in a technical and strategic fight. [The result is controversial as Roach appeared to knock Garcia down with an improper blow to the back of the head]. The knockdown caused the WBA title to change hands as it allowed Roach to avoid a split-draw. The punch in question was a the left hook that landed with 1:20 left in the fight and drove García into the canvas for the second time in his career.
In 2019, Roach came up short in his first title shot against Jamel Herring, also a southpaw, but made good on his second attempt on Saturday, while García (16-2, 10 KOs) was unsuccessful in his first defense of his WBA championship after he rose in weight and was stopped by lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis back in January. In that fight, García retired on his stool before the ninth round, complaining of impaired vision.
“Man, I’ve been waiting to hear ‘And the new’ for a long time,” said Roach, who improved to 24-1-1 with 9 KOs. “It’s about time though. All I needed was the spotlight. The first time I was a baby – I was 24 years old. Now I’m seasoned. I don’t think anyone can beat me. Nobody.”
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Joyce and Chisora to finally cross paths on Saturday |
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Top Rank Boxing on ESPN will be presented live Saturday, July 27th at 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT, exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. The event takes place at The O2 in London. In the twelve-round heavyweight main event, Joe Joyce (pictured) takes on Derek “War” Chisora. Two additional bouts will be featured on the ESPN+ stream, including Britain’s next heavyweight hopeful, Moses Itauma (9-0, 7 KOs), fighting Polish veteran Mariusz Wach (38-10, 20 KOs).
Joyce (16-2, 15 KOs), a 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist, defeated former champions Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker and then-unbeaten Daniel Dubois en route to a 15-0 record. He experienced his first pro setbacks in 2023 with consecutive stoppage losses to Zhilei Zhang. Joyce rebounded in March with a tenth-round knockout over Kash Ali.
Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs) is a 17-year pro who twice challenged for the WBC crown, once against Vitali Klitschko in February 2012 and again in his third fight with Tyson Fury in December 2022. Chisora returns following a tenth-round stoppage over Gerald Washington last August.
Timothy Bradley Jr. and Bernardo Osuna will call the action from Los Angeles.
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Joyce and Chisora to finally cross paths on Saturday
Top Rank Boxing on ESPN will be presented live Saturday, July 27th at 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT, exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. The event takes place at The O2 in London. In the twelve-round heavyweight main event, Joe Joyce (pictured) takes on Derek “War” Chisora. Two additional bouts will be featured on the ESPN+ stream, including Britain’s next heavyweight hopeful, Moses Itauma (9-0, 7 KOs), fighting Polish veteran Mariusz Wach (38-10, 20 KOs).
Joyce (16-2, 15 KOs), a 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist, defeated former champions Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker and then-unbeaten Daniel Dubois en route to a 15-0 record. He experienced his first pro setbacks in 2023 with consecutive stoppage losses to Zhilei Zhang. Joyce rebounded in March with a tenth-round knockout over Kash Ali.
Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs) is a 17-year pro who twice challenged for the WBC crown, once against Vitali Klitschko in February 2012 and again in his third fight with Tyson Fury in December 2022. Chisora returns following a tenth-round stoppage over Gerald Washington last August.
Timothy Bradley Jr. and Bernardo Osuna will call the action from Los Angeles.
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Mexican update: Israel Ramirez to feature on Berchelt undercard |
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This Saturday, July 27th, Mexican super bantamweight Israel ¨Azulito¨ Ramírez will host Venezuela's Edixon Pérez. The ten-round duel will support the main event of the evening in which ex-champ Miguel Berchelt (39-3) will feature against Jeremy Triana (15-5-3) in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Ramírez (20-2, 10 KOs), born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, will enter the ring for the second time during 2024 after defeating Jesús Arechiga Valdez by unanimous decision. Ramírez is 24 years old, has a knockout power ratio percentage of 50%. He has accumulated a streak of four wins and one loss in his most recent five bouts. In addition, it will be the first time as a professional that he wil face a Venezuelan fighter.
Pérez (28-10-1. 22 KOs), originally from Bolívar, Venezuela, will make his first fight in 2024, having defeated Gustavo Nuñez at the end of last year by knockout in the first round. Pérez, 32 years old, has a knockout power exceeding 70%. He has accumulated two wins, two losses and a draw in his most recent matches. His most recent victory on foreign soil was at the beginning of 2022 in the Dominican Republic against Ranfis Encarnación (21-4).
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Mexican update: Israel Ramirez to feature on Berchelt undercard
This Saturday, July 27th, Mexican super bantamweight Israel ¨Azulito¨ Ramírez will host Venezuela's Edixon Pérez. The ten-round duel will support the main event of the evening in which ex-champ Miguel Berchelt (39-3) will feature against Jeremy Triana (15-5-3) in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Ramírez (20-2, 10 KOs), born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, will enter the ring for the second time during 2024 after defeating Jesús Arechiga Valdez by unanimous decision. Ramírez is 24 years old, has a knockout power ratio percentage of 50%. He has accumulated a streak of four wins and one loss in his most recent five bouts. In addition, it will be the first time as a professional that he wil face a Venezuelan fighter.
Pérez (28-10-1. 22 KOs), originally from Bolívar, Venezuela, will make his first fight in 2024, having defeated Gustavo Nuñez at the end of last year by knockout in the first round. Pérez, 32 years old, has a knockout power exceeding 70%. He has accumulated two wins, two losses and a draw in his most recent matches. His most recent victory on foreign soil was at the beginning of 2022 in the Dominican Republic against Ranfis Encarnación (21-4).
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Queensberry makes large donation to BoxWise Foundation |
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Queensberry Promotions has teamed up with BoxWise Foundation, a charity that helps vulnerable young people stay out of trouble and in school or work. As part of this, Frank Warren will also become the first Chairman of the BoxWise Foundation Development Board and Queensberry today announced that it is committing £1 million (approximately $1,289,000) to support the charity. BoxWise is also pleased to announce that Queensberry’s pledge is being matched by BoxWise Founder Nick Maughan and incoming development board member, Chris Kilvington, both committing a further £1 million each.
Speaking ahead of his visit to a BoxWise session on July 23rd in an Islington boxing club, the borough he grew up in, Warren said: “Boxing has given me everything – friends, a business and happiness – but most of all something to wake up in the morning for, a real sense of purpose and belonging. I remember growing up here on the streets of North London, it was really tough, and life could have easily been different for me. That’s why I am delighted that Queensberry is supporting BoxWise and also proud to become the first Chairman of the BoxWise Foundation Development Board.”
BoxWise delivers ten-week non-contact boxing programmes to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people across the UK, striving to reduce the rates of gang violence and knife crime through sport, community and opportunity. Founded in 2020 by Nick Maughan and Rick Ogden, it has grown to support over 1,500 young people across the UK annually. Sessions are delivered by accredited England Boxing coaches and are a safe space for young people to focus on their mental and physical health, develop community ties and build foundations for a long and successful future.
Sessions also include a free hot meal, and graduates of the programme are given an opportunity to take part in a pathways programme to support their next steps in education or employment.
BoxWise Director and Co-Founder Rick Ogden said: “We are delighted to welcome Queensberry and are so grateful for their support. At BoxWise we help those who are vulnerable to becoming victims and perpetrators of knife crime onto a positive way forward in life through their engagement with the sport. Our work with the Centre for Social Justice reveals that sport interventions have been found to reduce offending by 52 per cent, significantly cutting violent crime. We work closely with the police, community organisations and youth authorities to improve young lives and to positively impact society.”
A recent BoxWise participant, described the impact of the program on his life: “Now boxing is my number one priority, it’s my whole life now. In the last 6 months I haven’t missed a single day’s training. Boxing has completely taken over my life, for the better. I’m so much more confident. I stopped smoking because of boxing, I stopped drinking because of boxing, I stopped partying. Everything just seems more clear in my mind when I discovered how important boxing was to me. I love boxing…I came from having anger issues, so BoxWise was very good for my mental health as it provides a different outlet for my anger. It’s a good way to get rid of that energy. After a session in the gym, I feel more relaxed mentally – it allows me to put my thoughts in order.”
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Queensberry makes large donation to BoxWise Foundation
Queensberry Promotions has teamed up with BoxWise Foundation, a charity that helps vulnerable young people stay out of trouble and in school or work. As part of this, Frank Warren will also become the first Chairman of the BoxWise Foundation Development Board and Queensberry today announced that it is committing £1 million (approximately $1,289,000) to support the charity. BoxWise is also pleased to announce that Queensberry’s pledge is being matched by BoxWise Founder Nick Maughan and incoming development board member, Chris Kilvington, both committing a further £1 million each.
Speaking ahead of his visit to a BoxWise session on July 23rd in an Islington boxing club, the borough he grew up in, Warren said: “Boxing has given me everything – friends, a business and happiness – but most of all something to wake up in the morning for, a real sense of purpose and belonging. I remember growing up here on the streets of North London, it was really tough, and life could have easily been different for me. That’s why I am delighted that Queensberry is supporting BoxWise and also proud to become the first Chairman of the BoxWise Foundation Development Board.”
BoxWise delivers ten-week non-contact boxing programmes to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people across the UK, striving to reduce the rates of gang violence and knife crime through sport, community and opportunity. Founded in 2020 by Nick Maughan and Rick Ogden, it has grown to support over 1,500 young people across the UK annually. Sessions are delivered by accredited England Boxing coaches and are a safe space for young people to focus on their mental and physical health, develop community ties and build foundations for a long and successful future.
Sessions also include a free hot meal, and graduates of the programme are given an opportunity to take part in a pathways programme to support their next steps in education or employment.
BoxWise Director and Co-Founder Rick Ogden said: “We are delighted to welcome Queensberry and are so grateful for their support. At BoxWise we help those who are vulnerable to becoming victims and perpetrators of knife crime onto a positive way forward in life through their engagement with the sport. Our work with the Centre for Social Justice reveals that sport interventions have been found to reduce offending by 52 per cent, significantly cutting violent crime. We work closely with the police, community organisations and youth authorities to improve young lives and to positively impact society.”
A recent BoxWise participant, described the impact of the program on his life: “Now boxing is my number one priority, it’s my whole life now. In the last 6 months I haven’t missed a single day’s training. Boxing has completely taken over my life, for the better. I’m so much more confident. I stopped smoking because of boxing, I stopped drinking because of boxing, I stopped partying. Everything just seems more clear in my mind when I discovered how important boxing was to me. I love boxing…I came from having anger issues, so BoxWise was very good for my mental health as it provides a different outlet for my anger. It’s a good way to get rid of that energy. After a session in the gym, I feel more relaxed mentally – it allows me to put my thoughts in order.”
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Update on heavyweight hopeful Pryce Taylor |
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Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor (4-0, 2 KOs) learned invaluable lessons from attending a Sugar Hill-operated training camp in Delray Beach, Florida, last week as a sparring partner for heavyweight contender Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) as Anderson prepares in for his next fight on August 3rd in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old Anderson, who was a two-time U.S. Nationals Championship gold medalist, takes on Martin Bakole (20-1) on a major DAZN pay-per-view card. Taylor used the week of camp sparring with Anderson to better prepare him for his own next fight, September 7th against Lemir Isom Riley (4-2, 2 KOs), at Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. It will be Taylor’s first scheduled six-round bout.
“Jared is definitely the real deal,” Taylor said, “and camp was well organized. We did rounds and Sugar Hill (Anderson’s head trainer) let us see the recordings. He likes to go back to review videos and he sent us copies of it to review and analyze. He likes to teach. He’s about teaching techniques and giving instructions. I learned from him how to slip better and to use more head movement. From sparring Jarad. I learned to capitalize by using my jab backing up, and finishing up my combinations by punching out of my combinations.”
