Fundora retains title, but should not be credited with a KO |
|
Sebastian Fundora KO12 Ermal Hadribeaj... Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora closed the PBC show in style on Saturday night in Las Vegas, retaining his WBC 154-pound championship. Fundora was credited with a final second twelfth-round knockout of previously undefeated Ermal Hadribeaj, although the knockout punch landed just after the bell sounded and Hadribeaj beat the count. Referee Thomas Taylor, already having a bad night with point deductions, ignored the bell and ruled it a knockout. Fundora would've won by decision anyway. "It was an interesting fight,” said Fundora. “I had to go back and fight on the inside and show everyone again that I can still do that. It was dramatic to knock him out at the last second. But we'll go back to the gym and fix some things.”
Fundora’s (25-1-1, 17 KOs) fourth world title defense saw him weather an early storm from a game Hadribeaj (23-1-1, 8 KOs), who was determined to end the night as Albania’s first boxing world champion. After round one saw him effectively circle and jab his towering opponent, the fight quickly turned into a phone booth battle with both men looking to do damage on the inside.
The strategy to stay on the inside of Fundora led to Taylor twice taking away points from Hadribeaj for holding (rounds three and eleven), but allowed the challenger to smother much of Fundora’s early offense. As the fight transitioned to the middle rounds, Fundora’s tremendous work rate eventually began to work through as an onslaught of uppercuts and body shots slowly but surely diminished Hadribeaj’s offense. Overall, Fundora out landed Hadribeaj 202-144 and connected on 56 body shots according to CompuBox.
"I told the ref in the fourth round that I was hurting him,” said Fundora. “I kept landing body shots and was looking for that special shot to get him out of there. I was hitting him in the rib cage the whole time with the left hand and when I went up the middle, I heard the noise that he made. So I just kept touching that and knew it would break him.”
Once again showing a tremendous reserve of energy, Fundora kept that work rate up through round 11, landing 18 more power shots. In the end, Fundora was once again too much for his competition, blasting Hadribeaj with a power left just after the final bell sounded that sent Hadribeaj down hard and led to the referee ruling the fight a knockout. The official stoppage came at 2:59 of round twelve.
After the fight, Fundora was asked about a potential undisputed 154-pound matchup against the winner of a Jaron Ennis vs. Josh Kelly unification. "I want to go for undisputed in this division,” said Fundora. “We'll break either Jaron Ennis or Josh Kelly down. Just like the last guy and the guy before that. We'll keep breaking them down."
|
|
|
|
Fundora retains title, but should not be credited with a KO
Sebastian Fundora KO12 Ermal Hadribeaj... Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora closed the PBC show in style on Saturday night in Las Vegas, retaining his WBC 154-pound championship. Fundora was credited with a final second twelfth-round knockout of previously undefeated Ermal Hadribeaj, although the knockout punch landed just after the bell sounded and Hadribeaj beat the count. Referee Thomas Taylor, already having a bad night with point deductions, ignored the bell and ruled it a knockout. Fundora would've won by decision anyway. "It was an interesting fight,” said Fundora. “I had to go back and fight on the inside and show everyone again that I can still do that. It was dramatic to knock him out at the last second. But we'll go back to the gym and fix some things.”
Fundora’s (25-1-1, 17 KOs) fourth world title defense saw him weather an early storm from a game Hadribeaj (23-1-1, 8 KOs), who was determined to end the night as Albania’s first boxing world champion. After round one saw him effectively circle and jab his towering opponent, the fight quickly turned into a phone booth battle with both men looking to do damage on the inside.
The strategy to stay on the inside of Fundora led to Taylor twice taking away points from Hadribeaj for holding (rounds three and eleven), but allowed the challenger to smother much of Fundora’s early offense. As the fight transitioned to the middle rounds, Fundora’s tremendous work rate eventually began to work through as an onslaught of uppercuts and body shots slowly but surely diminished Hadribeaj’s offense. Overall, Fundora out landed Hadribeaj 202-144 and connected on 56 body shots according to CompuBox.
"I told the ref in the fourth round that I was hurting him,” said Fundora. “I kept landing body shots and was looking for that special shot to get him out of there. I was hitting him in the rib cage the whole time with the left hand and when I went up the middle, I heard the noise that he made. So I just kept touching that and knew it would break him.”
Once again showing a tremendous reserve of energy, Fundora kept that work rate up through round 11, landing 18 more power shots. In the end, Fundora was once again too much for his competition, blasting Hadribeaj with a power left just after the final bell sounded that sent Hadribeaj down hard and led to the referee ruling the fight a knockout. The official stoppage came at 2:59 of round twelve.
After the fight, Fundora was asked about a potential undisputed 154-pound matchup against the winner of a Jaron Ennis vs. Josh Kelly unification. "I want to go for undisputed in this division,” said Fundora. “We'll break either Jaron Ennis or Josh Kelly down. Just like the last guy and the guy before that. We'll keep breaking them down."
|
Dubois destroys Wardley in two |
|
Daniel Dubois TKO2 Fabio Wardley... Daniel Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley for the second time this year, but this time around it was easy work for Dubois, who retained his WBO heavyweight championship. Just fifteen seconds into the fight, Dubois stalked Wardley and blasted a double jab, left hook to send Wardley nearly through the ropes. It was scored a knockdown. Dubois poured it on throughout the round. With time winding down, Dubois unloaded a violent right uppercut that staggered Wardley. Dubois went for the kill but Wardley somehow survived. Still, Wardley was shaky going back to the corner. In round two, Wardley was trapped in the corner and Dubois unloaded a barrage of power shots. Wardley's corner saw enough and threw in the towel. It goes in the books as a technical knockout win for Dubois at 2:21 of the second round.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS:
Michael Gomez Jr. D12 Louis O'Doherty... Lightweights Michael Gomez Jr. and Louis O'Doherty fought to a majority draw, but it was a horrendous decision that saw Gomez get robbed. What were these three judges thinking? O'Doherty, at best, won three rounds, which is being generous. Gomez (23-2-1) was more active and landed the harder shots. O'Doherty (12-0-1) didn't do much of anything to win enough rounds. You know the result is a robbery when Gomez stormed out of the ring, and O'Doherty looked relieved. Official scores were 115-114 Gomez and 114-114 (twice). O'Doherty remains the British champion.
Bakhodir Jalolov W10 Solomon Dacres... Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov defeated Solomon Dacres by unanimous decision. After ten rounds, the scores were 99-90x (twice) and 99-91. "The Big Uzbek" Jalolov dominated from start to finish. He scored a knockdown in the fifth and looked to be ready to put Dacres out. Instead, Jalolov was content to box, and that was just about it. While it is about getting wins, you need to entertain in the process. Jalolov failed to do that. Going to be hard to get him a big bout due to his fighting style
Adam Olaniyan TKO2 Dan Garber... A destruction by Irish heavyweight Adam Olaniyan (5-0). His power proved to be too much throughout. Olaniyan dropped the 41 year-old Dan Garber (14-10) twice in the second to close things out.
Nelson Birchall defeated Levi Giles by TKO at 0:51 of the seventh round.
|
|
|
|
Dubois destroys Wardley in two
Daniel Dubois TKO2 Fabio Wardley... Daniel Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley for the second time this year, but this time around it was easy work for Dubois, who retained his WBO heavyweight championship. Just fifteen seconds into the fight, Dubois stalked Wardley and blasted a double jab, left hook to send Wardley nearly through the ropes. It was scored a knockdown. Dubois poured it on throughout the round. With time winding down, Dubois unloaded a violent right uppercut that staggered Wardley. Dubois went for the kill but Wardley somehow survived. Still, Wardley was shaky going back to the corner. In round two, Wardley was trapped in the corner and Dubois unloaded a barrage of power shots. Wardley's corner saw enough and threw in the towel. It goes in the books as a technical knockout win for Dubois at 2:21 of the second round.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS:
Michael Gomez Jr. D12 Louis O'Doherty... Lightweights Michael Gomez Jr. and Louis O'Doherty fought to a majority draw, but it was a horrendous decision that saw Gomez get robbed. What were these three judges thinking? O'Doherty, at best, won three rounds, which is being generous. Gomez (23-2-1) was more active and landed the harder shots. O'Doherty (12-0-1) didn't do much of anything to win enough rounds. You know the result is a robbery when Gomez stormed out of the ring, and O'Doherty looked relieved. Official scores were 115-114 Gomez and 114-114 (twice). O'Doherty remains the British champion.
Bakhodir Jalolov W10 Solomon Dacres... Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov defeated Solomon Dacres by unanimous decision. After ten rounds, the scores were 99-90x (twice) and 99-91. "The Big Uzbek" Jalolov dominated from start to finish. He scored a knockdown in the fifth and looked to be ready to put Dacres out. Instead, Jalolov was content to box, and that was just about it. While it is about getting wins, you need to entertain in the process. Jalolov failed to do that. Going to be hard to get him a big bout due to his fighting style
Adam Olaniyan TKO2 Dan Garber... A destruction by Irish heavyweight Adam Olaniyan (5-0). His power proved to be too much throughout. Olaniyan dropped the 41 year-old Dan Garber (14-10) twice in the second to close things out.
Nelson Birchall defeated Levi Giles by TKO at 0:51 of the seventh round.
|
Undercard results from Vegas: Resendiz wins a war |
|
Former super middleweight champion Armando “Toro” Reséndiz (17-3, 11 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over Australia's Koen Mazoudier (16-5-1, 6 KOs) in a slugfest that saw both men land over 150 power punches across ten rounds in the super middleweight division. Reséndiz took the fight by the scores of 98-92 and 97-93 (twice). "We pulled this off because we had great preparation,” said Reséndiz. “This was the kind of fight that I expected.”
"I had a lot of battles coming into this fight stepping up in weight against a tough opponent,” said Mazoudier. “We gave him a hard fight. I thought I won more than two or three rounds, but he's a tough, strong fighter. I hope to be back putting on more shows and get the win next time.”
The action heated up in round two as Reséndiz and Mazoudier each declared their desire to go toe-to-toe, with neither taking a step back across the ensuing rounds. Reséndiz looked in control over the first five rounds, using a strong body attack to open up power shots upstairs on his way to building up a 94-58 edge in power shots. "I had to change my game plan and box and move a little bit because this was a very tough fight,” said Reséndiz.
Mazoudier was able to change the tenor of the fight after proving he could take Reséndiz’s best punches, and used a lead right uppercut to begin to turn the tide. The Australian out landed Reséndiz 76 to 47 in power punches in rounds six through nine to close the gap on his opponent and leave the fight in doubt heading into the final frame.
"There were a lot of close rounds,” said Mazoudier. “I didn't win the rounds clearly enough. He was the better fighter tonight. I'm very grateful to be in this position and to have my team here supporting me. I hope the fans enjoyed it and I hope they have me back. I feel like I gained some new Mexican fans tonight."
"I knew this was going to be a tough fight,” said Reséndiz. “He's an Australian warrior. This is the kind of fight I wanted to give the fans. We clashed in the middle of the ring like warriors.”
Round ten saw Reséndiz land a fight high 32 power shots, including a series of blows in the final moments that sent Mazoudier backwards and seemingly hurt. Mazoudier was able to stay on his feet and see the final bell, but Reséndiz had already done enough to ensure that he’d continue his climb back toward world title contention.
"My corner was urging me that I had to finish strong and that's what I did,” said Reséndiz. “We closed out strong."
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
In another super middleweight contest, Marco “El Tiburón” Romero (16-0, 14 KOs) delivered his third straight first-round knockout as he scored a sensational one-punch KO of Uruguay’s Matias Ferreira (8-4, 3 KOs). Making a quick return to the ring after a dominant performance in August, Romero made Ferreira eat his words after his opponent promised to stop him in four rounds or less at Thursday’s press conference. "This played out amazingly,” said Romero. “Karma came and hit him and I got him out in the first round.” Romero targeted the body early and often (11 body shots landed), eventually opening up an angle for him to deliver a blistering right hand that hurt Ferreira badly and sent him to the canvas. While Ferreira was able to get to his feet, he was still wobbly, forcing referee Tony Weeks to halt the bout. "He was too slow. His speed and experience didn't matter,” said Romero. “I'm here. The 160 division is on notice. There's a new face at middleweight and its 'Tiburón' Romero. "I was digging to the body because I knew he would drop his hands. Once I saw the opening, he got bit by the shark.” After the fight, Romero expressed his desire to continue facing tougher and tougher competition on his way to middleweight gold. "I'm ready to step it up in opposition,” said Romero. “I'm ducking no smoke. I'm here. I feel amazing and I'm being guided the right way. I'm ready for anybody at middleweight."
Opening the telecast, undefeated rising middleweight Jaime Osuna (12-0, 5 KOs) edged the previously unbeaten Cristian Cangelosi (13-1-1, 5 KOs) via majority decision after eight rounds of action. Osuna won with two scores of 77-75 overruling one 76-76 card. "It was a fight that took everything I had from beginning to end,” said Osuna. “I knew my opponent would be good and put me to the test, and I think I was able to show the fans who I am.” Osuna struck first in the battle of unbeatens, as he appeared to stun Cangelosi in round one with a series of power shots. However it was not long until Osuna was forced to face his own adversity as he suffered a cut under his right eyebrow in round two that he dealt with for the remainder of the bout. After Cangelosi got himself back in the fight with a strong round four, Osuna reclaimed control by again catching his opponent and hurting him in the opening moments of round five. Cangelosi closed strong, winning the final two rounds on all three cards, but was in too much of a hole in the judges’ eyes to overcome the hard-charging Osuna. Through the eight rounds Osuna landed 107 power shots to Cangelosi’s 75. “I hope that this is a stepping stone that allows me to fight here in Vegas on cards like this many more times,” said Osuna. “Whoever is next, I’ll be ready.”
The event was promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
|
|
|
|
Undercard results from Vegas: Resendiz wins a war
Former super middleweight champion Armando “Toro” Reséndiz (17-3, 11 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over Australia's Koen Mazoudier (16-5-1, 6 KOs) in a slugfest that saw both men land over 150 power punches across ten rounds in the super middleweight division. Reséndiz took the fight by the scores of 98-92 and 97-93 (twice). "We pulled this off because we had great preparation,” said Reséndiz. “This was the kind of fight that I expected.”
"I had a lot of battles coming into this fight stepping up in weight against a tough opponent,” said Mazoudier. “We gave him a hard fight. I thought I won more than two or three rounds, but he's a tough, strong fighter. I hope to be back putting on more shows and get the win next time.”
The action heated up in round two as Reséndiz and Mazoudier each declared their desire to go toe-to-toe, with neither taking a step back across the ensuing rounds. Reséndiz looked in control over the first five rounds, using a strong body attack to open up power shots upstairs on his way to building up a 94-58 edge in power shots. "I had to change my game plan and box and move a little bit because this was a very tough fight,” said Reséndiz.