“I have better confidence after sparring with him,” Taylor noted. “No way he’s losing. I learned from him to keep cool, throw my jab, and everything that I’ve learned in the gym really works. I was super sore but remained calm at all times in the ring. I love to learn and I’m going to continue to take advantage of these sparring camp opportunities.”
In addition to Anderson, Taylor has sparred with Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller, Brandon Glanton and Otto Wallin. “Pryce has had a very busy few months.” Taylor’s manager NYC-lawyer Keith Sullivan commented. “He turned pro in December, is 4-0, competed a full season in the TCL league and made time to partake in some great camps. Sparring with Jared is an invaluable experience that will serve him well in his upcoming fight in six weeks. I’ll be looking to see a more aggressive, slicker Pryce on September 7th in New York City”.
A decorated U.S. amateur boxer, highlighted by his two New York Golden Gloves Championship titles, Taylor was also a four-time runner-up in USA National Championships, including one to Joshua Edwards, who is representing the U.S. as a super heavyweight for Team USA in the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris. Taylor also played basketball for one season at Corning Community College in upstate New York.
After recently finishing his second season as a member of the NYC Attitude in the Team Combat League (TLC), Taylor was just informed that he has been selected as a TCL All-Star.
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Update on heavyweight hopeful Pryce Taylor
Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor (4-0, 2 KOs) learned invaluable lessons from attending a Sugar Hill-operated training camp in Delray Beach, Florida, last week as a sparring partner for heavyweight contender Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) as Anderson prepares in for his next fight on August 3rd in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old Anderson, who was a two-time U.S. Nationals Championship gold medalist, takes on Martin Bakole (20-1) on a major DAZN pay-per-view card. Taylor used the week of camp sparring with Anderson to better prepare him for his own next fight, September 7th against Lemir Isom Riley (4-2, 2 KOs), at Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. It will be Taylor’s first scheduled six-round bout.
“Jared is definitely the real deal,” Taylor said, “and camp was well organized. We did rounds and Sugar Hill (Anderson’s head trainer) let us see the recordings. He likes to go back to review videos and he sent us copies of it to review and analyze. He likes to teach. He’s about teaching techniques and giving instructions. I learned from him how to slip better and to use more head movement. From sparring Jarad. I learned to capitalize by using my jab backing up, and finishing up my combinations by punching out of my combinations.”
“I have better confidence after sparring with him,” Taylor noted. “No way he’s losing. I learned from him to keep cool, throw my jab, and everything that I’ve learned in the gym really works. I was super sore but remained calm at all times in the ring. I love to learn and I’m going to continue to take advantage of these sparring camp opportunities.”
In addition to Anderson, Taylor has sparred with Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller, Brandon Glanton and Otto Wallin. “Pryce has had a very busy few months.” Taylor’s manager NYC-lawyer Keith Sullivan commented. “He turned pro in December, is 4-0, competed a full season in the TCL league and made time to partake in some great camps. Sparring with Jared is an invaluable experience that will serve him well in his upcoming fight in six weeks. I’ll be looking to see a more aggressive, slicker Pryce on September 7th in New York City”.
A decorated U.S. amateur boxer, highlighted by his two New York Golden Gloves Championship titles, Taylor was also a four-time runner-up in USA National Championships, including one to Joshua Edwards, who is representing the U.S. as a super heavyweight for Team USA in the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris. Taylor also played basketball for one season at Corning Community College in upstate New York.
After recently finishing his second season as a member of the NYC Attitude in the Team Combat League (TLC), Taylor was just informed that he has been selected as a TCL All-Star.
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PPV.com to provide alternate coverage of Crawford vs. Madrimov |
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PPV.com, which does not require a subscription, returns to the ring when it live streams in the U.S. and Canada, the summer's most exciting boxing card on U.S. soil. Terence 'Bud' Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), a three-division world champion from Omaha, Nebraska, will move up in weight to challenge WBA 154-pound champion Israil 'The Dream' Madrimov (16-1-1 including the World Series of Boxing), a native of Khiva, Uzbekistan, who now fights out of Indio, California. In addition to Madrimov's title, the WBO interim title will also be on the line.
Crawford (pictured) extended his eight-year victory by knockout streak to eleven when he stopped then-undefeated unified welterweight champion Errol Spence last year to become boxing's first undisputed world champion in two different weight divisions in the four-belt era. He will be looking to solidify his claim as the #1 pound-for-pound boxer. Madrimov will be making the first defense of the world title he won on March 8th, when he knocked out undefeated Magomed Kurbanov in the fifth round. The stacked pay-per-view event, which marks the first time Riyadh Season will host a card outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will take place Saturday, August 3rd, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, emanating from BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Priced at $79.99, the Crawford vs. Madrimov world championship event can be ordered through PPV.com.
"Israil Madrimov is a typically tough, well-schooled Eastern European boxer. But Terence Crawford is in another league. The skill and dynamism he showed in upending Errol Spence offered a strong argument for pound-for-pound number one status, and Crawford is an intensely proud professional who never lets his guard down. There’s no reason to suspect he will fail to master Madrimov, either by TKO or by lopsided decision,” said Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley, who returns to the ring wars to co-host the exclusive viewer chat, in real time, during the PPV.com Crawford vs. Madrimov world championship event live stream.
Joining Lampley on the viewer chat will be award-winning boxing journalist Lance Pugmire and popular podcast host Dan Canobbio. Jim, Lance, and Dan will also be providing exclusive fight week commentary and reports for PPV.com's website and social platforms.
The Crawford vs. Madrimov pay-per-view live stream will also feature WBA 140-pound champion Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs), from Mexico City, in his first title defense, against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico; Cuban standout David Morrell, Jr. (10-0, 9 KOs), fighting out of Minneapolis will be battling Serbian native Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs), fighting out of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the vacant WBA light heavyweight regular title; former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 KOs), from Imperial, California, against Jarrell 'Big Baby' Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), from Brooklyn, New York; heavyweights Jared 'The Real Big Baby' Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs), from Houston, Texas, against Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs), a native of the Democratic Republic of The Congo, now fighting out of Airdrie, Scotland; and Cuban Olympic lightweight gold medalist Andy Cruz (3-0, 1 KO), now from Miami, against Antonio Moran (30-6-1, 21 KOs), from Mexico City, in a ten-round lightweight rumble.
PPV.com, which does not require a subscription, will offer Crawford vs. Madrimov for $79.99 in the U.S. and Canada. InDemand, the parent company of PPV.com, will also be carrying the event through its network of cable and telco operators in the U.S. and Canada via providers including: Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Optimum, Fios, Rogers, Bell, SaskTel, and Telus, among others.
LANCE PUGMIRE - Lance is a recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism, the Boxing Writers Association of America's highest honor. He brings over 30 years of experience covering the sweet science for the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and The Athletic. Lance currently serves as senior U.S. writer for BoxingScene.com.
DAN CANOBBIO - Dan and former WBO junior welterweight world champion Chris Algieri have moved their popular Inside Boxing Live podcast to PPV.COM, where they produce two fresh episodes weekly, provide onsite coverage during major pay-per-view fight weeks, host their own weekly live chat every Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, and join fight night live viewer chats. For the latest episodes of Inside Boxing Live presented by PPV.COM, click here Inside Boxing Live - YouTube.
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PPV.com to provide alternate coverage of Crawford vs. Madrimov
PPV.com, which does not require a subscription, returns to the ring when it live streams in the U.S. and Canada, the summer's most exciting boxing card on U.S. soil. Terence 'Bud' Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), a three-division world champion from Omaha, Nebraska, will move up in weight to challenge WBA 154-pound champion Israil 'The Dream' Madrimov (16-1-1 including the World Series of Boxing), a native of Khiva, Uzbekistan, who now fights out of Indio, California. In addition to Madrimov's title, the WBO interim title will also be on the line.
Crawford (pictured) extended his eight-year victory by knockout streak to eleven when he stopped then-undefeated unified welterweight champion Errol Spence last year to become boxing's first undisputed world champion in two different weight divisions in the four-belt era. He will be looking to solidify his claim as the #1 pound-for-pound boxer. Madrimov will be making the first defense of the world title he won on March 8th, when he knocked out undefeated Magomed Kurbanov in the fifth round. The stacked pay-per-view event, which marks the first time Riyadh Season will host a card outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will take place Saturday, August 3rd, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, emanating from BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Priced at $79.99, the Crawford vs. Madrimov world championship event can be ordered through PPV.com.
"Israil Madrimov is a typically tough, well-schooled Eastern European boxer. But Terence Crawford is in another league. The skill and dynamism he showed in upending Errol Spence offered a strong argument for pound-for-pound number one status, and Crawford is an intensely proud professional who never lets his guard down. There’s no reason to suspect he will fail to master Madrimov, either by TKO or by lopsided decision,” said Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley, who returns to the ring wars to co-host the exclusive viewer chat, in real time, during the PPV.com Crawford vs. Madrimov world championship event live stream.
Joining Lampley on the viewer chat will be award-winning boxing journalist Lance Pugmire and popular podcast host Dan Canobbio. Jim, Lance, and Dan will also be providing exclusive fight week commentary and reports for PPV.com's website and social platforms.
The Crawford vs. Madrimov pay-per-view live stream will also feature WBA 140-pound champion Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs), from Mexico City, in his first title defense, against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico; Cuban standout David Morrell, Jr. (10-0, 9 KOs), fighting out of Minneapolis will be battling Serbian native Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs), fighting out of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the vacant WBA light heavyweight regular title; former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 KOs), from Imperial, California, against Jarrell 'Big Baby' Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), from Brooklyn, New York; heavyweights Jared 'The Real Big Baby' Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs), from Houston, Texas, against Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs), a native of the Democratic Republic of The Congo, now fighting out of Airdrie, Scotland; and Cuban Olympic lightweight gold medalist Andy Cruz (3-0, 1 KO), now from Miami, against Antonio Moran (30-6-1, 21 KOs), from Mexico City, in a ten-round lightweight rumble.
PPV.com, which does not require a subscription, will offer Crawford vs. Madrimov for $79.99 in the U.S. and Canada. InDemand, the parent company of PPV.com, will also be carrying the event through its network of cable and telco operators in the U.S. and Canada via providers including: Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Optimum, Fios, Rogers, Bell, SaskTel, and Telus, among others.
LANCE PUGMIRE - Lance is a recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism, the Boxing Writers Association of America's highest honor. He brings over 30 years of experience covering the sweet science for the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and The Athletic. Lance currently serves as senior U.S. writer for BoxingScene.com.
DAN CANOBBIO - Dan and former WBO junior welterweight world champion Chris Algieri have moved their popular Inside Boxing Live podcast to PPV.COM, where they produce two fresh episodes weekly, provide onsite coverage during major pay-per-view fight weeks, host their own weekly live chat every Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, and join fight night live viewer chats. For the latest episodes of Inside Boxing Live presented by PPV.COM, click here Inside Boxing Live - YouTube.
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A look at Great Britain's Olympic team |
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Charley Davison, Rosie Eccles, Chantelle Reid, Lewis Richardson, Pat Brown and Delicious Orie have been named by the British Olympic Association (BOA) as the six boxers that will represent Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The three men and three women earned their ticket for Paris by securing a quota place at one of the three Olympic Qualification events organized by the Paris Boxing Unit of the IOC, which has managed the boxing pathway to Paris 2024.