Mazoudier was able to change the tenor of the fight after proving he could take Reséndiz’s best punches, and used a lead right uppercut to begin to turn the tide. The Australian out landed Reséndiz 76 to 47 in power punches in rounds six through nine to close the gap on his opponent and leave the fight in doubt heading into the final frame.
"There were a lot of close rounds,” said Mazoudier. “I didn't win the rounds clearly enough. He was the better fighter tonight. I'm very grateful to be in this position and to have my team here supporting me. I hope the fans enjoyed it and I hope they have me back. I feel like I gained some new Mexican fans tonight."
"I knew this was going to be a tough fight,” said Reséndiz. “He's an Australian warrior. This is the kind of fight I wanted to give the fans. We clashed in the middle of the ring like warriors.”
Round ten saw Reséndiz land a fight high 32 power shots, including a series of blows in the final moments that sent Mazoudier backwards and seemingly hurt. Mazoudier was able to stay on his feet and see the final bell, but Reséndiz had already done enough to ensure that he’d continue his climb back toward world title contention.
"My corner was urging me that I had to finish strong and that's what I did,” said Reséndiz. “We closed out strong."
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
In another super middleweight contest, Marco “El Tiburón” Romero (16-0, 14 KOs) delivered his third straight first-round knockout as he scored a sensational one-punch KO of Uruguay’s Matias Ferreira (8-4, 3 KOs). Making a quick return to the ring after a dominant performance in August, Romero made Ferreira eat his words after his opponent promised to stop him in four rounds or less at Thursday’s press conference. "This played out amazingly,” said Romero. “Karma came and hit him and I got him out in the first round.” Romero targeted the body early and often (11 body shots landed), eventually opening up an angle for him to deliver a blistering right hand that hurt Ferreira badly and sent him to the canvas. While Ferreira was able to get to his feet, he was still wobbly, forcing referee Tony Weeks to halt the bout. "He was too slow. His speed and experience didn't matter,” said Romero. “I'm here. The 160 division is on notice. There's a new face at middleweight and its 'Tiburón' Romero. "I was digging to the body because I knew he would drop his hands. Once I saw the opening, he got bit by the shark.” After the fight, Romero expressed his desire to continue facing tougher and tougher competition on his way to middleweight gold. "I'm ready to step it up in opposition,” said Romero. “I'm ducking no smoke. I'm here. I feel amazing and I'm being guided the right way. I'm ready for anybody at middleweight."
Opening the telecast, undefeated rising middleweight Jaime Osuna (12-0, 5 KOs) edged the previously unbeaten Cristian Cangelosi (13-1-1, 5 KOs) via majority decision after eight rounds of action. Osuna won with two scores of 77-75 overruling one 76-76 card. "It was a fight that took everything I had from beginning to end,” said Osuna. “I knew my opponent would be good and put me to the test, and I think I was able to show the fans who I am.” Osuna struck first in the battle of unbeatens, as he appeared to stun Cangelosi in round one with a series of power shots. However it was not long until Osuna was forced to face his own adversity as he suffered a cut under his right eyebrow in round two that he dealt with for the remainder of the bout. After Cangelosi got himself back in the fight with a strong round four, Osuna reclaimed control by again catching his opponent and hurting him in the opening moments of round five. Cangelosi closed strong, winning the final two rounds on all three cards, but was in too much of a hole in the judges’ eyes to overcome the hard-charging Osuna. Through the eight rounds Osuna landed 107 power shots to Cangelosi’s 75. “I hope that this is a stepping stone that allows me to fight here in Vegas on cards like this many more times,” said Osuna. “Whoever is next, I’ll be ready.”
The event was promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
|
Undercard results from London |
|
Michael Gomez Jr. D12 Louis O'Doherty... Lightweights Michael Gomez Jr. and Louis O'Doherty fought to a majority draw, but it was a horrendous decision that saw Gomez get robbed. What were these three judges thinking? O'Doherty, at best, won three rounds, which is being generous. Gomez (23-2-1) was more active and landed the harder shots. O'Doherty (12-0-1) didn't do much of anything to win enough rounds. You know the result is a robbery when Gomez stormed out of the ring, and O'Doherty looked relieved. Official scores were 115-114 Gomez and 114-114 (twice). O'Doherty remains the British champion.
Bakhodir Jalolov W10 Solomon Dacres... Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov defeated Solomon Dacres by unanimous decision. After ten rounds, the scores were 99-90x (twice) and 99-91. "The Big Uzbek" Jalolov dominated from start to finish. He scored a knockdown in the fifth and looked to be ready to put Dacres out. Instead, Jalolov was content to box, and that was just about it. While it is about getting wins, you need to entertain in the process. Jalolov failed to do that. It may be tough to get him a big bout due to his fighting style
Adam Olaniyan TKO2 Dan Garber... A destruction by Irish heavyweight Adam Olaniyan (5-0). His power proved to be too much throughout. Olaniyan dropped the 41 year-old Dan Garber (14-10) twice in the second to close things out.
Nelson Birchall defeated Levi Giles by TKO at 0:51 of the seventh round.
|
|
|
|
Undercard results from London
Michael Gomez Jr. D12 Louis O'Doherty... Lightweights Michael Gomez Jr. and Louis O'Doherty fought to a majority draw, but it was a horrendous decision that saw Gomez get robbed. What were these three judges thinking? O'Doherty, at best, won three rounds, which is being generous. Gomez (23-2-1) was more active and landed the harder shots. O'Doherty (12-0-1) didn't do much of anything to win enough rounds. You know the result is a robbery when Gomez stormed out of the ring, and O'Doherty looked relieved. Official scores were 115-114 Gomez and 114-114 (twice). O'Doherty remains the British champion.
Bakhodir Jalolov W10 Solomon Dacres... Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov defeated Solomon Dacres by unanimous decision. After ten rounds, the scores were 99-90x (twice) and 99-91. "The Big Uzbek" Jalolov dominated from start to finish. He scored a knockdown in the fifth and looked to be ready to put Dacres out. Instead, Jalolov was content to box, and that was just about it. While it is about getting wins, you need to entertain in the process. Jalolov failed to do that. It may be tough to get him a big bout due to his fighting style
Adam Olaniyan TKO2 Dan Garber... A destruction by Irish heavyweight Adam Olaniyan (5-0). His power proved to be too much throughout. Olaniyan dropped the 41 year-old Dan Garber (14-10) twice in the second to close things out.
Nelson Birchall defeated Levi Giles by TKO at 0:51 of the seventh round.
|
Walker to host Rocha in welterweight eliminator |
|
Conah Walker will be welcomed home to Wolverhampton when he faces American southpaw Alexis Rocha at The Halls on Saturday, December 5th – live worldwide on DAZN. Walker (18-3-1, 9 KOs) most recently produced a tenth-round stoppage against Sam Eggington in a Fight of The Year contender in May and established himself as one of Britain’s most exciting fighters. The Jamie Moore-trained welterweight, age 31, has seen his stock rise over the past two years – beating the likes of Pat McCormack, Liam Taylor, Harry Scarff and Lewis Ritson – and is riding a five-fight winning streak, with four of those victories coming inside the distance. Now the former British & Commonwealth champion Walker is closing in on his dream of challenging for a top prize in the 147-pound division, but ‘The Wolf’ knows he must first dispatch a game Rocha in this WBA eliminator.
Walker said: “I’m back headlining in Wolverhampton in front my people. They aren’t fans, they are friends and family and I’ll give them another night to remember. From the first bell you know what I bring and this fight won’t be any different. I want to do a right job on Rocha. I’m enjoying every minute of my career and a big win on December 5 puts me one step closer to winning a World Title. Let’s have it!”
Despite the strong home support against him, Golden Boy fighter Rocha insists he is “excited” by the prospect of facing Walker in his backyard.
“First, I want to thank Eric Gomez for this opportunity and for the continued support from him and the entire Golden Boy Promotions team,” said Rocha.
“I also want to thank my management team, Abraham Perez, my coach Hector Lopez and the rest of my coaching staff for everything they do for me.
“I don’t know too much about Conah Walker yet, but I’ve watched some videos of him, and he looks like a strong fighter who likes to come forward. I’m looking forward to getting in the ring with him and put on a great show.
“This is another important step in chasing my dream. I know that a win on December 5 will bring me one step closer to earning a World Title opportunity and that’s why I’m working hard every day.
“I’m excited to travel to the UK, compete in front of the fans and put on a great show. I’m ready to get to work and give everyone a great fight.”
Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn believes Walker is ready to compete at the top, but warns he must get the job done against Rocha first. “It really is shaping up to be a December to remember for fight fans,” said Hearn. “This event kickstarts an incredible run of fights over the festive period, with AJ versus Fury to follow just days later, before our annual Monte Carlo extravaganza. Conah Walker is without question, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport today. He has given us so many memorable nights and on Saturday, December 5, he will deliver an early Christmas treat in his hometown of Wolverhampton. The Halls will be absolutely rocking. And I am confident the Wolf will tee up what promises to be an exciting 2027.”
1 29 year-old Californian, Rocha, 29, is on a strong run of results himself. Rocha defeated former 130-pound champion Joseph Diaz by unanimous decision in March, before beating ex-two-belt junior welterweight champion José Ramírez in September.
And Golden Boy Promotions chief Oscar De La Hoya believes Rocha will be ready to spoil Walker’s party. “Alexis Rocha showed tremendous heart and grit in his last fight against Jose Ramirez, and that kind of performance proves he belongs in the mix with the best fighters in the welterweight division,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions De La Hoya. “Conah Walker is a tough, come-forward fighter, and with Alexis heading into his backyard in the UK, I expect an all-action fight.”
|
|
|
|
Walker to host Rocha in welterweight eliminator
Conah Walker will be welcomed home to Wolverhampton when he faces American southpaw Alexis Rocha at The Halls on Saturday, December 5th – live worldwide on DAZN. Walker (18-3-1, 9 KOs) most recently produced a tenth-round stoppage against Sam Eggington in a Fight of The Year contender in May and established himself as one of Britain’s most exciting fighters. The Jamie Moore-trained welterweight, age 31, has seen his stock rise over the past two years – beating the likes of Pat McCormack, Liam Taylor, Harry Scarff and Lewis Ritson – and is riding a five-fight winning streak, with four of those victories coming inside the distance. Now the former British & Commonwealth champion Walker is closing in on his dream of challenging for a top prize in the 147-pound division, but ‘The Wolf’ knows he must first dispatch a game Rocha in this WBA eliminator.
Walker said: “I’m back headlining in Wolverhampton in front my people. They aren’t fans, they are friends and family and I’ll give them another night to remember. From the first bell you know what I bring and this fight won’t be any different. I want to do a right job on Rocha. I’m enjoying every minute of my career and a big win on December 5 puts me one step closer to winning a World Title. Let’s have it!”
Despite the strong home support against him, Golden Boy fighter Rocha insists he is “excited” by the prospect of facing Walker in his backyard.
“First, I want to thank Eric Gomez for this opportunity and for the continued support from him and the entire Golden Boy Promotions team,” said Rocha.
“I also want to thank my management team, Abraham Perez, my coach Hector Lopez and the rest of my coaching staff for everything they do for me.
“I don’t know too much about Conah Walker yet, but I’ve watched some videos of him, and he looks like a strong fighter who likes to come forward. I’m looking forward to getting in the ring with him and put on a great show.
“This is another important step in chasing my dream. I know that a win on December 5 will bring me one step closer to earning a World Title opportunity and that’s why I’m working hard every day.
“I’m excited to travel to the UK, compete in front of the fans and put on a great show. I’m ready to get to work and give everyone a great fight.”
Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn believes Walker is ready to compete at the top, but warns he must get the job done against Rocha first. “It really is shaping up to be a December to remember for fight fans,” said Hearn. “This event kickstarts an incredible run of fights over the festive period, with AJ versus Fury to follow just days later, before our annual Monte Carlo extravaganza. Conah Walker is without question, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport today. He has given us so many memorable nights and on Saturday, December 5, he will deliver an early Christmas treat in his hometown of Wolverhampton. The Halls will be absolutely rocking. And I am confident the Wolf will tee up what promises to be an exciting 2027.”
1 29 year-old Californian, Rocha, 29, is on a strong run of results himself. Rocha defeated former 130-pound champion Joseph Diaz by unanimous decision in March, before beating ex-two-belt junior welterweight champion José Ramírez in September.
And Golden Boy Promotions chief Oscar De La Hoya believes Rocha will be ready to spoil Walker’s party. “Alexis Rocha showed tremendous heart and grit in his last fight against Jose Ramirez, and that kind of performance proves he belongs in the mix with the best fighters in the welterweight division,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions De La Hoya. “Conah Walker is a tough, come-forward fighter, and with Alexis heading into his backyard in the UK, I expect an all-action fight.”
|
Disgraceful: Figueroa pulls out on fight day |
|
After weighing in yesterday-- and missing the featherweight limit-- Brandon Figueroa has suddenly "fallen ill" and has withdrawn from fighting Tomoki Kameda on today's PBC card in Las Vegas. Figuroa may have committed career suicide with this move. Before yesterday's weigh-in, he was the WBA featherweight champion, and had he defeated ex-bantamweight champ Kameda today, Figueroa would have been well-positioned for a career defining fight and payday vs. Kameda's countryman -- world super bantamweight champion Naoya "Monster" Inoue. Instead, Figueroa lost the WBA featherweight title on the scales yesterday and by pulling out of the fight today, he has branded himself to promoters and networks as an unreliable performer.
All of this is totally unfair to Kameda. The most logical move would be for the WBA to allow Kameda to fight Inoue for the vacant featherweight title.
Here is the PBC announcement: The previously scheduled Brandon Figueroa vs. Tomoki Kameda bout is now off after Figueroa fell ill overnight. The new co-feature will now see former super middleweight champion Armando Resendiz battling Australia's Koen Mazoudier. Preceding that matchup is undefeated Marco Romero dueling Uruguay’s Matias Ferreira in an eight-round super middleweight clash, plus undefeated middleweights Jaime Osuna and Cristian Cangelosi will now meet in the eight-round opening bout."
|
|
|
|
Disgraceful: Figueroa pulls out on fight day
After weighing in yesterday-- and missing the featherweight limit-- Brandon Figueroa has suddenly "fallen ill" and has withdrawn from fighting Tomoki Kameda on today's PBC card in Las Vegas. Figuroa may have committed career suicide with this move. Before yesterday's weigh-in, he was the WBA featherweight champion, and had he defeated ex-bantamweight champ Kameda today, Figueroa would have been well-positioned for a career defining fight and payday vs. Kameda's countryman -- world super bantamweight champion Naoya "Monster" Inoue. Instead, Figueroa lost the WBA featherweight title on the scales yesterday and by pulling out of the fight today, he has branded himself to promoters and networks as an unreliable performer.