Davison, Eccles and Orie secured qualification when they represented Team GB at the 2023 European Games in Poland, where Orie won gold and his two Davison and Eccles took bronze.
Reid and Brown earnt their places at the first World Qualification Tournament in Italy in April 2024. The last boxer to qualify was Richardson, who secured his place at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Thailand which concluded at the start of June.
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “The GB boxers have always been an important and integral part of Team GB. The six selected today bring real talent, character and personality to the team and we’re all looking forward to seeing how they perform at the Games. In Performance Director Rob McCracken, the boxers have an exceptional mentor, who knows how to bring out their best performances. I’m excited to watch them compete.”
Paris will be Davison’s second Games after she competed at Tokyo 2021. Her teammates will all be making their Olympic debut. Davison commented: “Tokyo was a great experience but qualifying for a second time means a little bit more to me. I am much more experienced boxer now and I know what to expect at an Olympics, so I am going into the Games feeling confident.”
The line-up includes two Commonwealth Games Champions in Eccles and Orie who both won gold at Birmingham 2022. Orie said: “Winning gold at a multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games was a brilliant and I am looking forward to putting all of that experience to good use at the Olympics. We have all worked so hard to get to this point and, it is great to have qualified, but the job is not yet done and my aim is to keep working hard and make sure I am in the best possible shape when it comes to competing on the biggest stage of all in Paris.”
Eccles said: I have put so much effort into this and had so many ups and downs along the way so to finally qualify for the Olympics and be confirmed as a member of Team GB for Paris 2024 is an amazing feeling.”
The other major medallist in the team is Richardson, who won a bronze at Birmingham 2022 and a silver at the 2022 European Championships in Armenia. Like Eccles, the light-middleweight, who narrowly missed out on qualification for Tokyo 2021, said: “It’s been a long hard journey to get to this point, so it will be a very proud moment when I finally get to pull on the Team GB vest in Paris.”
The remaining members of the team are Mancunian heavyweight Pat Brown and middleweight Chantelle Reid, who only returned to competitive boxing in 2023 following a six-year break. The 26-year-old had been a successful junior and won a gold at the 2014 European Junior Championships which she followed with a bronze at the World Youths but was advised to quit the sport owing to a degenerative disc issue in her lower back.
Reid explained: “I was advised to stop boxing in my teens but the sport is in my family and after seeing my brother do well, I made a comeback in 2023 so it’s been an incredible 18 months. To have qualified for the Olympics and now be part of Team GB in Paris is a dream come true.”
Brown added: “I have only been part of the GB Boxing squad for three years so am really proud to have qualified for the Olympics Games after such a short period of time. It will be an honour to wear the Team GB vest and I am determined to make sure I make myself and all my family and friends proud when the competition gets underway in Paris this summer.”
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A look at Great Britain's Olympic team
Charley Davison, Rosie Eccles, Chantelle Reid, Lewis Richardson, Pat Brown and Delicious Orie have been named by the British Olympic Association (BOA) as the six boxers that will represent Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The three men and three women earned their ticket for Paris by securing a quota place at one of the three Olympic Qualification events organized by the Paris Boxing Unit of the IOC, which has managed the boxing pathway to Paris 2024.
Davison, Eccles and Orie secured qualification when they represented Team GB at the 2023 European Games in Poland, where Orie won gold and his two Davison and Eccles took bronze.
Reid and Brown earnt their places at the first World Qualification Tournament in Italy in April 2024. The last boxer to qualify was Richardson, who secured his place at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Thailand which concluded at the start of June.
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “The GB boxers have always been an important and integral part of Team GB. The six selected today bring real talent, character and personality to the team and we’re all looking forward to seeing how they perform at the Games. In Performance Director Rob McCracken, the boxers have an exceptional mentor, who knows how to bring out their best performances. I’m excited to watch them compete.”
Paris will be Davison’s second Games after she competed at Tokyo 2021. Her teammates will all be making their Olympic debut. Davison commented: “Tokyo was a great experience but qualifying for a second time means a little bit more to me. I am much more experienced boxer now and I know what to expect at an Olympics, so I am going into the Games feeling confident.”
The line-up includes two Commonwealth Games Champions in Eccles and Orie who both won gold at Birmingham 2022. Orie said: “Winning gold at a multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games was a brilliant and I am looking forward to putting all of that experience to good use at the Olympics. We have all worked so hard to get to this point and, it is great to have qualified, but the job is not yet done and my aim is to keep working hard and make sure I am in the best possible shape when it comes to competing on the biggest stage of all in Paris.”
Eccles said: I have put so much effort into this and had so many ups and downs along the way so to finally qualify for the Olympics and be confirmed as a member of Team GB for Paris 2024 is an amazing feeling.”
The other major medallist in the team is Richardson, who won a bronze at Birmingham 2022 and a silver at the 2022 European Championships in Armenia. Like Eccles, the light-middleweight, who narrowly missed out on qualification for Tokyo 2021, said: “It’s been a long hard journey to get to this point, so it will be a very proud moment when I finally get to pull on the Team GB vest in Paris.”
The remaining members of the team are Mancunian heavyweight Pat Brown and middleweight Chantelle Reid, who only returned to competitive boxing in 2023 following a six-year break. The 26-year-old had been a successful junior and won a gold at the 2014 European Junior Championships which she followed with a bronze at the World Youths but was advised to quit the sport owing to a degenerative disc issue in her lower back.
Reid explained: “I was advised to stop boxing in my teens but the sport is in my family and after seeing my brother do well, I made a comeback in 2023 so it’s been an incredible 18 months. To have qualified for the Olympics and now be part of Team GB in Paris is a dream come true.”
Brown added: “I have only been part of the GB Boxing squad for three years so am really proud to have qualified for the Olympics Games after such a short period of time. It will be an honour to wear the Team GB vest and I am determined to make sure I make myself and all my family and friends proud when the competition gets underway in Paris this summer.”
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Maureen Shea to fight on at age 43 |
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Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (30-2-1, 13 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time in more than two years on the August 9th (Aug. 10 rain date) “Punch-Out at Polar Park II” card, presented by Shearns Boxing Promotions (SBP) in conjunction with Kendrick Ball’s Camp Get Right Boxing, at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. Shea faces Beata Dudek (4-2, 4 KOs), who fights out of Hungary by way of her native Slovakia. She competed in the 2022 IBA world championships as an amateur. All of the action will be streamed live on www.bxngtv.com.
“Maureen is a friend, and we are very happy to have her fight on our show,” promoter Chuck Shearns commented. “When our fighter, Josniel Castro, relocated to Florida, Maureen was extremely gracious and helpful to us. That’s the kind of person she is.” Shea, 43, has had a solid 17-year pro career. She’s riding an 18-fight unbeaten streak with 17 victories and one draw. Originally from the Bronx (NY), she now trains and is a strength-and-conditioning coach at DS Boxing in Boca Raton, Florida.
“I’m better than ever,” Shea spoke about fighting at her age. “I have a balanced life, so why not fight? It’s not about proving myself. I have experience and I’m strong, I love this sport and I’m following the path. I’m going to give it a good run and hopefully I’ll get another world title fight. I’m at peace in my life. I’ve always stayed busy, and boxing has never left me. I started training again in 2022 and I wanted to see what would happen. It’s a challenge boxing in my forties, but there is a lot of BS. I’m doing this now for me. I started at 17 and women couldn’t fight in the amateurs. I got to No. 1 in the world. I learned a lot in the amateurs – I only had 11 fights -- of what not to do in the pros. I was misdiagnosed with bi-polar and was on a lot of medication, It’s the reason I moved to California. I have seasonal affect disorder. It rejuvenated my life and off of medications. And I have a platform and a voice for young women in boxing. I started to box again, but the lapses in years that I had were from deeply emotional struggles.
“I also want to prove that life in boxing isn’t over at 40 if you age gracefully and do not lose your spirit. I’m good and getting better. People come up to me and say I must have found the Foundation of Youth. I’ve been through so much boxing that nothing affects me. I’m adaptable.”
Shea has always been a huge New York Yankees fan, often wearing the famous pinstripes while boxing, although she probably won’t be doing so fighting in the Triple A home of the Boston Red Sox. “I’ve always loved baseball,” she added. “Mo Vaughn (former Red Sox star) is a friend of mine. I do my strength training at his performance center in Boca Raton. And when I fought in Mexico, I danced with Nomar Garciaparra (another former Red Sox star). I love baseball. When Top Rank had a show at Yankee Stadium, I really wanted to fight on that show, but now I’m fighting at a beautiful ballpark. Boston has always had great fans and I think they will appreciate my style. I have friends driving up from New York City, and others are coming from Boston and even New Hampshire. I’m excited to display my skills there. Chuck (Shearns) is a great guy. He told me he always wanted to have a women’s fight on his (Polar Park) card and I’m honored to be fighting on this show.”
Shea has fought outdoors twice, in 2007 on a show held in the parking lot outside of the Eldorado Resort Casino in Reno (NV), in which the temperatures hit 114 to go along with the high altitude. The other time was in 2011, when she defeated Diana Ayala by way of a ten-round majority decision for the WBC interim featherweight title, in Los Mochis, Mexico. She clearly remembers how bitter cold it was on that December night.
Based on her past experiences, Shea shouldn’t be concerned about fighting outdoors in Worcester during August, and she also has another reason to be on “Punch-Out at Polar Park II.” “I’m excited to be fighting on the same show with Josniel (Castro),” Maureen explained. “We’ve been stablemates for a few years, and I’ve worked out with him a lot. I don’t need to fight. What more can I achieve? I’m doing this because I still can.”
The only returning “Punch-Out” fighter from last year’s pro card, Josniel “TG” Castro (12-1, 8 KOs), will take on Jerry Bradford (9-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round junior middleweight contest. Castro vs. Bradford was elevated to the main when the original headliner, Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley vs. Anthony “Vicious” Vieira, was postponed... Heavyweight Kevin “Big Gulp” Nagle (8-0, 7 KOs), a popular fighter from Scituate (MA), clashes with Mexican veteran Jose “Olympico” Humberto Corral (20-33, 12 KOs) in an eight-round match-up... Four-time New England Golden Gloves Champion Keno Luna (2-0, 2 KOs), a promising junior middleweight prospect from Worcester, is back in action in a four-round fight versus Izaiah Vargas (1-10).... Three locally based boxers will be making their pro debuts: Millbury welterweight Justin Laporte, who fought last year on the amateur part of the card, vs. Tymar Miles (0-2), Worcester junior middleweight Jhon “D-Wave” Devers Rodriguez vs. Igor Santos (0-1) and Worcester welterweight “Grafton Hill’s Favorite Son” Daniel Docimo vs. Tracey Coppedge (0-3).
The Greg Hill Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds to continue improving the lives of local families in need. It has donated more than $20 Million to more than 9,000 different beneficiaries. Go to www.thegreghillfoundation.org for more information.
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Maureen Shea to fight on at age 43
Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (30-2-1, 13 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time in more than two years on the August 9th (Aug. 10 rain date) “Punch-Out at Polar Park II” card, presented by Shearns Boxing Promotions (SBP) in conjunction with Kendrick Ball’s Camp Get Right Boxing, at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. Shea faces Beata Dudek (4-2, 4 KOs), who fights out of Hungary by way of her native Slovakia. She competed in the 2022 IBA world championships as an amateur. All of the action will be streamed live on www.bxngtv.com.