All of this is totally unfair to Kameda. The most logical move would be for the WBA to allow Kameda to fight Inoue for the vacant featherweight title.
Here is the PBC announcement: The previously scheduled Brandon Figueroa vs. Tomoki Kameda bout is now off after Figueroa fell ill overnight. The new co-feature will now see former super middleweight champion Armando Resendiz battling Australia's Koen Mazoudier. Preceding that matchup is undefeated Marco Romero dueling Uruguay’s Matias Ferreira in an eight-round super middleweight clash, plus undefeated middleweights Jaime Osuna and Cristian Cangelosi will now meet in the eight-round opening bout."
|
ProBox results from Phoenix |
|
Joshua Kevin Anton W10 Freudis Rojas... On Friday at Rawhide Western Town & Event Center in Phoenix, Joshua Kevin Anton pressured, bullied and then exhausted Freudis Rojas to win a unanimous ten-round decision in the junior welterweight division. A Guatemalan-American, Anton (15-0, 12 KOs), got stronger every round to quickly overtake the advantage from Rojas (15-2, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas. Rojas showed his slick southpaw boxing skills in the first two rounds but progressively wilted as Anton’s conditioning and superior power took over the flow after that. By mid-fight, the punishment worsened, but referee Joey Chavez allowed things to continue. Under-powered Rojas, forced to sprint to keep world-class fighters off him from the start of fights, has now run out of gas midway through his last two fights and did well to (hopefully) escape lasting damage in this one. The judges agreed on the winner, with scores of 98-91 (twice) and 97-92.
It's always different when you find someone with that kind of style,” said Anton after the fight. “Freddy and I both had similar styles from the get-go and I just want to give him thanks. He was the late replacement, but I don't look away from the challenge. He put up a great challenge, and I knew he was a great fighter, so we had to adjust. We're here to give our all. Long live Guatemala!”
Justin Pauldo W10 Rene Tellez Giron... In the co-feature, Justin Pauldo won a ten-round split decision over fan-favored Rene Tellez Giron. Showing “ready for primetime” skills, Pauldo (20-2, 10 KOs) of Houston was able to outfight Tellez Giron (23-5 with 14 KOs), on the well-known Mexican slugger’s terms, nullifying his own size advantage to stand inside and trade with Tellez Giron. In a tense fight throughout, most punches were met with an equal reply and neither man perceptibly seizing control for long. In fact, the two normally entertaining styles produced a surprisingly tame affair with both contenders having moments, but not taking control. Pauldo worked slightly harder. Tellez Giron was more accurate. After the announcement of a score of 96-94 for Tellez Giron being overruled by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 for Pauldo.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
In a ten-round “ProBoxTV-typical” featherweight war between Mexican sluggers, Carlos Arteaga moved to 17-1-1 with 14 KOs, with a fourth-round stoppage of Bryan Acosta (21-3, 8 KOs). Acosta was badly rocked by an Arteaga hook inside his own wider hook midway through the first and showed inhuman levels of durability to withstand a savage follow-up beating for the remainder of the opener. So brutal was the pasting Acosta took, he was examined extensively by the ringside physician before the start of round two. Despite still being clearly dazed, Acosta collected himself enough in round two to stage a power-punching rally and probably edged out the action-packed round purely out of instinct and fighting heart. Coming back to life more in round three, Acosta took control of the action by outfighting a seemingly tiring Arteaga with a two-fisted assault. Appearing to be losing momentum, Arteaga suddenly discovered his uppercut in round four, slamming several of them to the jaw of Acosta and dropping him late in the frame. Acosta bravely rose from the knockdown, but referee Chris Flores decided he’d seen enough. The end of the fan-friendly battle came at 2:12 of round four.
Junior welterweight Charles “LoLo” Harris Jnr put his educated skills on display in an entertaining but convincing unanimous decision over Misael Cabrera. Fighting in his first ten-rounder, Harris (13-1, 7 KOs), of San Bernardino utilized a strong body attack and his ring IQ to overcome Cabrera (18-3-1, 12 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Harris, who fights out of Brian "BoMac" McIntyre’s BoMac's B&B Boxing Gym in Omaha, Nebraska, showed why the award-winning trainer freely touts the 23 year-old's potential by nullifying Cabrera’s offense with two-handed shots to the liver and solar plexus. Cabrera fought with determination and landed several strong shots, but Harris showed no reaction. The scores were 99-91 (twice) and 98-92.
In an eight-round junior welterweight bout to open the broadcast, Heidan Martinez stayed undefeated by winning a “southpaw vs. southpaw” showdown against Willmank Canonico Brito by unanimous decision. In an awkwardly fought puncher’s duel, the Bob Santos-trained Martinez, 19-0 (17 KOs), of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, got off to a slow start against Canonico Brito, 14-11-2 (12 KOs), of Caracas, Venezuela. Canonico Brito was able to frustrate the 22-year-old Martinez, especially early on. Martinez was warned for several fouls including hitting after the bell and using his forearm and was finally deducted a point by referee Jonathan Puu for a low blow in the fight’s final round. Beginning in round six, Martinez found a rhythm by moving forward against his crafty foe and slowly gained the clear advantage as the fight progressed. The scores were 78-73 and 77-74 (twice).
|
|
|
|
ProBox results from Phoenix
Joshua Kevin Anton W10 Freudis Rojas... On Friday at Rawhide Western Town & Event Center in Phoenix, Joshua Kevin Anton pressured, bullied and then exhausted Freudis Rojas to win a unanimous ten-round decision in the junior welterweight division. A Guatemalan-American, Anton (15-0, 12 KOs), got stronger every round to quickly overtake the advantage from Rojas (15-2, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas. Rojas showed his slick southpaw boxing skills in the first two rounds but progressively wilted as Anton’s conditioning and superior power took over the flow after that. By mid-fight, the punishment worsened, but referee Joey Chavez allowed things to continue. Under-powered Rojas, forced to sprint to keep world-class fighters off him from the start of fights, has now run out of gas midway through his last two fights and did well to (hopefully) escape lasting damage in this one. The judges agreed on the winner, with scores of 98-91 (twice) and 97-92.
It's always different when you find someone with that kind of style,” said Anton after the fight. “Freddy and I both had similar styles from the get-go and I just want to give him thanks. He was the late replacement, but I don't look away from the challenge. He put up a great challenge, and I knew he was a great fighter, so we had to adjust. We're here to give our all. Long live Guatemala!”
Justin Pauldo W10 Rene Tellez Giron... In the co-feature, Justin Pauldo won a ten-round split decision over fan-favored Rene Tellez Giron. Showing “ready for primetime” skills, Pauldo (20-2, 10 KOs) of Houston was able to outfight Tellez Giron (23-5 with 14 KOs), on the well-known Mexican slugger’s terms, nullifying his own size advantage to stand inside and trade with Tellez Giron. In a tense fight throughout, most punches were met with an equal reply and neither man perceptibly seizing control for long. In fact, the two normally entertaining styles produced a surprisingly tame affair with both contenders having moments, but not taking control. Pauldo worked slightly harder. Tellez Giron was more accurate. After the announcement of a score of 96-94 for Tellez Giron being overruled by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 for Pauldo.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
In a ten-round “ProBoxTV-typical” featherweight war between Mexican sluggers, Carlos Arteaga moved to 17-1-1 with 14 KOs, with a fourth-round stoppage of Bryan Acosta (21-3, 8 KOs). Acosta was badly rocked by an Arteaga hook inside his own wider hook midway through the first and showed inhuman levels of durability to withstand a savage follow-up beating for the remainder of the opener. So brutal was the pasting Acosta took, he was examined extensively by the ringside physician before the start of round two. Despite still being clearly dazed, Acosta collected himself enough in round two to stage a power-punching rally and probably edged out the action-packed round purely out of instinct and fighting heart. Coming back to life more in round three, Acosta took control of the action by outfighting a seemingly tiring Arteaga with a two-fisted assault. Appearing to be losing momentum, Arteaga suddenly discovered his uppercut in round four, slamming several of them to the jaw of Acosta and dropping him late in the frame. Acosta bravely rose from the knockdown, but referee Chris Flores decided he’d seen enough. The end of the fan-friendly battle came at 2:12 of round four.
Junior welterweight Charles “LoLo” Harris Jnr put his educated skills on display in an entertaining but convincing unanimous decision over Misael Cabrera. Fighting in his first ten-rounder, Harris (13-1, 7 KOs), of San Bernardino utilized a strong body attack and his ring IQ to overcome Cabrera (18-3-1, 12 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Harris, who fights out of Brian "BoMac" McIntyre’s BoMac's B&B Boxing Gym in Omaha, Nebraska, showed why the award-winning trainer freely touts the 23 year-old's potential by nullifying Cabrera’s offense with two-handed shots to the liver and solar plexus. Cabrera fought with determination and landed several strong shots, but Harris showed no reaction. The scores were 99-91 (twice) and 98-92.
In an eight-round junior welterweight bout to open the broadcast, Heidan Martinez stayed undefeated by winning a “southpaw vs. southpaw” showdown against Willmank Canonico Brito by unanimous decision. In an awkwardly fought puncher’s duel, the Bob Santos-trained Martinez, 19-0 (17 KOs), of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, got off to a slow start against Canonico Brito, 14-11-2 (12 KOs), of Caracas, Venezuela. Canonico Brito was able to frustrate the 22-year-old Martinez, especially early on. Martinez was warned for several fouls including hitting after the bell and using his forearm and was finally deducted a point by referee Jonathan Puu for a low blow in the fight’s final round. Beginning in round six, Martinez found a rhythm by moving forward against his crafty foe and slowly gained the clear advantage as the fight progressed. The scores were 78-73 and 77-74 (twice).
|
Weigh-in report from Las Vegas |
|
Here are the boxers' weights for the PBC show at the Chelsea in Las Vegas:
Sebastian Fundora, 152.8 pounds -vs.- Ermal Hadribeaj, 152.4 (WBC junior middleweight title, twelve rounds);
Brandon Figueroa, 126.8 -vs.- Tomoki Kameda, 125.8 (WBA featherweight title on the line for Kameda only twelve rounds);
Armando Reséndiz, 167 -vs.- Koen Mazoudier, 166.8 (super middleweights, ten rounds);
Marco Romero, 164.2 -vs.- Matias Ferreira, 162.8 (super middleweights, eight rounds);
Jaime Enrique Osuna, 161.2 -vs.- Cristian Cangelosi, 160.8 (middleweights, eight rounds); and
David Garcia, 127.8 -vs.- Ángel Carrillo, 126.8 (featherweights, six rounds).
TV: TNT Sports, Saturday, October 17th, 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT.
Here are the boxers' weights for the PBC show at the Chelsea in Las Vegas:
|
|
|
|
Weigh-in report from Las Vegas
Here are the boxers' weights for the PBC show at the Chelsea in Las Vegas:
Sebastian Fundora, 152.8 pounds -vs.- Ermal Hadribeaj, 152.4 (WBC junior middleweight title, twelve rounds);
Brandon Figueroa, 126.8 -vs.- Tomoki Kameda, 125.8 (WBA featherweight title on the line for Kameda only twelve rounds);
Armando Reséndiz, 167 -vs.- Koen Mazoudier, 166.8 (super middleweights, ten rounds);
Marco Romero, 164.2 -vs.- Matias Ferreira, 162.8 (super middleweights, eight rounds);
Jaime Enrique Osuna, 161.2 -vs.- Cristian Cangelosi, 160.8 (middleweights, eight rounds); and
David Garcia, 127.8 -vs.- Ángel Carrillo, 126.8 (featherweights, six rounds).
TV: TNT Sports, Saturday, October 17th, 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT.
Here are the boxers' weights for the PBC show at the Chelsea in Las Vegas:
|
WBC gives Okolie a pass on growth hormone finding |
|
The WBC will take no disciplinary action against heavyweight Lawrence Okolie for testing positive for a banned, performance-enhancing substance in April. The WBC accepted Okolie's claim that "the prohibited substance entered his system as a result of the actions of a third party." The positive test caused Okolie's bout vs. Tony Yoka to be cancelled by Queensberry Promotions, and neither man has fought since then. According to The Times of London and the New York Times, Okolie tested positive for a GHRP 2, a synthetic growth hormone that releases a peptide known to help muscle recovery, increase muscle mass and assist in fat loss. Okolie still has not been cleared to fight by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) or the British Board of Boxing Control.
On Friday, the WBC announced an "Adjudication Agreement" with Okolie regarding the former cruiserweight and bridgerweight champion's adverse analytical finding under the WBC Clean Boxing Program. The WBC says it conducted a "thorough and detailed review of the nature of the substance and the circumstances of the adverse finding. Throughout the process, Mr. Okolie fully cooperated with the WBC review and provided mitigating evidence supporting his position that the prohibited substance entered his system as a result of the actions of a third party, without his knowledge or consent. In reaching the agreed resolution, the WBC took into consideration this mitigating evidence, along with Mr. Okolie's impeccable evidence record and his cooperation throughout the process."
The WBC press release contained the following statement from Okolie: "Clean sport has always been extremely important to me. I have fully cooperated throughout the entire process and remain committed to the highest standards of integrity in boxing. I look forward to the next chapter of my career and to being actively involved in the sport again in the coming months, while using this experience to help educate other athletes about the importance of understanding and monitoring everything that goes into their bodies."
WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán stated:"The WBC Clean Boxing Program exists to protect athletes and the integrity of our sport. We appreciate Mr. Okolie's cooperation throughout this process and commend his commitment to helping educate fighters about anti-doping compliance and athlete responsibility. As part of the agreed resolution, Mr. Okolie will remain available for further testing and to work with the WBC in support of education, awareness, and compliance with anti-doping requirements among professional and amateur boxers."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
APRIL 21, 2026: Queensberry Promotions revealed that "the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has informed Queensberry that heavyweight Lawrence Okolie returned an adverse finding following ant anti-doping test conducted ahead of the show in Paris [scheduled for] this Saturday. A further update regarding the event will be made in due course." A few hours later, Queensberry announced that "Due to circumstances outside of our control, Queensberry and DAZN have regrettably made the decision to cancel this Saturday's scheduled event in Paris. For refunds, please contact your ticket [vendor]." Okolie, who has held world titles at cruiserweight and bridgerweight, was set to fight former Olympic champion Tony Yoka in Yoka's hometown this weekend.