“Maureen is a friend, and we are very happy to have her fight on our show,” promoter Chuck Shearns commented. “When our fighter, Josniel Castro, relocated to Florida, Maureen was extremely gracious and helpful to us. That’s the kind of person she is.” Shea, 43, has had a solid 17-year pro career. She’s riding an 18-fight unbeaten streak with 17 victories and one draw. Originally from the Bronx (NY), she now trains and is a strength-and-conditioning coach at DS Boxing in Boca Raton, Florida.
“I’m better than ever,” Shea spoke about fighting at her age. “I have a balanced life, so why not fight? It’s not about proving myself. I have experience and I’m strong, I love this sport and I’m following the path. I’m going to give it a good run and hopefully I’ll get another world title fight. I’m at peace in my life. I’ve always stayed busy, and boxing has never left me. I started training again in 2022 and I wanted to see what would happen. It’s a challenge boxing in my forties, but there is a lot of BS. I’m doing this now for me. I started at 17 and women couldn’t fight in the amateurs. I got to No. 1 in the world. I learned a lot in the amateurs – I only had 11 fights -- of what not to do in the pros. I was misdiagnosed with bi-polar and was on a lot of medication, It’s the reason I moved to California. I have seasonal affect disorder. It rejuvenated my life and off of medications. And I have a platform and a voice for young women in boxing. I started to box again, but the lapses in years that I had were from deeply emotional struggles.
“I also want to prove that life in boxing isn’t over at 40 if you age gracefully and do not lose your spirit. I’m good and getting better. People come up to me and say I must have found the Foundation of Youth. I’ve been through so much boxing that nothing affects me. I’m adaptable.”
Shea has always been a huge New York Yankees fan, often wearing the famous pinstripes while boxing, although she probably won’t be doing so fighting in the Triple A home of the Boston Red Sox. “I’ve always loved baseball,” she added. “Mo Vaughn (former Red Sox star) is a friend of mine. I do my strength training at his performance center in Boca Raton. And when I fought in Mexico, I danced with Nomar Garciaparra (another former Red Sox star). I love baseball. When Top Rank had a show at Yankee Stadium, I really wanted to fight on that show, but now I’m fighting at a beautiful ballpark. Boston has always had great fans and I think they will appreciate my style. I have friends driving up from New York City, and others are coming from Boston and even New Hampshire. I’m excited to display my skills there. Chuck (Shearns) is a great guy. He told me he always wanted to have a women’s fight on his (Polar Park) card and I’m honored to be fighting on this show.”
Shea has fought outdoors twice, in 2007 on a show held in the parking lot outside of the Eldorado Resort Casino in Reno (NV), in which the temperatures hit 114 to go along with the high altitude. The other time was in 2011, when she defeated Diana Ayala by way of a ten-round majority decision for the WBC interim featherweight title, in Los Mochis, Mexico. She clearly remembers how bitter cold it was on that December night.
Based on her past experiences, Shea shouldn’t be concerned about fighting outdoors in Worcester during August, and she also has another reason to be on “Punch-Out at Polar Park II.” “I’m excited to be fighting on the same show with Josniel (Castro),” Maureen explained. “We’ve been stablemates for a few years, and I’ve worked out with him a lot. I don’t need to fight. What more can I achieve? I’m doing this because I still can.”
The only returning “Punch-Out” fighter from last year’s pro card, Josniel “TG” Castro (12-1, 8 KOs), will take on Jerry Bradford (9-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round junior middleweight contest. Castro vs. Bradford was elevated to the main when the original headliner, Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley vs. Anthony “Vicious” Vieira, was postponed... Heavyweight Kevin “Big Gulp” Nagle (8-0, 7 KOs), a popular fighter from Scituate (MA), clashes with Mexican veteran Jose “Olympico” Humberto Corral (20-33, 12 KOs) in an eight-round match-up... Four-time New England Golden Gloves Champion Keno Luna (2-0, 2 KOs), a promising junior middleweight prospect from Worcester, is back in action in a four-round fight versus Izaiah Vargas (1-10).... Three locally based boxers will be making their pro debuts: Millbury welterweight Justin Laporte, who fought last year on the amateur part of the card, vs. Tymar Miles (0-2), Worcester junior middleweight Jhon “D-Wave” Devers Rodriguez vs. Igor Santos (0-1) and Worcester welterweight “Grafton Hill’s Favorite Son” Daniel Docimo vs. Tracey Coppedge (0-3).
The Greg Hill Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds to continue improving the lives of local families in need. It has donated more than $20 Million to more than 9,000 different beneficiaries. Go to www.thegreghillfoundation.org for more information.
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Introducing “Showtime” Shea Willcox |
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Granite Chin Promotions (GCP) has announced the signing of Everett, Massachisetts junior welterweight “Showtime” Shea Willcox, a 2024 New England Golden Gloves Champion, to an exclusive promotional contract. He is scheduled to make his pro debut on September 13th on a GCP show in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The 22 year-old Willcox, who was a member of two Everett High’s Super Bowl, Division One, football championship teams, was also selected as the “Most Outstanding Boxer” at this past February’s New England Golden Gloves Championships. He also was a 2018 Rocky Marciano Tournament Champion. “I’ve got the experience and me and my team (his father/manager/assistant trainer Dennis Willcox and head trainer Joe Ricciardi) believe I’m ready to go pro,” Shea explained. “It’s time! I felt ready last year, but we wanted to fight in the Golden Gloves again. We met with (promoter) Chris (Traietti) and signed with him. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. He fought and knows the game. And he’s a good guy.
“The pros are a little different from the amateurs – weight cutting and pace of fights – but in my favor. You can pick your shots, unlike the amateurs, and take your time setting up punches. There are only three rounds in the amateurs. “It’s always been my dream to turn pro and I’m looking forward to it.”
“Signing the best local talent is something Granite Chin has always strived to do and that is exactly what we are doing here by signing Shea,” promoter Chris Traietti said. “He has real national level experience that will help in his development in the pro game. He has a great team around him, which will make working with him exciting.”
Willcox trains at the City of Everett-owned Broadway Boxing “free” gym, located on the second floor of old Everett High School, which is operated by Ricciardi and Dennis Willcox. Two fighters who train at Broadway Boxing, James “Pitbull” Perkins and Kenny “Lionheart” Larson, are Shea’s new GCP teammates. 2024 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion, Congo-native Gilbert Kabamba and Junior Nationals qualifier Malik Johnson are also Broadway Boxing products.
“Shea beat the best 147-pounders, he’s strong and has been boxing for nine years,” Dennis noted. “The time is now for him to turn pro. We’ve done business with Chris with Kenny and Perk. Chris is a straight-up boxing promoter. We took the deal he offered and now it’s up to us. Shea will train hard, and we can sell tickets. We have a big family and lots of friends. They went to the Golden Gloves five weeks in a row. We like Chris. He fought and knows what it takes. Shea has had a pro style since he was young. He has plenty of time to improve in and out of the ring.”
“I’m a boxer-puncher,” Shea described his style. “I can be slick but sit down and punch, too. I can buckle down. I loved watching Micky Ward fight and I have a good left-hook to the liver. I want to go as far as I can in boxing, hoping for big fights. I’m going to stay in the gym and remain consistent.”
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Introducing “Showtime” Shea Willcox
Granite Chin Promotions (GCP) has announced the signing of Everett, Massachisetts junior welterweight “Showtime” Shea Willcox, a 2024 New England Golden Gloves Champion, to an exclusive promotional contract. He is scheduled to make his pro debut on September 13th on a GCP show in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The 22 year-old Willcox, who was a member of two Everett High’s Super Bowl, Division One, football championship teams, was also selected as the “Most Outstanding Boxer” at this past February’s New England Golden Gloves Championships. He also was a 2018 Rocky Marciano Tournament Champion. “I’ve got the experience and me and my team (his father/manager/assistant trainer Dennis Willcox and head trainer Joe Ricciardi) believe I’m ready to go pro,” Shea explained. “It’s time! I felt ready last year, but we wanted to fight in the Golden Gloves again. We met with (promoter) Chris (Traietti) and signed with him. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. He fought and knows the game. And he’s a good guy.
“The pros are a little different from the amateurs – weight cutting and pace of fights – but in my favor. You can pick your shots, unlike the amateurs, and take your time setting up punches. There are only three rounds in the amateurs. “It’s always been my dream to turn pro and I’m looking forward to it.”
“Signing the best local talent is something Granite Chin has always strived to do and that is exactly what we are doing here by signing Shea,” promoter Chris Traietti said. “He has real national level experience that will help in his development in the pro game. He has a great team around him, which will make working with him exciting.”
Willcox trains at the City of Everett-owned Broadway Boxing “free” gym, located on the second floor of old Everett High School, which is operated by Ricciardi and Dennis Willcox. Two fighters who train at Broadway Boxing, James “Pitbull” Perkins and Kenny “Lionheart” Larson, are Shea’s new GCP teammates. 2024 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion, Congo-native Gilbert Kabamba and Junior Nationals qualifier Malik Johnson are also Broadway Boxing products.
“Shea beat the best 147-pounders, he’s strong and has been boxing for nine years,” Dennis noted. “The time is now for him to turn pro. We’ve done business with Chris with Kenny and Perk. Chris is a straight-up boxing promoter. We took the deal he offered and now it’s up to us. Shea will train hard, and we can sell tickets. We have a big family and lots of friends. They went to the Golden Gloves five weeks in a row. We like Chris. He fought and knows what it takes. Shea has had a pro style since he was young. He has plenty of time to improve in and out of the ring.”
“I’m a boxer-puncher,” Shea described his style. “I can be slick but sit down and punch, too. I can buckle down. I loved watching Micky Ward fight and I have a good left-hook to the liver. I want to go as far as I can in boxing, hoping for big fights. I’m going to stay in the gym and remain consistent.”
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Malajika to defend IBO belt vs. Sigqibo on Aug. 23rd |
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IBO super flyweight champion Ricardo "Magic Man" Malajika returns to action at the Emperor's Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa against fellow South African Yanga Sigqibo on August 23rd. Malajika is 13-2 but has three straight quality wins, including picking up the vacant IBO title against Kevin Luis Munoz and defending it against Marcel Braithwaite. Siggibo is 18-2-1, including a 2022 loss to four-division champion Kosei Tanaka in Japan.
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Malajika to defend IBO belt vs. Sigqibo on Aug. 23rd
IBO super flyweight champion Ricardo "Magic Man" Malajika returns to action at the Emperor's Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa against fellow South African Yanga Sigqibo on August 23rd. Malajika is 13-2 but has three straight quality wins, including picking up the vacant IBO title against Kevin Luis Munoz and defending it against Marcel Braithwaite. Siggibo is 18-2-1, including a 2022 loss to four-division champion Kosei Tanaka in Japan.
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Welcome to Shields vs. Lepage-Joanisse fight week |
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Two-time Olympic gold medalist and multi-division world champion Claressa Shields will move up in weight yet again to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on July 27th. [The WBC considers 175+ pounds to be the start of the heavyweight division for women]. Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) and Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) of Quebec will headline at Detroit, Michigan’s Little Caesars Arena, where nearly 12,000 fans watched Shileds, from Flint, Michigan defend the undisputed world middleweight title against Maricela Cornejo a year ago. Shields won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the first female boxer from the United States to win consecutive Olympic medals. She has also been a pro junior middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight champion, showing her great quality and superiority in each of these divisions. Lepage-Joanisse comes into this fight having been crowned WBC heavyweight champion by defeating Argentina’s Abril Vidal by decision in March.