Okolie posted the following statement on his Instagram account: "Before anyone starts imagining the worst, following my bicep injury last year, I sustained an elbow injury on the same arm during this camp. I had a treatment on it and now we are here. I truly hope sense prevails. I will of course be fully cooperating with all relevant authorities and I’m confident any investigation will clear my name. I won’t be making any further comment at this time. Thank you for all your support and see you soon."
|
|
|
|
WBC gives Okolie a pass on growth hormone finding
The WBC will take no disciplinary action against heavyweight Lawrence Okolie for testing positive for a banned, performance-enhancing substance in April. The WBC accepted Okolie's claim that "the prohibited substance entered his system as a result of the actions of a third party." The positive test caused Okolie's bout vs. Tony Yoka to be cancelled by Queensberry Promotions, and neither man has fought since then. According to The Times of London and the New York Times, Okolie tested positive for a GHRP 2, a synthetic growth hormone that releases a peptide known to help muscle recovery, increase muscle mass and assist in fat loss. Okolie still has not been cleared to fight by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) or the British Board of Boxing Control.
On Friday, the WBC announced an "Adjudication Agreement" with Okolie regarding the former cruiserweight and bridgerweight champion's adverse analytical finding under the WBC Clean Boxing Program. The WBC says it conducted a "thorough and detailed review of the nature of the substance and the circumstances of the adverse finding. Throughout the process, Mr. Okolie fully cooperated with the WBC review and provided mitigating evidence supporting his position that the prohibited substance entered his system as a result of the actions of a third party, without his knowledge or consent. In reaching the agreed resolution, the WBC took into consideration this mitigating evidence, along with Mr. Okolie's impeccable evidence record and his cooperation throughout the process."
The WBC press release contained the following statement from Okolie: "Clean sport has always been extremely important to me. I have fully cooperated throughout the entire process and remain committed to the highest standards of integrity in boxing. I look forward to the next chapter of my career and to being actively involved in the sport again in the coming months, while using this experience to help educate other athletes about the importance of understanding and monitoring everything that goes into their bodies."
WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán stated:"The WBC Clean Boxing Program exists to protect athletes and the integrity of our sport. We appreciate Mr. Okolie's cooperation throughout this process and commend his commitment to helping educate fighters about anti-doping compliance and athlete responsibility. As part of the agreed resolution, Mr. Okolie will remain available for further testing and to work with the WBC in support of education, awareness, and compliance with anti-doping requirements among professional and amateur boxers."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
APRIL 21, 2026: Queensberry Promotions revealed that "the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has informed Queensberry that heavyweight Lawrence Okolie returned an adverse finding following ant anti-doping test conducted ahead of the show in Paris [scheduled for] this Saturday. A further update regarding the event will be made in due course." A few hours later, Queensberry announced that "Due to circumstances outside of our control, Queensberry and DAZN have regrettably made the decision to cancel this Saturday's scheduled event in Paris. For refunds, please contact your ticket [vendor]." Okolie, who has held world titles at cruiserweight and bridgerweight, was set to fight former Olympic champion Tony Yoka in Yoka's hometown this weekend.
Okolie posted the following statement on his Instagram account: "Before anyone starts imagining the worst, following my bicep injury last year, I sustained an elbow injury on the same arm during this camp. I had a treatment on it and now we are here. I truly hope sense prevails. I will of course be fully cooperating with all relevant authorities and I’m confident any investigation will clear my name. I won’t be making any further comment at this time. Thank you for all your support and see you soon."
|
Bayamon hosts Vazquez vs. Pineiro two-belt title fight |
|
Litzy Vazquez (9-0) and Stephanie Piñeiro (10-1) will fight for the WBC and WBA junior welterweight championships vacated by the recently retired Katie Taylor. The two-belt title fight is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5th as part of a Big Time Boxing event live on Wynn Records Network at 8 p.m. ET from Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The undisputed world champion at 140 pounds, Taylor vacated all four major titles when she retired in September in a massive farewell event witnessed by more than 80,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park. Now Vazquez, the WBA interim champion from Mexico, and Piñeiro, the hometown favorite, will look to honor Taylor’s legacy and impact on women’s boxing in a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown for the WBA and WBC belts. Pineioro's lone loss came in a welterweight title bid vs. Lauren Price. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and Universal Promotions, in association with Wynn Records. The Wynn Records Network broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET and streams worldwide at www.wynnrecordsnetwork.com.
|
|
|
|
Bayamon hosts Vazquez vs. Pineiro two-belt title fight
Litzy Vazquez (9-0) and Stephanie Piñeiro (10-1) will fight for the WBC and WBA junior welterweight championships vacated by the recently retired Katie Taylor. The two-belt title fight is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5th as part of a Big Time Boxing event live on Wynn Records Network at 8 p.m. ET from Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The undisputed world champion at 140 pounds, Taylor vacated all four major titles when she retired in September in a massive farewell event witnessed by more than 80,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park. Now Vazquez, the WBA interim champion from Mexico, and Piñeiro, the hometown favorite, will look to honor Taylor’s legacy and impact on women’s boxing in a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown for the WBA and WBC belts. Pineioro's lone loss came in a welterweight title bid vs. Lauren Price. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and Universal Promotions, in association with Wynn Records. The Wynn Records Network broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET and streams worldwide at www.wynnrecordsnetwork.com.
|
Tonight: Fundora vs. Hadribeaj |
|
|
Tonight (Oct. 17th), TNT Sports and DAZN will present the next installment of The Fight, featuring a championshi bouts airing live on TNT and DAZN at 8 p.m. ET from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event. Headlining will be WBC 154-pound champion Sebastián Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KOs) putting his title on the line against unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs). The elongated southpaw Fundora will seek another successful title defense following his sixth-round stoppage of former champion Keith Thurman in March. Hadribeaj enters the biggest fight of his career after defeating previously unbeaten Bakary Samake in May. In the other scheduled world title bout, two-division champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (27-2-1, 20 KOs) was stripped of his WBA featherweight championship for failure to make weight and has declined to fight former bantamweight title holder Tomoki Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs). The bout was cancelled on fight day.
The main card will also feature a pair of super middleweight matchups. Former WBA title holder Armando Reséndiz (16-3, 11 KOs), who scored an upset victory over Caleb Plant in 2025, will face Australia’s Koen Mazoudier (16-4-1, 6 KOs) in a ten-round bout and Marco Romero (15-0, 13 KOs) will put his perfect record on the line against Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira (8-3, 3 KOs) in an eight rounder.
Todd Grisham will host studio coverage alongside undefeated five-division world champion Terence Crawford, International Boxing Hall of Famer Tim Bradley Jr. and former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter, providing analysis and reactions throughout the evening. Corey Erdman will handle play-by-play duties alongside ex-champ Sergio Mora and veteran boxing journalist Chris Mannix. Leading up to Saturday’s action, truTV will join today’s pre-fight press conference in progress following its MLB postseason coverage, with the press conference also airing in its entirety at 7 p.m. ET. truTV will present live coverage of the official weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. ET.
|
|
|
|
Tonight: Fundora vs. Hadribeaj
Tonight (Oct. 17th), TNT Sports and DAZN will present the next installment of The Fight, featuring a championshi bouts airing live on TNT and DAZN at 8 p.m. ET from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event. Headlining will be WBC 154-pound champion Sebastián Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KOs) putting his title on the line against unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs). The elongated southpaw Fundora will seek another successful title defense following his sixth-round stoppage of former champion Keith Thurman in March. Hadribeaj enters the biggest fight of his career after defeating previously unbeaten Bakary Samake in May. In the other scheduled world title bout, two-division champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (27-2-1, 20 KOs) was stripped of his WBA featherweight championship for failure to make weight and has declined to fight former bantamweight title holder Tomoki Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs). The bout was cancelled on fight day.
The main card will also feature a pair of super middleweight matchups. Former WBA title holder Armando Reséndiz (16-3, 11 KOs), who scored an upset victory over Caleb Plant in 2025, will face Australia’s Koen Mazoudier (16-4-1, 6 KOs) in a ten-round bout and Marco Romero (15-0, 13 KOs) will put his perfect record on the line against Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira (8-3, 3 KOs) in an eight rounder.
Todd Grisham will host studio coverage alongside undefeated five-division world champion Terence Crawford, International Boxing Hall of Famer Tim Bradley Jr. and former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter, providing analysis and reactions throughout the evening. Corey Erdman will handle play-by-play duties alongside ex-champ Sergio Mora and veteran boxing journalist Chris Mannix. Leading up to Saturday’s action, truTV will join today’s pre-fight press conference in progress following its MLB postseason coverage, with the press conference also airing in its entirety at 7 p.m. ET. truTV will present live coverage of the official weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. ET.
|
Brandon Figueroa loses title on the scales |
|
Brandon Figueroa has lost the WBA featherweight title on the scales. On Friday in Las Vegas, Figueroa weighed in at 126.8 pounds in advance of Saturday's scheduled fight against former bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda of Japan. If Kameda wins, he will win the now-vacant title. If Figueroa wins or the fight is declared a draw, the title will remain vacant.
|
|
|
|
Brandon Figueroa loses title on the scales
Brandon Figueroa has lost the WBA featherweight title on the scales. On Friday in Las Vegas, Figueroa weighed in at 126.8 pounds in advance of Saturday's scheduled fight against former bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda of Japan. If Kameda wins, he will win the now-vacant title. If Figueroa wins or the fight is declared a draw, the title will remain vacant.
|
Tomorrow: Dubois vs. Wardley II |
|
|
On Saturday (Oct. 17th), at London’s o2 Arena, a classic heavyweight rematch takes place between Daniel Dubois (pictured) and Fabio Wardley, who'll be going at it hammer and tongs. Back in May, they engaged in one of the best heavyweight encounters in recent memory. Dubois survived a pair of knockdowns and came back to stop Wardley by eleventh-round technical knockout in Manchester, England. With the win, Dubois took Wardley's WBO championship and became a two-time champion. Although he scored the only two knockdowns of the encounter, it was Wardley who absorbed a terrifying amount of punishment.
If the rematch wasn’t contracted with Wardley calling in his rematch clause within days of taking his first career loss, the rematch would be the subject of public demand.
With the inevitable departure from the scene of Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua over the next year or two at most, the heavyweight division has been presented with pretty much a blank canvas. Still considered the world champion, Usyk took a step back by vacating his title belts, which opened up doors for the likes of Dubois, Wardley, Agit Kabayel, Murat Gassiev and Filip Hrgovic.
Should he win on Saturday, Wardley will join Dubois, Fury and Joshua in the record books as being a two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain. It is not the way he would have chosen to pick up the accolade, but it will look good in the history books nonetheless.
Dubois has now proudly held the WBA Regular - if you choose to count it - plus the IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles. You could make an argument that he is currently The Man of the division, with his title successes and triumphs over the likes of the previously unbeaten Jarrell Miller, Hrgovic and Wardley, along with Joshua.
This new unfolding heavyweight era is that it is largely shaping up on British soil. Saturday will be the third heavyweight championship event to be staged in the UK so far this year. And then we’ve got Fury and Joshua finally coming to blows in December.
|
|
|
|
Tomorrow: Dubois vs. Wardley II
On Saturday (Oct. 17th), at London’s o2 Arena, a classic heavyweight rematch takes place between Daniel Dubois (pictured) and Fabio Wardley, who'll be going at it hammer and tongs. Back in May, they engaged in one of the best heavyweight encounters in recent memory. Dubois survived a pair of knockdowns and came back to stop Wardley by eleventh-round technical knockout in Manchester, England. With the win, Dubois took Wardley's WBO championship and became a two-time champion. Although he scored the only two knockdowns of the encounter, it was Wardley who absorbed a terrifying amount of punishment.
If the rematch wasn’t contracted with Wardley calling in his rematch clause within days of taking his first career loss, the rematch would be the subject of public demand.
With the inevitable departure from the scene of Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua over the next year or two at most, the heavyweight division has been presented with pretty much a blank canvas. Still considered the world champion, Usyk took a step back by vacating his title belts, which opened up doors for the likes of Dubois, Wardley, Agit Kabayel, Murat Gassiev and Filip Hrgovic.
Should he win on Saturday, Wardley will join Dubois, Fury and Joshua in the record books as being a two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain. It is not the way he would have chosen to pick up the accolade, but it will look good in the history books nonetheless.
Dubois has now proudly held the WBA Regular - if you choose to count it - plus the IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles. You could make an argument that he is currently The Man of the division, with his title successes and triumphs over the likes of the previously unbeaten Jarrell Miller, Hrgovic and Wardley, along with Joshua.
This new unfolding heavyweight era is that it is largely shaping up on British soil. Saturday will be the third heavyweight championship event to be staged in the UK so far this year. And then we’ve got Fury and Joshua finally coming to blows in December.
|
Boxingtalk's Kirk Lang honored in Connecticut |
|
A multi-decade writer for Boxingtalk.com, Kirk Lang was honored with the George Smith Contribution to Boxing Award by the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame this past Saturday. He was one of seven award winners recognized in addition to the inductees. The Contribution to Boxing Award was renamed some years back to honor the late George Smith, who was both a sportswriter and a boxing judge. He was also one of the founding members of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. In addition to Lang, the following were also honored: Kamarre Kemp (The Roland Roy Amateur Boxer of the Year); Chordale Booker (Marlon Starling Boxer of the Year); Marilyn Rosa (Amateur Official of the Year); Phyllis Roy (The William Hutt Official of the Year); Paul Cichon (Brian Clark Trainer of the Year) and Marcky “The Fighter” Foster (The Willie Pep Courage Award). Foster battled an embryonal tumor with multi-layered rosettes, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that strikes young children. He passed away on June 22nd, just before his 5th birthday.
The Professional Boxer of the Year Award was just renamed to honor former welterweight champion Marlon Starling, who presented the award to Booker, and the Trainer of the Year Award was just renamed to honor longtime New Haven-based trainer Brian Clark, who passed away in January. The most famous boxer to come out of Clark’s Ring One gym was former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. “Congratulations to each and every one of you,” said newly elected President Peter Hary Jr.. “Your accomplishments and contributions to boxing have earned you this moment and we’re proud to celebrate you tonight.”
A writer / photographer, Lang was an invited guest at the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Las Vegas this month and had plans to attend. However, upon finding out he would be receiving the Contribution to Boxing Award from the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame – and that the ceremony was taking place on the same day as the women’s Hall event– he had to scrap the Vegas trip.
In front of numerous members of his family, including his daughters Alyssa and Laila, who were stage-side helping to capture the moment for him, Lang said, “I really appreciate this award. I want to thank Peter Hary and everybody on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame for all that you do and for honoring me with this award. I’ve been doing this for a while and I appreciate the recognition.”
Lang kept his speech brief and didn’t go into his career highlights. However, he did note that a desire to meet his idol, former three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, influenced his decision to get into boxing journalism. Initially majoring in physical education in college, numerous trips to the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekends in Canastota, New York with his dad further cemented his journalistic aspirations. Lang has covered or interviewed numerous legends of the sport, including Sugar Ray Leonard; George Foreman; Roy Jones Jr.; Joe Frazier; Floyd Mayweather Jr; Bernard Hopkins, Arturo Gatti; Evander Holyfield; Pernell Whitaker; Felix Trinidad; Oscar de la Hoya; Manny Pacquiao; Laila Ali; Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
A few stand-out moments of Lang’s career include covering the historic all-female card at Madison Square Garden last year, which was headlined by Taylor-Serrano III; covering former heavyweight champion George Foreman’s final fight; being ringside for numerous Roy Jones bouts; covering a fight card at a castle in downtown Boston; being asked to be a pallbearer for the 1940s featherweight legend Willie Pep; and providing a few lines to actor James Madio that would be used in Madio’s portrayal of Pep in the movie “The Featherweight.”
After accepting his award and largely staying near the stage to cover the ceremony – taking photos and recording speeches – he was given silent auction items at the end of the evening his family had won for him, including the fight program for Ali-Frazier III “The Thrilla in Manila,” Ring magazines from the 1950s and a pair of gloves from the Ali Center.
The CTBHOF honor took place inside the Earth Ballroom at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT in front of crowd of nearly 400 attendees. The silent auction raised over $4,000, a record, according to Hary, and the 50/50 raffle netted $1,000. Every dollar raised helps the Hall support the boxing community through its charitable giving program, which allows the organization to support amateur boxing in Connecticut, and to help fighters in need.
In addition to the award recipients, the followed were immortalized with induction Saturday night: 1930s and ‘40s era light heavyweight Melio Bettina; promoter Rich Cappiello; timekeeper Lou Dell; referee Ken Ezzo; former heavyweight contender Fernely Feliz; former USA New England featherweight and super featherweight champion Joey Negron; trainer Luis Rosa Sr.; and New London-based trainer Kent Ward, who established a program for boxers with disabilities, such as Parkinson’s Disease.
|
|
|
|
Boxingtalk's Kirk Lang honored in Connecticut
A multi-decade writer for Boxingtalk.com, Kirk Lang was honored with the George Smith Contribution to Boxing Award by the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame this past Saturday. He was one of seven award winners recognized in addition to the inductees. The Contribution to Boxing Award was renamed some years back to honor the late George Smith, who was both a sportswriter and a boxing judge. He was also one of the founding members of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. In addition to Lang, the following were also honored: Kamarre Kemp (The Roland Roy Amateur Boxer of the Year); Chordale Booker (Marlon Starling Boxer of the Year); Marilyn Rosa (Amateur Official of the Year); Phyllis Roy (The William Hutt Official of the Year); Paul Cichon (Brian Clark Trainer of the Year) and Marcky “The Fighter” Foster (The Willie Pep Courage Award). Foster battled an embryonal tumor with multi-layered rosettes, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that strikes young children. He passed away on June 22nd, just before his 5th birthday.
The Professional Boxer of the Year Award was just renamed to honor former welterweight champion Marlon Starling, who presented the award to Booker, and the Trainer of the Year Award was just renamed to honor longtime New Haven-based trainer Brian Clark, who passed away in January. The most famous boxer to come out of Clark’s Ring One gym was former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. “Congratulations to each and every one of you,” said newly elected President Peter Hary Jr.. “Your accomplishments and contributions to boxing have earned you this moment and we’re proud to celebrate you tonight.”
A writer / photographer, Lang was an invited guest at the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Las Vegas this month and had plans to attend. However, upon finding out he would be receiving the Contribution to Boxing Award from the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame – and that the ceremony was taking place on the same day as the women’s Hall event– he had to scrap the Vegas trip.
In front of numerous members of his family, including his daughters Alyssa and Laila, who were stage-side helping to capture the moment for him, Lang said, “I really appreciate this award. I want to thank Peter Hary and everybody on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame for all that you do and for honoring me with this award. I’ve been doing this for a while and I appreciate the recognition.”
Lang kept his speech brief and didn’t go into his career highlights. However, he did note that a desire to meet his idol, former three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, influenced his decision to get into boxing journalism. Initially majoring in physical education in college, numerous trips to the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekends in Canastota, New York with his dad further cemented his journalistic aspirations. Lang has covered or interviewed numerous legends of the sport, including Sugar Ray Leonard; George Foreman; Roy Jones Jr.; Joe Frazier; Floyd Mayweather Jr; Bernard Hopkins, Arturo Gatti; Evander Holyfield; Pernell Whitaker; Felix Trinidad; Oscar de la Hoya; Manny Pacquiao; Laila Ali; Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
A few stand-out moments of Lang’s career include covering the historic all-female card at Madison Square Garden last year, which was headlined by Taylor-Serrano III; covering former heavyweight champion George Foreman’s final fight; being ringside for numerous Roy Jones bouts; covering a fight card at a castle in downtown Boston; being asked to be a pallbearer for the 1940s featherweight legend Willie Pep; and providing a few lines to actor James Madio that would be used in Madio’s portrayal of Pep in the movie “The Featherweight.”
After accepting his award and largely staying near the stage to cover the ceremony – taking photos and recording speeches – he was given silent auction items at the end of the evening his family had won for him, including the fight program for Ali-Frazier III “The Thrilla in Manila,” Ring magazines from the 1950s and a pair of gloves from the Ali Center.
The CTBHOF honor took place inside the Earth Ballroom at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT in front of crowd of nearly 400 attendees. The silent auction raised over $4,000, a record, according to Hary, and the 50/50 raffle netted $1,000. Every dollar raised helps the Hall support the boxing community through its charitable giving program, which allows the organization to support amateur boxing in Connecticut, and to help fighters in need.
In addition to the award recipients, the followed were immortalized with induction Saturday night: 1930s and ‘40s era light heavyweight Melio Bettina; promoter Rich Cappiello; timekeeper Lou Dell; referee Ken Ezzo; former heavyweight contender Fernely Feliz; former USA New England featherweight and super featherweight champion Joey Negron; trainer Luis Rosa Sr.; and New London-based trainer Kent Ward, who established a program for boxers with disabilities, such as Parkinson’s Disease.
|
Final presser quotes from Las Vegas |
|
|
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and his unbeaten challenger Ermal Hadribeaj went face to face at the final press conference on Thursday before they headline “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN this Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The press conference also featured WBA featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and former bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda, who duel in the co-feature, all-action former title holder Armando “Toro” Reséndiz, who battles Australia’s Koen Mazoudier in a ten-round super middleweight showdown, plus rising star Marco Romero and Uruguay’s Matias Ferreira, who meet in the eight-round super middleweight opening attraction at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series will be broadcast in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN.
TNT Sports and DAZN today announced an all-star announce team for Saturday’s event with Todd Grisham hosting studio coverage alongside undefeated five-division champion Terence Crawford, International Boxing Hall of Famer Tim Bradley Jr. and former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter. Corey Erdman will handle play-by-play duties alongside analysts Sergio Mora, a former champion, and veteran boxing journalist Chris Mannix. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“This Saturday we have everything on this card. Make sure to tune in, because we’re gonna make it a knockout of a weekend.
“He’s an undefeated fighter. He’s hungry, but we’ve seen that before. We’ve fought champions. This is the major leagues of boxing and we’re here to prove again why we’ll remain the champion.
“I’ve been in this sport for a while. I’ve been fighting for 22 years. It’s been a lot of learning and now we’re showing you guys.
“This is gonna be a great fight. He’s undefeated and he only knows how to win. But we’re here to break him.
“Losing to Brian Mendoza made me realize some things. Obviously if you make mistakes, you’re gonna get hurt. It’s not just about realizing the mistake, but learning from it.
“Future fights only get in my mind because of everyone asking us about them. We have Ermal in front of us and we’re not overlooking him at all. You can’t overlook anyone. After Saturday, you can ask me all the questions.
“I’m very comfortable making weight. I ate breakfast today. This is Fundora fight week and we’re ready to go.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“I want to show that I’m an exciting fighter that people are going to want to watch Tell the fans around the world that ‘The Albanian Sniper’ is coming for Sebastian Fundora.
“I met Fundora three years ago and I want to shake his hand and let him know that the respect is there. We knew that we’d want to fight him, but I wasn’t ready at that moment. Now I’ve proven that I belong here.
“We worked a lot in training camp and I think we have the key. If that key doesn’t work, I have another key in my pocket. I have everything I need. I’m fast, I’m strong, I work hard and I have punch resistance. Everyone thinks he has the advantage, but his only advantage is that he’s tall.
“I’m able to out box him and I have the power to hurt him as well. I’m very unpredictable so I can’t say now how it will happen.”
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“I’m just ready. We prepared 110%. Just like what I did in the UK, going out there against all odds, nothing is gonna come between me and keeping this belt. I’ve lost it before and gained it back, now I don’t plan on losing it again.
“I will give the best of me in every fight. I can’t wait to let my hands fly and do what I was born to do.
“I wanted to get to the top level and fight the best of the best, that’s why I teamed up with Manny Robles. We went over there with all of the odds against me. But as a champion, you take it on the chin and figure it out. You have to overcome obstacles.
“I’m just getting better every fight. Everyone is going to see on Saturday everything that I’ve worked for. This belt isn’t going anywhere. I promise you that.
“He’s got a lot of experience and he’s been in there with a lot of champions. But I’m a hungry, young fighter and I’m strong. I’m going in there with everything and ready to showcase what I have in the tank.
“Everyone is on my hit list. Line them up. I want all of them. That’s what I’m here for. The belts are nice, but I want the names. I want people to say I fought the champions and beat them all.”
TOMOKI KAMEDA
“’El Mexicanito’ is back once again. I’m very thankful for this great opportunity. I’m so happy to be back here in Las Vegas once again. I’ve had a great training camp and I’m ready to be world champion once again.
“I’ve been training for nine months now. Now I’m here and more ready than ever. I can guarantee you that.
“I learned a lot from the loss to Angelo Leo. I was able to use those lessons in my preparation for this fight. On Saturday I’m going to show that I’m the superior fighter and come out on top.
“On Saturday night I’m going to prove that in boxing, anything is possible and that I’m willing and able to come out on top.
“I have to take advantage of this great opportunity. Chances like this don’t come around too often so I have to be 100% focused.”
ARMANDO RESENDIZ
“I’m always ready for a challenge. I just want to seek out the best. It makes me really proud to be on a prestigious card like this. I’m always in the gym so this was an opportunity I’m 100% ready for.
“There is a lot that I want to accomplish. I want to keep getting into the ring and being the best version of myself that I can be.
“It’s been a roller coaster for me, but I’ve proven that I will always get back up. There’s always a next chapter.
“I have full confidence in myself and my team. After Saturday night we’re going to look to move closer to becoming a world champion again.
“He’s a strong fighter who has a lot of heart. He’s very tough. The fans are going to end up being the true winners of the night.”
MARCO ROMERO
“I’m excited to be fighting alongside these champions and put on a great performance. He better live up to his words, because if he doesn’t it’s gonna be a long night for him.
“He thinks he has more experience than me, but with my amateur experience, that’s more than he’s had. He says he’s gonna come in and play my game, but I don’t think that’s a good game plan. You’re gonna get bit by the shark.
“He can believe whatever he wants. I’m going to go in there and do my job. I’m gonna let the shark go on the hunt. When I get the opportunity for the kill shot, don’t blink.
“I’m progressing and heading towards the top 10 and get to the world title level. A lot of guys I fight tend to move more, but if he comes in and brawl, that’s perfect for me. I’ll be ready for sure.”
MATIAS FERREIRA
“I’m going to be out there showing my speed from the first minute of the fight. I’ve been training hard for months now and I’m coming to knock him out before the fourth round. The fans are going to be in for a show.
“He’s a really good fighter, but he’s not going to be able to keep up with my speed. He doesn’t have the experience yet. I’m gonna come out and smother him from round one. I’ve trained hard and I know what I’m capable of.
“He struggles with the distance. I’ve seen how he likes to engage from short distance, but I’m going to play his game and make my speed count more.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“We’re all very excited to be here promoting ‘The Fight’ on TNT. This card has a little bit of everything on it.
“With our main event, you have Sebastian ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora taking on his mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj. He can’t look past his opponent who’s young and undefeated. The scary thing about Fundora is that he’s just getting better and better. His fights are always exciting and he’ll give fight fans everything they want in a fight night.”
“In the co-main event we have Brandon Figueroa, who went over the UK to win his WBA Featherweight World Title and upset Nick Ball. Now he’s back with a strong veteran fighter and former world champion in Tomoki Kameda.
“Plus we have a former world champion in Armando Resendiz returning for the first time since losing his title and he’s got a tough Australian in Koen Mazoudier to deal with. And we open the night with one of the top prospects in boxing today in Marco Romero. He’s definitely someone to keep your eye on.”
BRITTON HARDIN, Head of Boxing, North America, DAZN
“This is the perfect time for us to be bringing in new boxing fans with the partnership with TNT and this is an exciting card to do that with. You get the full gamut of what boxing has with these matchups that we’re able to put together.
“I’m really excited for Saturday night. Everyone up here knows the level of competition and I can’t wait to see what we have.”
|
|
|
|
Final presser quotes from Las Vegas
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and his unbeaten challenger Ermal Hadribeaj went face to face at the final press conference on Thursday before they headline “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN this Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The press conference also featured WBA featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and former bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda, who duel in the co-feature, all-action former title holder Armando “Toro” Reséndiz, who battles Australia’s Koen Mazoudier in a ten-round super middleweight showdown, plus rising star Marco Romero and Uruguay’s Matias Ferreira, who meet in the eight-round super middleweight opening attraction at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series will be broadcast in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN.
TNT Sports and DAZN today announced an all-star announce team for Saturday’s event with Todd Grisham hosting studio coverage alongside undefeated five-division champion Terence Crawford, International Boxing Hall of Famer Tim Bradley Jr. and former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter. Corey Erdman will handle play-by-play duties alongside analysts Sergio Mora, a former champion, and veteran boxing journalist Chris Mannix. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“This Saturday we have everything on this card. Make sure to tune in, because we’re gonna make it a knockout of a weekend.
“He’s an undefeated fighter. He’s hungry, but we’ve seen that before. We’ve fought champions. This is the major leagues of boxing and we’re here to prove again why we’ll remain the champion.
“I’ve been in this sport for a while. I’ve been fighting for 22 years. It’s been a lot of learning and now we’re showing you guys.
“This is gonna be a great fight. He’s undefeated and he only knows how to win. But we’re here to break him.