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Welcome to Shields vs. Lepage-Joanisse fight week
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and multi-division world champion Claressa Shields will move up in weight yet again to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on July 27th. [The WBC considers 175+ pounds to be the start of the heavyweight division for women]. Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) and Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) of Quebec will headline at Detroit, Michigan’s Little Caesars Arena, where nearly 12,000 fans watched Shileds, from Flint, Michigan defend the undisputed world middleweight title against Maricela Cornejo a year ago. Shields won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the first female boxer from the United States to win consecutive Olympic medals. She has also been a pro junior middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight champion, showing her great quality and superiority in each of these divisions. Lepage-Joanisse comes into this fight having been crowned WBC heavyweight champion by defeating Argentina’s Abril Vidal by decision in March.
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Turki Alalshikh also enters sponsorship deal with Golden Boy |
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Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudia Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has announced a partnership between Riyadh Season and Golden Boy Promotions aimed at bolstering the promotion of top-tier boxing events throughout the world. [He also announced one with the other major American promoter, Top Rank]. The collaboration between both organizations will begin with the interim WBC 154-pound championship clash between current interim champion Serhii Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) and Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) on Saturday August 10th at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The agreement solidifies Golden Boy and Riyadh Season’s commitment to elevating the sport of boxing by leveraging the strengths of both entities.
Riyadh Season in the past year has hosted a string of world-class and innovative cards including the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st century between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury,
It will now look to expand its reach into the U.S. market with its first-ever event overseas on August 3rd at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, headlined by the blockbuster world title clash between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov for the WBA championship and WBO interim clash at 154 pounds. The show will also see rapper Eminem perform before the main event.
Led by legendary fighter Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy is the first Latino-owned boxing promotions company and continues to drive its expansion plans for the remainder of 2024 and beyond having already developed a reputation as an industry leader in the sport with a lengthy roster of world champions.
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Turki Alalshikh also enters sponsorship deal with Golden Boy
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudia Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has announced a partnership between Riyadh Season and Golden Boy Promotions aimed at bolstering the promotion of top-tier boxing events throughout the world. [He also announced one with the other major American promoter, Top Rank]. The collaboration between both organizations will begin with the interim WBC 154-pound championship clash between current interim champion Serhii Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) and Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) on Saturday August 10th at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The agreement solidifies Golden Boy and Riyadh Season’s commitment to elevating the sport of boxing by leveraging the strengths of both entities.
Riyadh Season in the past year has hosted a string of world-class and innovative cards including the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st century between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury,
It will now look to expand its reach into the U.S. market with its first-ever event overseas on August 3rd at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, headlined by the blockbuster world title clash between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov for the WBA championship and WBO interim clash at 154 pounds. The show will also see rapper Eminem perform before the main event.
Led by legendary fighter Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy is the first Latino-owned boxing promotions company and continues to drive its expansion plans for the remainder of 2024 and beyond having already developed a reputation as an industry leader in the sport with a lengthy roster of world champions.
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Turki Alalshikh enters sponsorship arrangement with Top Rank |
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Turki Alalshikh (pictured), Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has announced an official partnership between Riyadh Season and Top Rank designed to continue to drive the promotion of world-class boxing events globally. The partnership will use the power and reach of both organizations to elevate the sport. Riyadh Season will have a presence across a host of Top Rank bills, both in the build-up and on fight night. Riyadh Season will sponsor twelve Top Rank events selected by the promoter during the remainder of this year and 2025.
Top Rank is one of the most prominent promoters in the boxing industry. For more than 50 years, it has staged high-profile events in landmark settings around the world featuring some of the all-time greats, including Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao.
Over the past year, Riyadh Season has established itself as a key player in boxing, having hosted a string of world-class and innovative cards, including the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st century between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. It will now look to expand its reach into the U.S. market with its first-ever event overseas on August 3rd when Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov go head-to-head for the WBA championship and WBO interim title in the 154-pound category at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles
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Turki Alalshikh enters sponsorship arrangement with Top Rank
Turki Alalshikh (pictured), Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has announced an official partnership between Riyadh Season and Top Rank designed to continue to drive the promotion of world-class boxing events globally. The partnership will use the power and reach of both organizations to elevate the sport. Riyadh Season will have a presence across a host of Top Rank bills, both in the build-up and on fight night. Riyadh Season will sponsor twelve Top Rank events selected by the promoter during the remainder of this year and 2025.
Top Rank is one of the most prominent promoters in the boxing industry. For more than 50 years, it has staged high-profile events in landmark settings around the world featuring some of the all-time greats, including Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao.
Over the past year, Riyadh Season has established itself as a key player in boxing, having hosted a string of world-class and innovative cards, including the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st century between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. It will now look to expand its reach into the U.S. market with its first-ever event overseas on August 3rd when Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov go head-to-head for the WBA championship and WBO interim title in the 154-pound category at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles
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Report: ex-champ Richie Sandoval passes away at 63 |
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Boxing Hall of Famer Bruce Trampler tweeted, "Boxing and the Top Rank family lost one of our own last night with the passing of former WBA bantamweight champ Richie Sandoval. Hurts personally and professionally to know that Richie is gone at 63. RIP, campeon." Sandoval made the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the Soviet Union meant Sandoval would never have the chance to win a medal. He turned pro and campaigned from 1980-1986, compiling a record of 29-1. In 1984, Sandoval knocked off long-reigning WBA 118-pound champion Jeff Chandler via fifteenth-round stoppage. Chandler never fought again. Sandoval went on to make two official title defenses plus win a bunch of non-title fights until losing to Gaby Canizalez in 1986. Sandoval had terrible difficulties making weight and was greatly weakened in the ring against Canizalez. (In those days, the weigh-in was on the day of the fight, so Sandoval had little time to recover from being so drained). He was knocked unconscious for an extended period of time by Canizalez and was unable to fight again. He remained involved in boxing as an employee of Top Rank and reportedly convinced a reulctant Bob Arum to sign Michael Carbajal to a promtional contract. Carbajal went on to become a world champion. Boxingtalk salutes the memory of Richie Sandoval and sends its deepest sympathies to his friends and family.
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Report: ex-champ Richie Sandoval passes away at 63
Boxing Hall of Famer Bruce Trampler tweeted, "Boxing and the Top Rank family lost one of our own last night with the passing of former WBA bantamweight champ Richie Sandoval. Hurts personally and professionally to know that Richie is gone at 63. RIP, campeon." Sandoval made the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the Soviet Union meant Sandoval would never have the chance to win a medal. He turned pro and campaigned from 1980-1986, compiling a record of 29-1. In 1984, Sandoval knocked off long-reigning WBA 118-pound champion Jeff Chandler via fifteenth-round stoppage. Chandler never fought again. Sandoval went on to make two official title defenses plus win a bunch of non-title fights until losing to Gaby Canizalez in 1986. Sandoval had terrible difficulties making weight and was greatly weakened in the ring against Canizalez. (In those days, the weigh-in was on the day of the fight, so Sandoval had little time to recover from being so drained). He was knocked unconscious for an extended period of time by Canizalez and was unable to fight again. He remained involved in boxing as an employee of Top Rank and reportedly convinced a reulctant Bob Arum to sign Michael Carbajal to a promtional contract. Carbajal went on to become a world champion. Boxingtalk salutes the memory of Richie Sandoval and sends its deepest sympathies to his friends and family.
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Jake Paul dominates, stops Mike Perry |
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Jake Paul KO6 Mike Perry ... Jake Paul, the social media star turned cruiserweight, got his tenth on Saturday, stopping bare knuckle fighter Mike Perry in Tampa, Florida. Paul quickly established his superiority by knocking down Perry in both the first and second rounds. In total, Paul scored three knockdowns. The last one came in round six when Paul overwhelmed Perry with a combination. The bloodied Perry beat the count but stumbled badly as the referee assessed his condition, causing the fight to be called off. Paul (10-1) is scheduled to fight 58 year-old living legend Mike Tyson later this year. Paul confirmed this afterward, tweeting, "Next up is me vs. Mike Tyson and [Amanda] Serrano vs. [Katie] Taylor on Netflix, November 15th. It will be the biggest combat sport event of the 21st century."
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Jake Paul dominates, stops Mike Perry
Jake Paul KO6 Mike Perry ... Jake Paul, the social media star turned cruiserweight, got his tenth on Saturday, stopping bare knuckle fighter Mike Perry in Tampa, Florida. Paul quickly established his superiority by knocking down Perry in both the first and second rounds. In total, Paul scored three knockdowns. The last one came in round six when Paul overwhelmed Perry with a combination. The bloodied Perry beat the count but stumbled badly as the referee assessed his condition, causing the fight to be called off. Paul (10-1) is scheduled to fight 58 year-old living legend Mike Tyson later this year. Paul confirmed this afterward, tweeting, "Next up is me vs. Mike Tyson and [Amanda] Serrano vs. [Katie] Taylor on Netflix, November 15th. It will be the biggest combat sport event of the 21st century."
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Amanda Serrano needs less than two rounds to TKO Stevie Morgan |
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In Tampa, Florida on Saturday, world featherweight champion Amanda Serrano moved up to junior welterweight and easily stopped Stevie Morgan with a barrage of punches in round two. Morgan was steady on her feet as she absorbed the punches, so perhaps the stoppage was premature. Serrano is now to 47-2-1 with 31 KOs. She used this fight as a tune-up for a rematch vs. world 140-pound champion Katie Taylor, hence Serrano's three-division weight jump. Taylor defeated Serrano in a close fight in 2022 but has won five straight since. Morgan (14-2) was fighting in her hometown. Afterwards, Serrano tweeted, "Hey guys thank you for the support I love you all. To my opponent Stevie Morgan keep your head up champ. You’re a fearless warrior. You make us women look good. There [are] no weak women in boxing, we fight with heart."
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Amanda Serrano needs less than two rounds to TKO Stevie Morgan
In Tampa, Florida on Saturday, world featherweight champion Amanda Serrano moved up to junior welterweight and easily stopped Stevie Morgan with a barrage of punches in round two. Morgan was steady on her feet as she absorbed the punches, so perhaps the stoppage was premature. Serrano is now to 47-2-1 with 31 KOs. She used this fight as a tune-up for a rematch vs. world 140-pound champion Katie Taylor, hence Serrano's three-division weight jump. Taylor defeated Serrano in a close fight in 2022 but has won five straight since. Morgan (14-2) was fighting in her hometown. Afterwards, Serrano tweeted, "Hey guys thank you for the support I love you all. To my opponent Stevie Morgan keep your head up champ. You’re a fearless warrior. You make us women look good. There [are] no weak women in boxing, we fight with heart."
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Watch: Lucas Badhi KO of the year contender vs. Ashton Sylve |
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Lucas Bahdi KO6 Ashton Sylve... Canada's Lucas Bahdi scored a knockout-of-the-year contender in Tampa on Saturday, putting highly touted Ashton "H2O" Sylve to sleep in round six of a junior welterweight bout. Take a look at different camera angles of the KO here and here. Both men were undefeated coming in, but Sylve was favored to win, and had been dominating the action right up until the KO. Considering the impacxt of the KO, Sylve was very quick to hop back on social media, tweeting, "Next time I’m [not] going to fall asleep at the wheel. Got too comfortable winning. Lesson learned. Congratulations to Lucas Bahdi. We have to run it back."