“Losing to Brian Mendoza made me realize some things. Obviously if you make mistakes, you’re gonna get hurt. It’s not just about realizing the mistake, but learning from it.
“Future fights only get in my mind because of everyone asking us about them. We have Ermal in front of us and we’re not overlooking him at all. You can’t overlook anyone. After Saturday, you can ask me all the questions.
“I’m very comfortable making weight. I ate breakfast today. This is Fundora fight week and we’re ready to go.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“I want to show that I’m an exciting fighter that people are going to want to watch Tell the fans around the world that ‘The Albanian Sniper’ is coming for Sebastian Fundora.
“I met Fundora three years ago and I want to shake his hand and let him know that the respect is there. We knew that we’d want to fight him, but I wasn’t ready at that moment. Now I’ve proven that I belong here.
“We worked a lot in training camp and I think we have the key. If that key doesn’t work, I have another key in my pocket. I have everything I need. I’m fast, I’m strong, I work hard and I have punch resistance. Everyone thinks he has the advantage, but his only advantage is that he’s tall.
“I’m able to out box him and I have the power to hurt him as well. I’m very unpredictable so I can’t say now how it will happen.”
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“I’m just ready. We prepared 110%. Just like what I did in the UK, going out there against all odds, nothing is gonna come between me and keeping this belt. I’ve lost it before and gained it back, now I don’t plan on losing it again.
“I will give the best of me in every fight. I can’t wait to let my hands fly and do what I was born to do.
“I wanted to get to the top level and fight the best of the best, that’s why I teamed up with Manny Robles. We went over there with all of the odds against me. But as a champion, you take it on the chin and figure it out. You have to overcome obstacles.
“I’m just getting better every fight. Everyone is going to see on Saturday everything that I’ve worked for. This belt isn’t going anywhere. I promise you that.
“He’s got a lot of experience and he’s been in there with a lot of champions. But I’m a hungry, young fighter and I’m strong. I’m going in there with everything and ready to showcase what I have in the tank.
“Everyone is on my hit list. Line them up. I want all of them. That’s what I’m here for. The belts are nice, but I want the names. I want people to say I fought the champions and beat them all.”
TOMOKI KAMEDA
“’El Mexicanito’ is back once again. I’m very thankful for this great opportunity. I’m so happy to be back here in Las Vegas once again. I’ve had a great training camp and I’m ready to be world champion once again.
“I’ve been training for nine months now. Now I’m here and more ready than ever. I can guarantee you that.
“I learned a lot from the loss to Angelo Leo. I was able to use those lessons in my preparation for this fight. On Saturday I’m going to show that I’m the superior fighter and come out on top.
“On Saturday night I’m going to prove that in boxing, anything is possible and that I’m willing and able to come out on top.
“I have to take advantage of this great opportunity. Chances like this don’t come around too often so I have to be 100% focused.”
ARMANDO RESENDIZ
“I’m always ready for a challenge. I just want to seek out the best. It makes me really proud to be on a prestigious card like this. I’m always in the gym so this was an opportunity I’m 100% ready for.
“There is a lot that I want to accomplish. I want to keep getting into the ring and being the best version of myself that I can be.
“It’s been a roller coaster for me, but I’ve proven that I will always get back up. There’s always a next chapter.
“I have full confidence in myself and my team. After Saturday night we’re going to look to move closer to becoming a world champion again.
“He’s a strong fighter who has a lot of heart. He’s very tough. The fans are going to end up being the true winners of the night.”
MARCO ROMERO
“I’m excited to be fighting alongside these champions and put on a great performance. He better live up to his words, because if he doesn’t it’s gonna be a long night for him.
“He thinks he has more experience than me, but with my amateur experience, that’s more than he’s had. He says he’s gonna come in and play my game, but I don’t think that’s a good game plan. You’re gonna get bit by the shark.
“He can believe whatever he wants. I’m going to go in there and do my job. I’m gonna let the shark go on the hunt. When I get the opportunity for the kill shot, don’t blink.
“I’m progressing and heading towards the top 10 and get to the world title level. A lot of guys I fight tend to move more, but if he comes in and brawl, that’s perfect for me. I’ll be ready for sure.”
MATIAS FERREIRA
“I’m going to be out there showing my speed from the first minute of the fight. I’ve been training hard for months now and I’m coming to knock him out before the fourth round. The fans are going to be in for a show.
“He’s a really good fighter, but he’s not going to be able to keep up with my speed. He doesn’t have the experience yet. I’m gonna come out and smother him from round one. I’ve trained hard and I know what I’m capable of.
“He struggles with the distance. I’ve seen how he likes to engage from short distance, but I’m going to play his game and make my speed count more.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“We’re all very excited to be here promoting ‘The Fight’ on TNT. This card has a little bit of everything on it.
“With our main event, you have Sebastian ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora taking on his mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj. He can’t look past his opponent who’s young and undefeated. The scary thing about Fundora is that he’s just getting better and better. His fights are always exciting and he’ll give fight fans everything they want in a fight night.”
“In the co-main event we have Brandon Figueroa, who went over the UK to win his WBA Featherweight World Title and upset Nick Ball. Now he’s back with a strong veteran fighter and former world champion in Tomoki Kameda.
“Plus we have a former world champion in Armando Resendiz returning for the first time since losing his title and he’s got a tough Australian in Koen Mazoudier to deal with. And we open the night with one of the top prospects in boxing today in Marco Romero. He’s definitely someone to keep your eye on.”
BRITTON HARDIN, Head of Boxing, North America, DAZN
“This is the perfect time for us to be bringing in new boxing fans with the partnership with TNT and this is an exciting card to do that with. You get the full gamut of what boxing has with these matchups that we’re able to put together.
“I’m really excited for Saturday night. Everyone up here knows the level of competition and I can’t wait to see what we have.”
|
Jamel Herring defends bare knuckle title this weekend |
|
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) returns to Newark, New Jersey this weekend with BKFC 95 on Saturday at the Prudential Center, live worldwide on The BKFC App. Former junior lightweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring defends his BKFC bantamweight (135-pound) title for the first time against BKFC flyweight (125-pound) champion John “The Magician” Dodson. Both fighters have been undefeated since entering BKFC's squared circle, boasting a combined 6-0-1 record.
On the undercard, Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera will be headhunting for a second straight stoppage victory at the expense of the battle-tested Brandon “Beastmode” Meyer, who’s gunning for a fourth win under the BKFC banner... Tony “Loco” Soto throws down against hard-hitting Anthony “The Pistol” Pike, who’s eager to rack up a second straight finish against his toughest challenge yet, in a must-see matchup at 155 pounds.
BKFC 95 on Saturday will also feature a slate of rookies to the BKFC Squared Circle and the return of established fan-favorite fighters, like Dalvin “Hippy Disciple” Blair, Paris “PDott Da Knockout Artist” Boyd, Phil “Hitman” Caracappa, Booke “Bare Knuckle Brooke” Evans, “Relentless” Jeff Lentz, Eduardo Peralta, Gabrielle Roman, Nicholas Saragosa and Anthony “The Devil’s Advocate” Yost, all LIVE worldwide on The BKFC App.
|
|
|
|
Jamel Herring defends bare knuckle title this weekend
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) returns to Newark, New Jersey this weekend with BKFC 95 on Saturday at the Prudential Center, live worldwide on The BKFC App. Former junior lightweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring defends his BKFC bantamweight (135-pound) title for the first time against BKFC flyweight (125-pound) champion John “The Magician” Dodson. Both fighters have been undefeated since entering BKFC's squared circle, boasting a combined 6-0-1 record.
On the undercard, Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera will be headhunting for a second straight stoppage victory at the expense of the battle-tested Brandon “Beastmode” Meyer, who’s gunning for a fourth win under the BKFC banner... Tony “Loco” Soto throws down against hard-hitting Anthony “The Pistol” Pike, who’s eager to rack up a second straight finish against his toughest challenge yet, in a must-see matchup at 155 pounds.
BKFC 95 on Saturday will also feature a slate of rookies to the BKFC Squared Circle and the return of established fan-favorite fighters, like Dalvin “Hippy Disciple” Blair, Paris “PDott Da Knockout Artist” Boyd, Phil “Hitman” Caracappa, Booke “Bare Knuckle Brooke” Evans, “Relentless” Jeff Lentz, Eduardo Peralta, Gabrielle Roman, Nicholas Saragosa and Anthony “The Devil’s Advocate” Yost, all LIVE worldwide on The BKFC App.
|
Teremoana vs. Ahio booked for Melbourne |
|
Matchroom Boxing returns to Australia on Wednesday, November 18th at Pullman Melbourne Albert Park as undefeated heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana takes on Hemi Ahio (25-1, 19 KOs) on live on Fox Sports and DAZN’sKayo Sports in Australia. A towering Aussie, Teremoana has won all 12 of his professional fights to date by way of knockout and has been heralded by promoter Eddie Hearn as a future champion. Teremoana is relishing the challenge as he prepares to headline in Melbourne. “I’m excited to be fighting again down in Melbourne and this time headlining against a strong opponent from New Zealand in Hemi Ahio,” he said. “I am really looking forward to the challenge he will bring. Nothing changes for me. I am here to prove I am the best and Ahio is the next obstacle in my way. I respect what he’s achieved but he shouldn’t have taken this fight.
Teremoana continued, “I’ve been training hard and with another five weeks of preparation until fight night I plan to show the difference in levels. God willing, I will be victorious.”
However, Ahio – nicknamed ’The Heat’ – has warned Teremoana that he is ready to crank up the temperature and unleash everything he has when the two collide. “I’m in great shape, maybe in the best shape I have been my entire career,” said Ahio. “There’s going to be fireworks, and we will both be dropping big bombs. I’m ready to throw down with the big man. Let’s go!”
Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn is looking forward to big night Down Under with a card stacked with homegrown talent. “Australian boxing is flying and I am excited to be returning to Melbourne for what promises to be a brilliant fight card, headlined by the country’s most destructive fighter,” said Hearn. “We seriously have a superstar on our hands in Teremoana. He must close out this year with another big statement – but he’ll need to be at his best as Hemi Ahio is a very dangerous operator with plenty of experience. Teremoana truly has the potential to go far in the heavyweight division. I honestly believe he has the tools to go on and become a future champion. He is a man Australia needs to get behind.”
The undercard features local favorite Mitch Leek (14-0, 8 KOs) as he takes on Joel ‘Camo KO’ Camilleri (31-8, 15 KOs) ina middleweight contest.
The vacant Australian junior middleweight title is on the line as Melbourne’s Ky Hodgson (7-1) goes up against Victor Adis-Iosifidis (3-1, 1 KO).
Plus, unbeaten 21 year-old Omar El-Abdallah (6-0, 5 KOs) faces Lilo Telepe (6-1, 6 KOs) in a middleweight shootout.
|
|
|
|
Teremoana vs. Ahio booked for Melbourne
Matchroom Boxing returns to Australia on Wednesday, November 18th at Pullman Melbourne Albert Park as undefeated heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana takes on Hemi Ahio (25-1, 19 KOs) on live on Fox Sports and DAZN’sKayo Sports in Australia. A towering Aussie, Teremoana has won all 12 of his professional fights to date by way of knockout and has been heralded by promoter Eddie Hearn as a future champion. Teremoana is relishing the challenge as he prepares to headline in Melbourne. “I’m excited to be fighting again down in Melbourne and this time headlining against a strong opponent from New Zealand in Hemi Ahio,” he said. “I am really looking forward to the challenge he will bring. Nothing changes for me. I am here to prove I am the best and Ahio is the next obstacle in my way. I respect what he’s achieved but he shouldn’t have taken this fight.
Teremoana continued, “I’ve been training hard and with another five weeks of preparation until fight night I plan to show the difference in levels. God willing, I will be victorious.”
However, Ahio – nicknamed ’The Heat’ – has warned Teremoana that he is ready to crank up the temperature and unleash everything he has when the two collide. “I’m in great shape, maybe in the best shape I have been my entire career,” said Ahio. “There’s going to be fireworks, and we will both be dropping big bombs. I’m ready to throw down with the big man. Let’s go!”
Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn is looking forward to big night Down Under with a card stacked with homegrown talent. “Australian boxing is flying and I am excited to be returning to Melbourne for what promises to be a brilliant fight card, headlined by the country’s most destructive fighter,” said Hearn. “We seriously have a superstar on our hands in Teremoana. He must close out this year with another big statement – but he’ll need to be at his best as Hemi Ahio is a very dangerous operator with plenty of experience. Teremoana truly has the potential to go far in the heavyweight division. I honestly believe he has the tools to go on and become a future champion. He is a man Australia needs to get behind.”
The undercard features local favorite Mitch Leek (14-0, 8 KOs) as he takes on Joel ‘Camo KO’ Camilleri (31-8, 15 KOs) ina middleweight contest.
The vacant Australian junior middleweight title is on the line as Melbourne’s Ky Hodgson (7-1) goes up against Victor Adis-Iosifidis (3-1, 1 KO).
Plus, unbeaten 21 year-old Omar El-Abdallah (6-0, 5 KOs) faces Lilo Telepe (6-1, 6 KOs) in a middleweight shootout.
|
Nothing But Sportz institutes quality control procedures |
|
Nothing But Sportz, the television, streaming and technology company founded by Steven Marcano, has announced it will not televise the October 24th boxing event featuring Maureen Shea after her scheduled opponent withdrew and a suitable replacement could not be secured within an acceptable promotional period. Effective immediately, NBS will require all essential athlete, promotional, production and broadcast agreements to be fully executed at least ten weeks prior to any scheduled live event. The policy is designed to ensure adequate preparation, marketing support, and audience development.
Entering its second year, NBS is transitioning from an early-stage entrepreneurial model into an institutionally structured television, streaming, and technology enterprise. The company is implementing enhanced governance standards, standardized contracting procedures, and centralized operational oversight, creating a foundation for national growth and long-term sustainability. NBS intends to televise Shea’s January 2027 return, with American Dream Presents remaining promotional company of record, subject to finalized agreements.
Two world-class championship boxing events are under negotiation for March and June 2027. Alongside promotional partnerships, NBS will acquire and license independently promoted boxing events targeting one major live event each month.
The company is expanding its programming interests into table tennis, pickleball, horse racing, motorcycle racing, motocross, tennis, flag football, volleyball, and surfing. NBS is also exploring the licensing of sporting events connected to U.S. Armed Forces sports programs. A major table tennis competition is targeted for February 2027.
Beyond live sports, NBS is developing original intellectual property, including King Carter, a vertical short-form project, Ring Card Girls and Scrap City, an interactive video game. The company is actively seeking submissions and distribution partnerships from independent filmmakers, documentary producers, digital content creators, and artificial intelligence companies. Its technology initiatives emphasize AI-powered sports analytics, interactive programming, personalized content discovery, and enhanced fan engagement. Building on existing distribution relationships with Roku, Apple, Amazon, Truth Plus, and KlowdTV, NBS is accelerating expansion across linear and digital platforms.
By the end of 2027, NBS is targeting distribution access across 85 percent of the linear television market and full digital platform availability. These are stated goals, not current market share. During its inaugural year, the company secured programming involving internationally recognized talent including Yuriorkis Gamboa, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and high-profile sports entertainment personalities.
The company has received substantial digital engagement, which management believes demonstrates the potential for a competitive position if its 2027 distribution and programming objectives are realized.
NBS is preparing its first eight-figure financing initiative with management reporting exploratory discussions with hedge funds and family offices as it advances its institutional growth strategy. Nothing But Sportz remains firmly committed to championship boxing while building a diversified sports media and technology platform. It is not moving away from boxing, it is building beyond it. With institutional standards, expanding content verticals, and a long-term distribution strategy, NBS is positioning itself for a defining second year. Nothing But Sportz — building the future of sports, television, streaming, and technology
|
|
|
|
Nothing But Sportz institutes quality control procedures
Nothing But Sportz, the television, streaming and technology company founded by Steven Marcano, has announced it will not televise the October 24th boxing event featuring Maureen Shea after her scheduled opponent withdrew and a suitable replacement could not be secured within an acceptable promotional period. Effective immediately, NBS will require all essential athlete, promotional, production and broadcast agreements to be fully executed at least ten weeks prior to any scheduled live event. The policy is designed to ensure adequate preparation, marketing support, and audience development.
Entering its second year, NBS is transitioning from an early-stage entrepreneurial model into an institutionally structured television, streaming, and technology enterprise. The company is implementing enhanced governance standards, standardized contracting procedures, and centralized operational oversight, creating a foundation for national growth and long-term sustainability. NBS intends to televise Shea’s January 2027 return, with American Dream Presents remaining promotional company of record, subject to finalized agreements.
Two world-class championship boxing events are under negotiation for March and June 2027. Alongside promotional partnerships, NBS will acquire and license independently promoted boxing events targeting one major live event each month.
The company is expanding its programming interests into table tennis, pickleball, horse racing, motorcycle racing, motocross, tennis, flag football, volleyball, and surfing. NBS is also exploring the licensing of sporting events connected to U.S. Armed Forces sports programs. A major table tennis competition is targeted for February 2027.
Beyond live sports, NBS is developing original intellectual property, including King Carter, a vertical short-form project, Ring Card Girls and Scrap City, an interactive video game. The company is actively seeking submissions and distribution partnerships from independent filmmakers, documentary producers, digital content creators, and artificial intelligence companies. Its technology initiatives emphasize AI-powered sports analytics, interactive programming, personalized content discovery, and enhanced fan engagement. Building on existing distribution relationships with Roku, Apple, Amazon, Truth Plus, and KlowdTV, NBS is accelerating expansion across linear and digital platforms.
By the end of 2027, NBS is targeting distribution access across 85 percent of the linear television market and full digital platform availability. These are stated goals, not current market share. During its inaugural year, the company secured programming involving internationally recognized talent including Yuriorkis Gamboa, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and high-profile sports entertainment personalities.
The company has received substantial digital engagement, which management believes demonstrates the potential for a competitive position if its 2027 distribution and programming objectives are realized.
NBS is preparing its first eight-figure financing initiative with management reporting exploratory discussions with hedge funds and family offices as it advances its institutional growth strategy. Nothing But Sportz remains firmly committed to championship boxing while building a diversified sports media and technology platform. It is not moving away from boxing, it is building beyond it. With institutional standards, expanding content verticals, and a long-term distribution strategy, NBS is positioning itself for a defining second year. Nothing But Sportz — building the future of sports, television, streaming, and technology
|
Abraham Perez to headline in Albuquerque Nov. 7th |
|
Abraham Perez will defend his WBA interim flyweight title in a homecoming showdown with Yankiel Rivera at Albuquerque's Kiva Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 7th live on DAZN beginning at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT. Perez returns for his first defense just two years after a near-fatal drowning incident left him in a coma eight days prior to the biggest fight of his career in August 2024. Facing the grim diagnosis that he may never walk again, Perez persevered, returned to boxing in 2025 and won the interim title in June on DAZN over defending interim champion Jonathan Gonzalez. Now Perez (15-0, 7 KOs) returns with the hopes of following in the footsteps of New Mexico legends Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero, fellow lower-weight class champions who established Albuquerque as a homebase for major events. Tickets for the Nov. 7th event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions and Legacy Boxing Promotions in association with Wynn Records, are available on ticketmaster.com.
“Most athletes dream to be in the current situation I am in - defending a belt in their hometown,” Perez said. “It means a whole lot to not only me, but the local fans who get to see the fight. I did not let what happened to me stop the dream of becoming a world champion, I could've quit boxing or even swimming, but it's the optimism, the fight in me, and the love I have for the sport that kept me going. I will never be Tapia or Romero, I can only aspire to be the best version of myself. So while there is a Tapia, a Romero, there is also a Perez.”
The 27 year-old “Hammer” Perez was a stellar amateur, having won the 2021 Olympic Trials at 114 pounds and the 2019 National Golden Gloves. He turned pro in 2021 and was moved quickly, earning his first title opportunity in his 14th professional fight.
Rivera (8-1-1, 4 KOs) was the only boxer from Puerto Rico to qualify for 2021 Olympics and finished his amateur career with a 133-14 record. He was also moved swiftly since turning professional in 2022, fighting for an interim flyweight championship in only his eighth professional fight, a draw with then-undefeated Angelino Cordova. In his next fight he was upset in a decision loss zagainst Gonzalez for the WBA interim belt. The 29-year old is coming off a first-round knockout last month over Francisco Vargas Martinez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. “You will see a 100 percent Yankiel Rivera - completely focused, prepared and completely motivated,” Rivera said. “I know some are skeptical after my defeat, but I will show them that a defeat does not define me. With the exception of a very small group, every fighter faces a loss. It is not the loss that defines you, it is what you do afterwards.
“I see this fight as an opportunity to beat the guy who beat me. A victory will vindicate that defeat and will show that I belong in the mix with the elite fighters in the 112-pound division. My name has to be on that list. I’m ready to fight and defeat the best of the division.”
Albuquerque has a history as a boxing hotbed that has bred some of America’s best lower weight division champions - Hall of Famer and three division champion Johnny Tapia, who was a titlist at super flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight, and two division champion Danny Romero, a flyweight and junior bantamweight champion. Now the city has it’s newest champion in Perez, who looks to establish his own legacy as a young rising star in New Mexico.
“Albuquerque is one of America’s legendary boxing cities,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Our goal is to reignite that fire - both locally and nationally. We are proud to feature hometown world champion Abraham Perez, along with talented fighters from Albuquerque’s great local gyms. By teaming up with Legacy Boxing Promotions, we hope to build a lasting partnership and bring championship boxing back to this historic fight town.”
Added Aaron Perez and Gabriel Carlin of Legacy Promotions: “From day one, Legacy Promotions’ goal has been to put New Mexico back on the map as a destination for championship boxing. In 2024, we were proud to bring a world championship fight to Albuquerque. Now, we're honored to bring another world championship fight home - this time in partnership with Salita Promotions and DAZN, the premier boxing network in the world - with our own champion, Abraham Perez.
“After his latest victory, we asked Abraham what he wanted next. He said he wanted a big fight in Albuquerque, for a city that has been through a lot since the pandemic. We're excited to make that happen and give our city a night to remember."
|
|
|
|
Abraham Perez to headline in Albuquerque Nov. 7th
Abraham Perez will defend his WBA interim flyweight title in a homecoming showdown with Yankiel Rivera at Albuquerque's Kiva Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 7th live on DAZN beginning at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT. Perez returns for his first defense just two years after a near-fatal drowning incident left him in a coma eight days prior to the biggest fight of his career in August 2024. Facing the grim diagnosis that he may never walk again, Perez persevered, returned to boxing in 2025 and won the interim title in June on DAZN over defending interim champion Jonathan Gonzalez. Now Perez (15-0, 7 KOs) returns with the hopes of following in the footsteps of New Mexico legends Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero, fellow lower-weight class champions who established Albuquerque as a homebase for major events. Tickets for the Nov. 7th event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions and Legacy Boxing Promotions in association with Wynn Records, are available on ticketmaster.com.
“Most athletes dream to be in the current situation I am in - defending a belt in their hometown,” Perez said. “It means a whole lot to not only me, but the local fans who get to see the fight. I did not let what happened to me stop the dream of becoming a world champion, I could've quit boxing or even swimming, but it's the optimism, the fight in me, and the love I have for the sport that kept me going. I will never be Tapia or Romero, I can only aspire to be the best version of myself. So while there is a Tapia, a Romero, there is also a Perez.”
The 27 year-old “Hammer” Perez was a stellar amateur, having won the 2021 Olympic Trials at 114 pounds and the 2019 National Golden Gloves. He turned pro in 2021 and was moved quickly, earning his first title opportunity in his 14th professional fight.
Rivera (8-1-1, 4 KOs) was the only boxer from Puerto Rico to qualify for 2021 Olympics and finished his amateur career with a 133-14 record. He was also moved swiftly since turning professional in 2022, fighting for an interim flyweight championship in only his eighth professional fight, a draw with then-undefeated Angelino Cordova. In his next fight he was upset in a decision loss zagainst Gonzalez for the WBA interim belt. The 29-year old is coming off a first-round knockout last month over Francisco Vargas Martinez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. “You will see a 100 percent Yankiel Rivera - completely focused, prepared and completely motivated,” Rivera said. “I know some are skeptical after my defeat, but I will show them that a defeat does not define me. With the exception of a very small group, every fighter faces a loss. It is not the loss that defines you, it is what you do afterwards.
“I see this fight as an opportunity to beat the guy who beat me. A victory will vindicate that defeat and will show that I belong in the mix with the elite fighters in the 112-pound division. My name has to be on that list. I’m ready to fight and defeat the best of the division.”
Albuquerque has a history as a boxing hotbed that has bred some of America’s best lower weight division champions - Hall of Famer and three division champion Johnny Tapia, who was a titlist at super flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight, and two division champion Danny Romero, a flyweight and junior bantamweight champion. Now the city has it’s newest champion in Perez, who looks to establish his own legacy as a young rising star in New Mexico.
“Albuquerque is one of America’s legendary boxing cities,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Our goal is to reignite that fire - both locally and nationally. We are proud to feature hometown world champion Abraham Perez, along with talented fighters from Albuquerque’s great local gyms. By teaming up with Legacy Boxing Promotions, we hope to build a lasting partnership and bring championship boxing back to this historic fight town.”
Added Aaron Perez and Gabriel Carlin of Legacy Promotions: “From day one, Legacy Promotions’ goal has been to put New Mexico back on the map as a destination for championship boxing. In 2024, we were proud to bring a world championship fight to Albuquerque. Now, we're honored to bring another world championship fight home - this time in partnership with Salita Promotions and DAZN, the premier boxing network in the world - with our own champion, Abraham Perez.
“After his latest victory, we asked Abraham what he wanted next. He said he wanted a big fight in Albuquerque, for a city that has been through a lot since the pandemic. We're excited to make that happen and give our city a night to remember."
|
Introducing Hawaii's Azariah Cottrell |
|
Azariah Cottrell KO2 Karla Valenzuela Garcia... Hawaiian amateur standout Azariah Cottrell made a winning entrance into traditional professional boxing, scoring a second-round knockout over Karla Valenzuela Garcia (3-42-3, 1 KO) in their four-round lightweight bout. Cottrell entered the professional ranks after establishing herself as a childhood boxing prodigy, a USA Boxing national champion and a standout in Team Boxing League. Rather than allowing the moment to overwhelm her, Cottrell embraced it. Facing an opponent with nearly 50 professional fights, Cottrell displayed the confidence and experience developed through years of high-level competition. She took control of the fight before ending matters in the second round, officially beginning her traditional professional career at 1-0 with one knockout.
For Cottrell, however, the victory was less about making a statement and more about finally taking the first step toward a dream she has carried since childhood. “It was a special feeling,” said Cottrell. I've been boxing since I was a little girl, so I've dreamed about this moment for a long time. Once the bell rang, I just trusted my training and did what I know how to do. Getting the knockout was exciting but getting that first professional win is what really means the most to me.”
Long before Cottrell became a professional, she was already making history. At only 10 years old, Cottrell was ranked #1 nationally at 75 pounds in the 9-10 girls division in the 2018 National Silver Gloves final rankings. She became the first girl from Hawaii to win the Silver Gloves Tournament and later captured a USA Boxing National Championship as a teenager.
Her accomplishments earned recognition from the State of Hawaii and established Cottrell as one of the islands' promising young boxing talents. She later gained another valuable layer of experience through Team Boxing League, compiling a 16-2 record before making the transition into traditional professional boxing.
Despite everything she accomplished before turning professional, Cottrell views herself as a fighter starting over with plenty still to prove. “Everything I did in the amateurs and Team Boxing League prepared me for this, but now I'm starting a new journey,” she added. “I'm 1-0, and that's it. I still have so much to learn and prove. I'm hungry to keep fighting, keep getting better and see how far I can take this.”
No matter where boxing takes her, Cottrell remains deeply connected to her Hawaiian roots. Her success as a young amateur allowed her to represent Hawaii on the national stage. Now, as a professional, she hopes to continue carrying that identity with her while inspiring another generation of young fighters from the islands. “Hawaii is always with me,” Cottell continued. “I'm proud of where I come from and everything my family and the people back home have done for me. Every time I fight, I want to represent them the right way. Hopefully, young girls back home can watch my journey and believe they can chase their dreams too.”
Cottrell isn't hiding what she ultimately wants from professional boxing. But after spending most of her life around the sport, she also understands that championship opportunities are earned through development, consistency and increasingly difficult fights. “I want to be a world champion one day,” she concluded. “That's always been the dream. But I'm not trying to rush past the work it takes to get there. I want to stay active, keep learning and take it fight by fight. This was the first one. Now I'm ready for the next.”