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Watch: Lucas Badhi KO of the year contender vs. Ashton Sylve
Lucas Bahdi KO6 Ashton Sylve... Canada's Lucas Bahdi scored a knockout-of-the-year contender in Tampa on Saturday, putting highly touted Ashton "H2O" Sylve to sleep in round six of a junior welterweight bout. Take a look at different camera angles of the KO here and here. Both men were undefeated coming in, but Sylve was favored to win, and had been dominating the action right up until the KO. Considering the impacxt of the KO, Sylve was very quick to hop back on social media, tweeting, "Next time I’m [not] going to fall asleep at the wheel. Got too comfortable winning. Lesson learned. Congratulations to Lucas Bahdi. We have to run it back."
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Cañizales wins by majority decision in Venezuela |
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Carlos Cañizales W12 Iván García... On a night that marked the return of elite boxing to the iconic venue Poliedro de Caracas, Venezuela's Carlos “Triple C” Cañizales defeated Mexico's Iván García in a twelve-round light flyweight contest. From the beginning, the 108 pounders showed they were ready to wage war. Cañizales (27-2-1) tried to land power shots while García (12-3-1) counterpunched and took advantage of spacing. Cañizales took the early rounds going forward, while García used intelligence and accuracy. Starting in the fourth, the fight was keenly balanced. Two judges ruled it 116-112 for the local boxer while the third judge scored 114-114, giving Cañizales the win by majority decision.
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Cañizales wins by majority decision in Venezuela
Carlos Cañizales W12 Iván García... On a night that marked the return of elite boxing to the iconic venue Poliedro de Caracas, Venezuela's Carlos “Triple C” Cañizales defeated Mexico's Iván García in a twelve-round light flyweight contest. From the beginning, the 108 pounders showed they were ready to wage war. Cañizales (27-2-1) tried to land power shots while García (12-3-1) counterpunched and took advantage of spacing. Cañizales took the early rounds going forward, while García used intelligence and accuracy. Starting in the fourth, the fight was keenly balanced. Two judges ruled it 116-112 for the local boxer while the third judge scored 114-114, giving Cañizales the win by majority decision.
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Nakatani now 28-0 after first-round KO |
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Junto Nakatani KO1 Vincent Astrolabio... In Tokyo, three-division champion Junto Nakatani retained his WBC bantamweight title with a first-round knockout of Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines on Saturday. Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs) landed a straight left on Astroabio's belt line. Astrolabio stood up late in the count, but immediately dropped back down to one knee, ending the fight. Astrolabio falls to 19-5. Nakatani's win sets up some big fights for Japan as all four bantamweight champions are from that country. The other three are Ryosuke Nishida (IBF), Takuma Inoue (WBA), and Yoshiki Takei (WBO).
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Nakatani now 28-0 after first-round KO
Junto Nakatani KO1 Vincent Astrolabio... In Tokyo, three-division champion Junto Nakatani retained his WBC bantamweight title with a first-round knockout of Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines on Saturday. Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs) landed a straight left on Astroabio's belt line. Astrolabio stood up late in the count, but immediately dropped back down to one knee, ending the fight. Astrolabio falls to 19-5. Nakatani's win sets up some big fights for Japan as all four bantamweight champions are from that country. The other three are Ryosuke Nishida (IBF), Takuma Inoue (WBA), and Yoshiki Takei (WBO).
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New champion alert: Anthony Olascuaga wins WBO flyweight crown |
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Anthony Olascuaga KO3 Riku Kano... Los Angeles' Anthony Olascuaga, just 7-1 in his career, became the new WBO flyweight champion with a huge road win. Olascuaga knocked out the home fighter, Riku Kano, in the third round. Olascuaga ended the fight with a combination that was punctuated by a left to the body. The title was vacant due to the prior champ, Jesse Rodriguez, moving up in weight. It was the second title bid of Olascuaga's brief pro career, having lost a 108-pound title bid to Kenshiro Teraji last year. Kano, a veteran whose prime came at 105 pounds, falls to 22-5-2 and will likely retire.
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New champion alert: Anthony Olascuaga wins WBO flyweight crown
Anthony Olascuaga KO3 Riku Kano... Los Angeles' Anthony Olascuaga, just 7-1 in his career, became the new WBO flyweight champion with a huge road win. Olascuaga knocked out the home fighter, Riku Kano, in the third round. Olascuaga ended the fight with a combination that was punctuated by a left to the body. The title was vacant due to the prior champ, Jesse Rodriguez, moving up in weight. It was the second title bid of Olascuaga's brief pro career, having lost a 108-pound title bid to Kenshiro Teraji last year. Kano, a veteran whose prime came at 105 pounds, falls to 22-5-2 and will likely retire.
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Boxingtalk's Saturday fight predictions |
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Here are Boxingtalk's picks for Saturday's fight action:
Amanda Serrano (46-2-1) vs. Stevie Morgan (14-1) (junior weltertweights) … prediction: Serrano by unanimous decision;
Jake Paul (9-1) vs. Mike Perry (0-1) (cruiserweights) … prediction: Paul by early to mid-round knockout;
Chantelle Cameron (18-1) vs. Elhem Mekhaled (17-2) (vacant WBC interim junior weltertweight title) … prediction: Cameron by unanimous decision;
Nathan Heaney (18-0-1) vs. Brad Pauls (18-1-1) II (middleweights) … prediction: Heaney by decision;
Ashton Sylve (11-0) vs. Lucas Bahdi (16-0) (lightweights) … prediction: Sylve by unanimous decision; and
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1) vs. Uriah Hall (1-0) (cruiserweights) … prediction: Chavez Jr. by decision.
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Boxingtalk's Saturday fight predictions
Here are Boxingtalk's picks for Saturday's fight action:
Amanda Serrano (46-2-1) vs. Stevie Morgan (14-1) (junior weltertweights) … prediction: Serrano by unanimous decision;
Jake Paul (9-1) vs. Mike Perry (0-1) (cruiserweights) … prediction: Paul by early to mid-round knockout;
Chantelle Cameron (18-1) vs. Elhem Mekhaled (17-2) (vacant WBC interim junior weltertweight title) … prediction: Cameron by unanimous decision;
Nathan Heaney (18-0-1) vs. Brad Pauls (18-1-1) II (middleweights) … prediction: Heaney by decision;
Ashton Sylve (11-0) vs. Lucas Bahdi (16-0) (lightweights) … prediction: Sylve by unanimous decision; and
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1) vs. Uriah Hall (1-0) (cruiserweights) … prediction: Chavez Jr. by decision.
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Rodriguez six pounds overweight; Tanaka title defense cancelled |
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According to the Kyodo news agency, Mexico's Jonathan Rodriguez missed the 115-pound weight limit by more than six pounds, causing the cancellation of WBO champion Kosei Tanaka's scheduled title defense. Tanaka, a four-weight champion, was supposed to headline a world title triple-header. The other two title fights will go forward as scheduled: Japan's Junto Nakatani will defend his WBC bantamweight crown against Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines, while Riku Kano and Anthony Olascuaga of the United States will vie for the vacant WBO flyweight title.
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Rodriguez six pounds overweight; Tanaka title defense cancelled
According to the Kyodo news agency, Mexico's Jonathan Rodriguez missed the 115-pound weight limit by more than six pounds, causing the cancellation of WBO champion Kosei Tanaka's scheduled title defense. Tanaka, a four-weight champion, was supposed to headline a world title triple-header. The other two title fights will go forward as scheduled: Japan's Junto Nakatani will defend his WBC bantamweight crown against Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines, while Riku Kano and Anthony Olascuaga of the United States will vie for the vacant WBO flyweight title.
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Cameron returns to the ring today |
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Ex-world champion Chantelle Cameron (18-1) will face Elhem Mekhaled for the WBC interim junior welterweight title on Saturday at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. Cameron (pictured), the former world champion in this weight class, turned professional seven years ago and her most recent fight was against Katie Taylor last November, when she lost her world titles via majority decision. Cameron had previously defeated Taylor in May of 2023. Mekhaled is a French boxer who debuted as a professional also seven years ago and her most recent fight was on May 31st against Eva Cantos, in which Mekhaled prevailed by decision. Both made weight this Friday. Cameron registered 139.5 poundss, while Mekhaled weighed 138.4. The fight is promoted by Queensberry Promotions and will be broadcast on TNT Sports.
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Cameron returns to the ring today
Ex-world champion Chantelle Cameron (18-1) will face Elhem Mekhaled for the WBC interim junior welterweight title on Saturday at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. Cameron (pictured), the former world champion in this weight class, turned professional seven years ago and her most recent fight was against Katie Taylor last November, when she lost her world titles via majority decision. Cameron had previously defeated Taylor in May of 2023. Mekhaled is a French boxer who debuted as a professional also seven years ago and her most recent fight was on May 31st against Eva Cantos, in which Mekhaled prevailed by decision. Both made weight this Friday. Cameron registered 139.5 poundss, while Mekhaled weighed 138.4. The fight is promoted by Queensberry Promotions and will be broadcast on TNT Sports.
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Team Combat League playoffs continue on Sunday |
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Team Combat League’s quarterfinals continue this Sunday, July 21st with the four teams looking to advance. League leaders Philly Smoke will throw down against the formidable Las Vegas Hustle following a duel between last year’s champion, the N.Y.C. Attitude and the Miami Stealth, all taking place live from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. In the night’s opening match-up, coaching power duo Benny Roman and Ryan O'Leary’s surging New York City Attitude will be looking to defeat coach Herman Caicedo’s dangerous Miami Stealth.
If they are to repeat last year’s feat N.Y.C. will be looking for leadership from welterweight TCL Rookie of the Year and TCL Most Entertaining Fighter dual nominee Ryan Zempoaltecatl (TCL 4-4), featherweight TCL Rookie of the Year nominee Enrique Leon (TCL 4-1) and TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award triple nominees, former world champion “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey (TCL 5-4, 17-1-1, 1 KO), welterweight Melissa “Little Miss Tyson” St. Vil (TCL 6-4, 1 KO/15-4-4, 1 KO) and former world champion Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (TCL 3-1/12-2, 7 KOs).
The Miami Stealth will be hoping for big performances from light heavyweight and TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee Yunieski Gonzalez (TCL 3-6, 1 KO, 21-6, 17 KOs); featherweight Navy Victor Abreu (TCL 7-1, 3 KOs/3-1, 1 KO) and undefeated Brazilian-American light heavyweight veteran Victor "Rochaboxing" Darocha (TCL 4-0/11-6-2, 7 KOs).
This intriguing matchup features a high-stakes battle of the league’s closest two teams in the standings, as the two fighting squads were neck-and-neck in Season 2. If the NYC Attitude are to repeat as champions, they will need both their award-winning rookies and veterans to be in top fighting form.
You can catch all the thrilling TCL action beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT streaming live at teamcombatleague.tv.
In the night’s second matchup, coach Jeff Mayweather’s Las Vegas Hustle will be looking to spring an upset against the league-leading powerhouse Philly Smoke, guided by coach Bob Kane, at Philly’s headquarters of the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
The Hustle have been led by TCL Most Valuable Fighter and Most Entertaining Fighter Award double-nominee and heavyweight powerhouse Patrick Mailata (TCL 7-1, 3 KOs/6-2, 3 KOs); but will also be looking for clutch heroics from cunning welterweight Darian Castro (TCL 6-0/3-0, 1 KO).
Facing the pressure to remain in charge as the league’s top team, The Philly Smoke will be relying on TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award light heavyweight nominee Ray “The New Ray Robinson” Robinson (TCL 5-5/25-3-2, 13 KOs), featherweight TCL Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee Brittany "Eagle Flex" Sims (TCL 10-0, 2 KOs/6-3, 3 KOs) and featherweight Rasheen “Sugar Sheen” Brown (TCL 8-1, 3 KOs/12-1, 7 KOs) among its stacked lineup of second-season standouts.
Though the two squads haven’t met this season, the Philly Smoke have been on a second-season rampage through the league nearly all year long. They are well-balanced and dangerous in every weight division, male and female. If the Las Vegas Hustle are to continue their 2024 campaign, they will need coach Jeff Mayweather to pull out some Mayweather magic and put his team in the best position to advance to the next round.
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Team Combat League playoffs continue on Sunday
Team Combat League’s quarterfinals continue this Sunday, July 21st with the four teams looking to advance. League leaders Philly Smoke will throw down against the formidable Las Vegas Hustle following a duel between last year’s champion, the N.Y.C. Attitude and the Miami Stealth, all taking place live from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. In the night’s opening match-up, coaching power duo Benny Roman and Ryan O'Leary’s surging New York City Attitude will be looking to defeat coach Herman Caicedo’s dangerous Miami Stealth.
If they are to repeat last year’s feat N.Y.C. will be looking for leadership from welterweight TCL Rookie of the Year and TCL Most Entertaining Fighter dual nominee Ryan Zempoaltecatl (TCL 4-4), featherweight TCL Rookie of the Year nominee Enrique Leon (TCL 4-1) and TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award triple nominees, former world champion “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey (TCL 5-4, 17-1-1, 1 KO), welterweight Melissa “Little Miss Tyson” St. Vil (TCL 6-4, 1 KO/15-4-4, 1 KO) and former world champion Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (TCL 3-1/12-2, 7 KOs).
The Miami Stealth will be hoping for big performances from light heavyweight and TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee Yunieski Gonzalez (TCL 3-6, 1 KO, 21-6, 17 KOs); featherweight Navy Victor Abreu (TCL 7-1, 3 KOs/3-1, 1 KO) and undefeated Brazilian-American light heavyweight veteran Victor "Rochaboxing" Darocha (TCL 4-0/11-6-2, 7 KOs).
This intriguing matchup features a high-stakes battle of the league’s closest two teams in the standings, as the two fighting squads were neck-and-neck in Season 2. If the NYC Attitude are to repeat as champions, they will need both their award-winning rookies and veterans to be in top fighting form.
You can catch all the thrilling TCL action beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT streaming live at teamcombatleague.tv.
In the night’s second matchup, coach Jeff Mayweather’s Las Vegas Hustle will be looking to spring an upset against the league-leading powerhouse Philly Smoke, guided by coach Bob Kane, at Philly’s headquarters of the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
The Hustle have been led by TCL Most Valuable Fighter and Most Entertaining Fighter Award double-nominee and heavyweight powerhouse Patrick Mailata (TCL 7-1, 3 KOs/6-2, 3 KOs); but will also be looking for clutch heroics from cunning welterweight Darian Castro (TCL 6-0/3-0, 1 KO).
Facing the pressure to remain in charge as the league’s top team, The Philly Smoke will be relying on TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award light heavyweight nominee Ray “The New Ray Robinson” Robinson (TCL 5-5/25-3-2, 13 KOs), featherweight TCL Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee Brittany "Eagle Flex" Sims (TCL 10-0, 2 KOs/6-3, 3 KOs) and featherweight Rasheen “Sugar Sheen” Brown (TCL 8-1, 3 KOs/12-1, 7 KOs) among its stacked lineup of second-season standouts.
Though the two squads haven’t met this season, the Philly Smoke have been on a second-season rampage through the league nearly all year long. They are well-balanced and dangerous in every weight division, male and female. If the Las Vegas Hustle are to continue their 2024 campaign, they will need coach Jeff Mayweather to pull out some Mayweather magic and put his team in the best position to advance to the next round.
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Spanish update: Miranda to face old amateur foe |
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Spanish featherweight Jennifer Miranda will face Victoria Albons this Saturday, July 20th at the Teatro Las Vegas in Madrid. In her last fight, Miranda (10-0, 1 KO) defeated Lara Altamirano last January via a wide unanimous decision. Now she will face Albons, a Mallorcan who will be looking for her revenge after losing to Miranda in amateur boxing in 2021. Four years since that loss, Albons (1-1) will have the opportunity to face Miranda again and wants to gain revenge.
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Spanish update: Miranda to face old amateur foe
Spanish featherweight Jennifer Miranda will face Victoria Albons this Saturday, July 20th at the Teatro Las Vegas in Madrid. In her last fight, Miranda (10-0, 1 KO) defeated Lara Altamirano last January via a wide unanimous decision. Now she will face Albons, a Mallorcan who will be looking for her revenge after losing to Miranda in amateur boxing in 2021. Four years since that loss, Albons (1-1) will have the opportunity to face Miranda again and wants to gain revenge.
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Jake Paul makes cruiserweight on second try |
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In Tampa on Friday, bareknuckle fighter Mike Perry officially weighed in at 196.6 pounds. His opponent, Jake Paul needed a second attempt, but was able to make the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds on the nose.The two square off at Amalie Arena on Saturday night over eight rounds. Paul was supposed to be facing boxing legend Mike Tyson in Dallas this summer, but with the latter having to pull out due to injury, the contest is now scheduled to take place on November 15th.
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Jake Paul makes cruiserweight on second try
In Tampa on Friday, bareknuckle fighter Mike Perry officially weighed in at 196.6 pounds. His opponent, Jake Paul needed a second attempt, but was able to make the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds on the nose.The two square off at Amalie Arena on Saturday night over eight rounds. Paul was supposed to be facing boxing legend Mike Tyson in Dallas this summer, but with the latter having to pull out due to injury, the contest is now scheduled to take place on November 15th.
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Sergio Martinez to appear at Atlantic City HOF ceremonies in September |
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Tickets are on sale for the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) Annual Awards & Induction Weekend to be held on Friday September 27th, Saturday September 28th and Sunday September 29th at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. All of 2024's living inductees have confirmed they will to attend this year’s festivities. The 2024 class includes: James "Buster" Douglas, Sergio Martinez (pictured), Paul Williams, Gerry Cooney, Mark Breland, Sharmba Mitchell, Tyrone Mitchell Frazier, Mario Maldonado and Eva Jones-Young.
Also being inducted in the contributors category will be: James “Buddy” McGirt, Bruce Blair, Sampson Lewkowicz, Eric Bottjer, Randy Gordon and Guy Gargan. Psthumous inductions are going to: Howard Davis Jr., Jay Larkin and Eddie Cotton and pioneers Eric Seelig, George Godfrey and Joey Giardello.
Douglas said, "Thank you esteemed colleagues for selecting me for a prestigious position such as an inductee in the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame! This is a great honor and I salute you all. Moreover, Atlantic City has been great to me throughout my career and I have fond memories of the many fights fought there while pursuing my Championship journey. I look forward to seeing you all in September 2024."
Martinez said, "Atlantic City holds many great memories from my boxing career, where I experienced triumph and defeat. The iconic Boardwalk Hall marked the start of my recognition on the world boxing stage, establishing me as one of the best globally. I'm humbled and forever grateful for being inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame with a rich boxing history. Thank you for this extraordinary recognition."
Williams said, "I cherish the memories from my time in Atlantic City, where numerous significant moments unfolded in my life. I'm so proud to be honored by A. C. Boxing Hall of Fame, particularly at this juncture in my life when it might seem that the efforts I invested to achieve championship status are overlooked by many. I’m humbled by this recognition."
Weekend at a Glance:
Friday September 27th, 2024 Live Broadcast of SiriusXM Radio Show "At the Fights" hosted by: Gerry Cooney and Randy Gordon Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm in Lobby of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Friday September 27th, 2024 The Opening Bell VIP Cocktail Reception Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm, $60.00 entry fee online and/or at the door, join us inside The Balcony - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Friday September 27th, 2024 Hard Hitting Promotions presents: Live Championship Boxing at: Resorts Hotel & Casino Atlantic City – Legendary Superstar Theater Time: 7:00pm - 12am
Saturday September 28th, 2024 Fight Fan Experience in Sound Waves Lobby Area - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Time:10:00am – 2:00pm,
The Highlight of the weekend is Saturday, evening September 28th, red-carpet formal Awards & Induction Ceremony which takes place in an award show atmosphere. Join us as we honor all who helped make Atlantic City a worldwide boxing Mecca. Attendees will also enjoy the opportunity to mix and mingle in our Pre & Post VIP Cocktail Receptions with boxing royalty and special guests.
Sunday, September 29th Brunch & Comedy Show at: Back Stage Café - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
Sunday, September 29th Cigars, Sip & Mingle with Legends at Tennessee Ave Tobacco Company Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Tickets can be purchased by visiting: Ticketmaster | ticket prices for Awards & Induction Ceremony are: $125.00 & $60.00 please visit our website for all event tickets, room reservations and full event schedule and itinerary by visiting us at: www.acbhof.com
A special thanks to our sponsors and supporters: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Boardwalk Resorts – Flagship Hotel, Mayor Marty Small Sr., City of Atlantic City, Bare Knuckle Fighting Champions, Hard Hitting Promotions, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, The Irish Pub-Atlantic City, D’Arcy Johnson Day-Lawyers, O.C.E.A.N Inc; Community Action Partnership & Atlantic City PAL, Sampson Boxing, Quail Hill Realty-Smithville, Holman Wealth Management, Tennessee Ave Tobacco Company, Sparbar LTD, Patrick Killian Arts, Guzman Gloves, Adams Boxing, WBC, IBF, Icons of Boxing Memorabilia and Fight Night Apparel
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Sergio Martinez to appear at Atlantic City HOF ceremonies in September
Tickets are on sale for the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) Annual Awards & Induction Weekend to be held on Friday September 27th, Saturday September 28th and Sunday September 29th at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. All of 2024's living inductees have confirmed they will to attend this year’s festivities. The 2024 class includes: James "Buster" Douglas, Sergio Martinez (pictured), Paul Williams, Gerry Cooney, Mark Breland, Sharmba Mitchell, Tyrone Mitchell Frazier, Mario Maldonado and Eva Jones-Young.
Also being inducted in the contributors category will be: James “Buddy” McGirt, Bruce Blair, Sampson Lewkowicz, Eric Bottjer, Randy Gordon and Guy Gargan. Psthumous inductions are going to: Howard Davis Jr., Jay Larkin and Eddie Cotton and pioneers Eric Seelig, George Godfrey and Joey Giardello.
Douglas said, "Thank you esteemed colleagues for selecting me for a prestigious position such as an inductee in the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame! This is a great honor and I salute you all. Moreover, Atlantic City has been great to me throughout my career and I have fond memories of the many fights fought there while pursuing my Championship journey. I look forward to seeing you all in September 2024."
Martinez said, "Atlantic City holds many great memories from my boxing career, where I experienced triumph and defeat. The iconic Boardwalk Hall marked the start of my recognition on the world boxing stage, establishing me as one of the best globally. I'm humbled and forever grateful for being inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame with a rich boxing history. Thank you for this extraordinary recognition."
Williams said, "I cherish the memories from my time in Atlantic City, where numerous significant moments unfolded in my life. I'm so proud to be honored by A. C. Boxing Hall of Fame, particularly at this juncture in my life when it might seem that the efforts I invested to achieve championship status are overlooked by many. I’m humbled by this recognition."
Weekend at a Glance:
Friday September 27th, 2024 Live Broadcast of SiriusXM Radio Show "At the Fights" hosted by: Gerry Cooney and Randy Gordon Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm in Lobby of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Friday September 27th, 2024 The Opening Bell VIP Cocktail Reception Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm, $60.00 entry fee online and/or at the door, join us inside The Balcony - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Friday September 27th, 2024 Hard Hitting Promotions presents: Live Championship Boxing at: Resorts Hotel & Casino Atlantic City – Legendary Superstar Theater Time: 7:00pm - 12am
Saturday September 28th, 2024 Fight Fan Experience in Sound Waves Lobby Area - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Time:10:00am – 2:00pm,
The Highlight of the weekend is Saturday, evening September 28th, red-carpet formal Awards & Induction Ceremony which takes place in an award show atmosphere. Join us as we honor all who helped make Atlantic City a worldwide boxing Mecca. Attendees will also enjoy the opportunity to mix and mingle in our Pre & Post VIP Cocktail Receptions with boxing royalty and special guests.
Sunday, September 29th Brunch & Comedy Show at: Back Stage Café - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
Sunday, September 29th Cigars, Sip & Mingle with Legends at Tennessee Ave Tobacco Company Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Tickets can be purchased by visiting: Ticketmaster | ticket prices for Awards & Induction Ceremony are: $125.00 & $60.00 please visit our website for all event tickets, room reservations and full event schedule and itinerary by visiting us at: www.acbhof.com
A special thanks to our sponsors and supporters: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Boardwalk Resorts – Flagship Hotel, Mayor Marty Small Sr., City of Atlantic City, Bare Knuckle Fighting Champions, Hard Hitting Promotions, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, The Irish Pub-Atlantic City, D’Arcy Johnson Day-Lawyers, O.C.E.A.N Inc; Community Action Partnership & Atlantic City PAL, Sampson Boxing, Quail Hill Realty-Smithville, Holman Wealth Management, Tennessee Ave Tobacco Company, Sparbar LTD, Patrick Killian Arts, Guzman Gloves, Adams Boxing, WBC, IBF, Icons of Boxing Memorabilia and Fight Night Apparel
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Boston, Los Angeles advance in Team Combat League playoffs |
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Wednesday night’s Team Combat League quarterfinals doubleheader saw the first two teams seal their spot in the semifinals, as Manny Robles’ L.A. Elite sprinted out to a four-point lead and then held off a late surge to eliminate coach Raul Rivas’ Orlando Vipers from contention by a score of 227-224. In the other matchup, coach Marc Gargaro’s Boston Butchers successfully defended their home ring advantage with a 233-219 triumph over Sam Arnold’s Atlanta Attack, all from the Royale in Boston.
The opening matchup saw the Elite being led by the powerful fists of Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee and TCL light heavyweight Brayan Leon, who secured the night’s first star award for his flashy 10-9 win over Orlando’s Sanny Duversonne in Round 7 to put LA up 69-64 and for his devastating 10-7 knockout over Duversonne in their rematch Round 19 to cap a six-fight winning streak for LA and move the team scores to 183-175.
“I just came to do the job we’ve been doing in the gym,” said Leon, post-event. “I wanted to knock him out and the opportunity showed up, so I did it. I feel good and we’re ready for the next team.”
TCL Most Entertaining Fighter Award nominee Raul Salomon of the Elite continued his undefeated run through the league with a pair of 10-9 light heavyweight victories over Orlando’s late-season pickup Abimbola Osundairo in Rounds 15 and 21.
“We train these guys to the fullest and they come in ready for war,” said happy Coach Manny Robles. “We knew we were up against a good team, but we did it!”
The night’s main-event matchup saw the Boston Butchers win by the second largest points margin all season over their Atlanta Attack rivals, thanks to strong performances by their top fighters, including TCL Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee, lightweight Alejandro "El Abusador" Paulino, who got the ball rolling early with a 10-7 KO over Atlanta’s Nicolas Sullivan in Round 3. The impressive power display put Boston up 30-25. Paulino was later voted the night’s first star. “It was great,” said Paulino, post-event. “We have a great fanbase. That was the best for us because they beat us earlier in the season and we got it back.”
The Butchers had another bright light in the form of their gigantic heavyweight, Skylar Lacy, who was able to drop Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee heavyweight Devon Young for a brief count in Round 16 to win the round 10-8 and make the score 154-144 Boston. Young appeared to be off-balance and un-hurt in the exchange.
TCL Rookie of the Year Award nominees, welterweight Amelia Moore of the Boston Butchers and welterweight Ariele Davis of the Atlanta Attack, met again in Round 4, with Moore getting the ultra-thin nod, 10-9. The pair fought before in the 2018 USA Amateur Nationals, which Moore won. Moore also won their only TCL regular season encounter on May 11, 10-9. The rematch round scheduled between the skilful pair had to be canceled when Moore suffered a cut during her winning battle in Round 4.
“It was sweet,” said Coach Marc Gargaro afterwards. “It felt good because Atlanta won the first time we met. We were very confident that time and then the rug got swept out from under us. This time, we came in very focused and took care of business. We’re hungry, as you can see. We’re ready to take it. I can’t see anybody coming near us this season.”
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Boston, Los Angeles advance in Team Combat League playoffs
Wednesday night’s Team Combat League quarterfinals doubleheader saw the first two teams seal their spot in the semifinals, as Manny Robles’ L.A. Elite sprinted out to a four-point lead and then held off a late surge to eliminate coach Raul Rivas’ Orlando Vipers from contention by a score of 227-224. In the other matchup, coach Marc Gargaro’s Boston Butchers successfully defended their home ring advantage with a 233-219 triumph over Sam Arnold’s Atlanta Attack, all from the Royale in Boston.
The opening matchup saw the Elite being led by the powerful fists of Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee and TCL light heavyweight Brayan Leon, who secured the night’s first star award for his flashy 10-9 win over Orlando’s Sanny Duversonne in Round 7 to put LA up 69-64 and for his devastating 10-7 knockout over Duversonne in their rematch Round 19 to cap a six-fight winning streak for LA and move the team scores to 183-175.
“I just came to do the job we’ve been doing in the gym,” said Leon, post-event. “I wanted to knock him out and the opportunity showed up, so I did it. I feel good and we’re ready for the next team.”
TCL Most Entertaining Fighter Award nominee Raul Salomon of the Elite continued his undefeated run through the league with a pair of 10-9 light heavyweight victories over Orlando’s late-season pickup Abimbola Osundairo in Rounds 15 and 21.
“We train these guys to the fullest and they come in ready for war,” said happy Coach Manny Robles. “We knew we were up against a good team, but we did it!”
The night’s main-event matchup saw the Boston Butchers win by the second largest points margin all season over their Atlanta Attack rivals, thanks to strong performances by their top fighters, including TCL Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee, lightweight Alejandro "El Abusador" Paulino, who got the ball rolling early with a 10-7 KO over Atlanta’s Nicolas Sullivan in Round 3. The impressive power display put Boston up 30-25. Paulino was later voted the night’s first star. “It was great,” said Paulino, post-event. “We have a great fanbase. That was the best for us because they beat us earlier in the season and we got it back.”
The Butchers had another bright light in the form of their gigantic heavyweight, Skylar Lacy, who was able to drop Most Valuable Fighter Award nominee heavyweight Devon Young for a brief count in Round 16 to win the round 10-8 and make the score 154-144 Boston. Young appeared to be off-balance and un-hurt in the exchange.
TCL Rookie of the Year Award nominees, welterweight Amelia Moore of the Boston Butchers and welterweight Ariele Davis of the Atlanta Attack, met again in Round 4, with Moore getting the ultra-thin nod, 10-9. The pair fought before in the 2018 USA Amateur Nationals, which Moore won. Moore also won their only TCL regular season encounter on May 11, 10-9. The rematch round scheduled between the skilful pair had to be canceled when Moore suffered a cut during her winning battle in Round 4.
“It was sweet,” said Coach Marc Gargaro afterwards. “It felt good because Atlanta won the first time we met. We were very confident that time and then the rug got swept out from under us. This time, we came in very focused and took care of business. We’re hungry, as you can see. We’re ready to take it. I can’t see anybody coming near us this season.”
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Introducing Filipino-American Blazen Rocilli |
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Filipino-American boxer Blazen Rocilli (6-0, 5 KOs), a 21 year-old from Waipahu, Hawaii, now training in Las Vegas, has signed a managerial agreement with Andrew Bocanegra and his company, Boxing VIP. Rocilli, is 6’3” tall and fights out of the southpaw stance. He claims to be the tallest Filipino in the sport and is hopes to make significant strides in his boxing career under this new partnership. His management touts him as a middleweight, although he has competed in Team Combat League bouts this year at 177 pounds.
Rocilli is trained by coach Richard Barrientes at the Pound-4-Pound boxing gym in Las Vegas, known for hosting some of the best training camps in boxing."I'm thrilled to be teaming up with Andrew Bocanegra and Boxing VIP,” said Rocilli, who’s family back in the Philippines is from the city of Ilocos Norte. “I believe this partnership will elevate my career to new heights and provide me with the opportunities I need to showcase my skills on the biggest stages. I have a great team behind me now and I’m looking forward to my future in boxing.”
"Blazen Rocilli has the makings of something special in the boxing world,” said Bocanegra, who is confident in Rocilli's work ethic and potential. “His talent, combined with his massive height and southpaw stance, makes him a problem for anyone in the junior middleweight division. As a tall Filipino boxer, he brings a unique style and presence to the ring that I believe will captivate fans and unite the Philippine community. In my opinion, he can become the next Filipino superstar."
Rocilli, a promotional free agent, inspired by the legacy of Filipino boxing legends, expressed his aspirations for his career. "I want to follow in the footsteps of great Philippine fighters like Manny Pacquiao and others. They have set a high standard, and I am determined to honor their legacy by working hard and striving for greatness in every fight."
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Introducing Filipino-American Blazen Rocilli
Filipino-American boxer Blazen Rocilli (6-0, 5 KOs), a 21 year-old from Waipahu, Hawaii, now training in Las Vegas, has signed a managerial agreement with Andrew Bocanegra and his company, Boxing VIP. Rocilli, is 6’3” tall and fights out of the southpaw stance. He claims to be the tallest Filipino in the sport and is hopes to make significant strides in his boxing career under this new partnership. His management touts him as a middleweight, although he has competed in Team Combat League bouts this year at 177 pounds.
Rocilli is trained by coach Richard Barrientes at the Pound-4-Pound boxing gym in Las Vegas, known for hosting some of the best training camps in boxing."I'm thrilled to be teaming up with Andrew Bocanegra and Boxing VIP,” said Rocilli, who’s family back in the Philippines is from the city of Ilocos Norte. “I believe this partnership will elevate my career to new heights and provide me with the opportunities I need to showcase my skills on the biggest stages. I have a great team behind me now and I’m looking forward to my future in boxing.”
"Blazen Rocilli has the makings of something special in the boxing world,” said Bocanegra, who is confident in Rocilli's work ethic and potential. “His talent, combined with his massive height and southpaw stance, makes him a problem for anyone in the junior middleweight division. As a tall Filipino boxer, he brings a unique style and presence to the ring that I believe will captivate fans and unite the Philippine community. In my opinion, he can become the next Filipino superstar."
Rocilli, a promotional free agent, inspired by the legacy of Filipino boxing legends, expressed his aspirations for his career. "I want to follow in the footsteps of great Philippine fighters like Manny Pacquiao and others. They have set a high standard, and I am determined to honor their legacy by working hard and striving for greatness in every fight."
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