Bobby Harrison, CEO of BiYu Promotions, believes Cottrell's combination of youth, experience and competitive mentality gives her an opportunity to develop into one of women's boxing's notable young fighters. After watching her deliver a knockout in her professional debut, Harrison is excited about what comes next. “Azariah has something special,” Harrison said. “She has been competing at a high level since she was a kid, so even though this was her pro debut, she didn't look like someone who was new to the ring. She stayed composed, did her job and got the knockout. She's young, she's hungry and she wants to learn. That's what excites me the most. We're going to keep her active, develop her the right way and give her opportunities to grow. I believe she has a very bright future in women's boxing.”
|
|
|
|
Introducing Hawaii's Azariah Cottrell
Azariah Cottrell KO2 Karla Valenzuela Garcia... Hawaiian amateur standout Azariah Cottrell made a winning entrance into traditional professional boxing, scoring a second-round knockout over Karla Valenzuela Garcia (3-42-3, 1 KO) in their four-round lightweight bout. Cottrell entered the professional ranks after establishing herself as a childhood boxing prodigy, a USA Boxing national champion and a standout in Team Boxing League. Rather than allowing the moment to overwhelm her, Cottrell embraced it. Facing an opponent with nearly 50 professional fights, Cottrell displayed the confidence and experience developed through years of high-level competition. She took control of the fight before ending matters in the second round, officially beginning her traditional professional career at 1-0 with one knockout.
For Cottrell, however, the victory was less about making a statement and more about finally taking the first step toward a dream she has carried since childhood. “It was a special feeling,” said Cottrell. I've been boxing since I was a little girl, so I've dreamed about this moment for a long time. Once the bell rang, I just trusted my training and did what I know how to do. Getting the knockout was exciting but getting that first professional win is what really means the most to me.”
Long before Cottrell became a professional, she was already making history. At only 10 years old, Cottrell was ranked #1 nationally at 75 pounds in the 9-10 girls division in the 2018 National Silver Gloves final rankings. She became the first girl from Hawaii to win the Silver Gloves Tournament and later captured a USA Boxing National Championship as a teenager.
Her accomplishments earned recognition from the State of Hawaii and established Cottrell as one of the islands' promising young boxing talents. She later gained another valuable layer of experience through Team Boxing League, compiling a 16-2 record before making the transition into traditional professional boxing.
Despite everything she accomplished before turning professional, Cottrell views herself as a fighter starting over with plenty still to prove. “Everything I did in the amateurs and Team Boxing League prepared me for this, but now I'm starting a new journey,” she added. “I'm 1-0, and that's it. I still have so much to learn and prove. I'm hungry to keep fighting, keep getting better and see how far I can take this.”
No matter where boxing takes her, Cottrell remains deeply connected to her Hawaiian roots. Her success as a young amateur allowed her to represent Hawaii on the national stage. Now, as a professional, she hopes to continue carrying that identity with her while inspiring another generation of young fighters from the islands. “Hawaii is always with me,” Cottell continued. “I'm proud of where I come from and everything my family and the people back home have done for me. Every time I fight, I want to represent them the right way. Hopefully, young girls back home can watch my journey and believe they can chase their dreams too.”
Cottrell isn't hiding what she ultimately wants from professional boxing. But after spending most of her life around the sport, she also understands that championship opportunities are earned through development, consistency and increasingly difficult fights. “I want to be a world champion one day,” she concluded. “That's always been the dream. But I'm not trying to rush past the work it takes to get there. I want to stay active, keep learning and take it fight by fight. This was the first one. Now I'm ready for the next.”
Bobby Harrison, CEO of BiYu Promotions, believes Cottrell's combination of youth, experience and competitive mentality gives her an opportunity to develop into one of women's boxing's notable young fighters. After watching her deliver a knockout in her professional debut, Harrison is excited about what comes next. “Azariah has something special,” Harrison said. “She has been competing at a high level since she was a kid, so even though this was her pro debut, she didn't look like someone who was new to the ring. She stayed composed, did her job and got the knockout. She's young, she's hungry and she wants to learn. That's what excites me the most. We're going to keep her active, develop her the right way and give her opportunities to grow. I believe she has a very bright future in women's boxing.”
|
Weigh-in report from Phoenix |
|
|
From the Rawhide Event Center in Phoenix, Arizona, here are the boxers' official weights for the ProBox show, beginning at 7 PM Eastern time on Friday:
Joshua Kevin Anton, 152.9 pounds -vs.- Freudis Rojas, 151.4;
Justin Pauldo, 134.1 -vs.- Rene Tellez Giron, 134;
Bryan Acosta, 125.3 -vs.- Carlos Andres Arteaga Orona, 126.1;
Charles Harris Jr., 138.1 -vs.- Misael Cabrera Urias, 138;
Heidan Martinez Morillo, 139 -vs.- Willmank Canonico Brito, 139.1;
Trini Ochoa, 147.8 -vs.- Alex Martin, 146.7;
Trenton Bradford, 161 -vs.- Aaron Mick, 159.2;
Rahman Muhamad, 146.6 -vs.- Jose Valenzuela Alvarado, 146;
Trevor Kotara, 233.1 -vs.- Aurek Anderson, 218.7; and
Siupeli Anau, 254.2 -vs.- Bryan Hall, 263.5.
|
|
|
|
Weigh-in report from Phoenix
From the Rawhide Event Center in Phoenix, Arizona, here are the boxers' official weights for the ProBox show, beginning at 7 PM Eastern time on Friday:
Joshua Kevin Anton, 152.9 pounds -vs.- Freudis Rojas, 151.4;
Justin Pauldo, 134.1 -vs.- Rene Tellez Giron, 134;
Bryan Acosta, 125.3 -vs.- Carlos Andres Arteaga Orona, 126.1;
Charles Harris Jr., 138.1 -vs.- Misael Cabrera Urias, 138;
Heidan Martinez Morillo, 139 -vs.- Willmank Canonico Brito, 139.1;
Trini Ochoa, 147.8 -vs.- Alex Martin, 146.7;
Trenton Bradford, 161 -vs.- Aaron Mick, 159.2;
Rahman Muhamad, 146.6 -vs.- Jose Valenzuela Alvarado, 146;
Trevor Kotara, 233.1 -vs.- Aurek Anderson, 218.7; and
Siupeli Anau, 254.2 -vs.- Bryan Hall, 263.5.
|
Olascuaga gets hometown title defense |
|
WBO flyweight champion Anthony Olascuaga has signed a multi-fight co-promotional deal with Matchroom and Teiken Promotions, and will defend his title against Yuberjen Martinez on November 14th at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The bout wil be aired on TNT Sports and DAZN’s “The Fight,” the new monthly live boxing series, and will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN and worldwide on DAZN just prior to the main event, Diego Pacheco’s super middleweight showdown with Darius Fulghum. Olascuaga (12-1 with 9 KOs) defends his title for the sixth time and does so in his first fight in his Los Angeles home, having had five of his last six fights in Japan. The 27-year old won the title in Tokyo in July 2024 with a third-round KO of Riku Kano in Tokyo and has returned to Japan for four of his defenses, the last being a ninth-round stoppage of Jukiya Iimura in March.
‘Princesa’ is thrilled to be fighting in LA for the first time in his career. “I’m so excited to be fighting in Los Angeles,” said Olascuaga. “It feels amazing to fight in the city and on the streets where I grew up. LA is home, and fighting in front of my people makes this one extra special. I am very grateful to [Teiken's) Mr. Honda and everyone at Teiken for their continued support, and I’m also very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Eddie Hearn and the Matchroom team once again. I’m ready to put on a great show and give everyone a night to remember! Come out, show your love, and support me — I can’t wait to see you all there!”
Martinez (14-0 including the World Series of Boxing) is gearing up for his first world title shot following a glittering amateur career. The two-time Colombian Olympian and 2016 silver medalist ramped up his pro game in May with his seventh stoppage win in seven pro outings, and the Colombian has vowed to add world title glory to stuffed trophy cabinet from his amateur days. “I’m very happy with this huge opportunity to fight for the WBO title,” said Martinez. “After winning Silver at the Rio Olympics, my dream has been to become a champion. I have been training to fight on November 20th in my home country, when I received the call from my promoter for this fight, I got very exited because I’m ready. We will finish camp at Nacho Berestain Romanza Gym in Mexico City and come November 14th, we will be ready for war.”
Olascuaga’s defense leads a stacked undercard that starts with the Matchroom and US debut of David Adeleye, who faces Alexander Flores over ten rounds. Adeleye (14-2, 13 KOs) put pen to paper with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom in September and the Briton’s first assignment sees him tangle with the experienced Californian Flores (21-6-1, 19 KOs) over ten rounds. “I’ve been out the ring far too long and my itchy knuckles are ready to fly,” said Adeleye. “This is the start to the next phase of my career, with Eddie and Matchroom I intend to fulfill my desire to be the best in the world!”
The lightweight division is bubbling up nicely and two Californian’s clash in a showdown that could move the winner into line for a big fight, as Charlie Sheehy and Gabriel Flores Jr meet over ten. Sheehy (13-0 8 KOs) fights under the Matchroom banner for the second time having impressed with a stoppage win in Houston in May over Nike Theran, while Flores Jr. (27-3 8 KOs) will be itching to get back to winning ways after going the distance with former 130-pound champ Joe Cordina in December in Stockton, CA. “This is a big opportunity that I’ve been waiting for,” said Sheehy. “I’m ready to make a statement and take another step closer to becoming a champion.” This fight will be a breakout performance; my time is now,” said Flores. All my experience goes into this fight, and that can be the difference.”
A packed show will features a stack of rising stars on the prelims, with Zaquin Moses fighting over eight rounds at junior lightweight, Nishant Dev in action over eight rounds at jujnior middleweight, Frank Espinoza getting out over six rounds at middleweight and Pacheco’s brother Federico ready for eight rounds at heavyweight, with all opponents to be confirmed in due course.
|
|
|
|
Olascuaga gets hometown title defense
WBO flyweight champion Anthony Olascuaga has signed a multi-fight co-promotional deal with Matchroom and Teiken Promotions, and will defend his title against Yuberjen Martinez on November 14th at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The bout wil be aired on TNT Sports and DAZN’s “The Fight,” the new monthly live boxing series, and will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN and worldwide on DAZN just prior to the main event, Diego Pacheco’s super middleweight showdown with Darius Fulghum. Olascuaga (12-1 with 9 KOs) defends his title for the sixth time and does so in his first fight in his Los Angeles home, having had five of his last six fights in Japan. The 27-year old won the title in Tokyo in July 2024 with a third-round KO of Riku Kano in Tokyo and has returned to Japan for four of his defenses, the last being a ninth-round stoppage of Jukiya Iimura in March.
‘Princesa’ is thrilled to be fighting in LA for the first time in his career. “I’m so excited to be fighting in Los Angeles,” said Olascuaga. “It feels amazing to fight in the city and on the streets where I grew up. LA is home, and fighting in front of my people makes this one extra special. I am very grateful to [Teiken's) Mr. Honda and everyone at Teiken for their continued support, and I’m also very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Eddie Hearn and the Matchroom team once again. I’m ready to put on a great show and give everyone a night to remember! Come out, show your love, and support me — I can’t wait to see you all there!”
Martinez (14-0 including the World Series of Boxing) is gearing up for his first world title shot following a glittering amateur career. The two-time Colombian Olympian and 2016 silver medalist ramped up his pro game in May with his seventh stoppage win in seven pro outings, and the Colombian has vowed to add world title glory to stuffed trophy cabinet from his amateur days. “I’m very happy with this huge opportunity to fight for the WBO title,” said Martinez. “After winning Silver at the Rio Olympics, my dream has been to become a champion. I have been training to fight on November 20th in my home country, when I received the call from my promoter for this fight, I got very exited because I’m ready. We will finish camp at Nacho Berestain Romanza Gym in Mexico City and come November 14th, we will be ready for war.”
Olascuaga’s defense leads a stacked undercard that starts with the Matchroom and US debut of David Adeleye, who faces Alexander Flores over ten rounds. Adeleye (14-2, 13 KOs) put pen to paper with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom in September and the Briton’s first assignment sees him tangle with the experienced Californian Flores (21-6-1, 19 KOs) over ten rounds. “I’ve been out the ring far too long and my itchy knuckles are ready to fly,” said Adeleye. “This is the start to the next phase of my career, with Eddie and Matchroom I intend to fulfill my desire to be the best in the world!”
The lightweight division is bubbling up nicely and two Californian’s clash in a showdown that could move the winner into line for a big fight, as Charlie Sheehy and Gabriel Flores Jr meet over ten. Sheehy (13-0 8 KOs) fights under the Matchroom banner for the second time having impressed with a stoppage win in Houston in May over Nike Theran, while Flores Jr. (27-3 8 KOs) will be itching to get back to winning ways after going the distance with former 130-pound champ Joe Cordina in December in Stockton, CA. “This is a big opportunity that I’ve been waiting for,” said Sheehy. “I’m ready to make a statement and take another step closer to becoming a champion.” This fight will be a breakout performance; my time is now,” said Flores. All my experience goes into this fight, and that can be the difference.”
A packed show will features a stack of rising stars on the prelims, with Zaquin Moses fighting over eight rounds at junior lightweight, Nishant Dev in action over eight rounds at jujnior middleweight, Frank Espinoza getting out over six rounds at middleweight and Pacheco’s brother Federico ready for eight rounds at heavyweight, with all opponents to be confirmed in due course.
|
Rest in Peace Jorge Castro |
|
The WBC announced the passing of former middleweight champion Jorge Castro, who passed away at the age of 59 in Buenos Aires. Wikipedia suggests Castro died from the effects of hypoglycemia. Born on August 18, 1967, in Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz (Argentina), Castro built one of the most courageous, enduring, and memorable careers in South American boxing history. A relentless and confirmed warrior of the ring, he fought in 144 professional bouts, compiling a now-unthinkable record of 130 victories, 11 losses and 3 draws.
Castro's career had some incredible moments: he lost early-1990 title shots to Terry Norris and Roy Jones but garnered the WBA middleweight title in 1994 by defeating Reggie Johnson. Castro defeated Johnson in a rematch and then lost his title to Shinji Takehara. But Castro will always be remembered for one of the greatest turnarounds in boxing history. Castro was in dire straits against John David Jackson. The annoucers were calling for the fight to be stopped due to the punishment absorbed by Castro. Jackson closed in to finish off the wounded and badly cut Castro in round nine when Castro landed a thunderous left that floored Jackson. Castro scored two more knocdowns in short order to complete the stunning comeback.
Later in his career, Castro put on a lot of weight but managed to split two fights with Hall of Famer Roberto Duran and lose 190-pound title fights to Juan Carlos Gomez and Vassily Jirov.
Beyond his glory inside the squared ring and the endearing charisma that made him a beloved national idol, “Locomotora” Castro was known for his huge heart outside the ring, dedicating much of his post-retirement life to community work and supporting soup kitchens to help those most in need.
Boxingtalk joins the WBC in sending its sympathies to the friends and family of Jorge Castro.
|
|
|
|
Rest in Peace Jorge Castro
The WBC announced the passing of former middleweight champion Jorge Castro, who passed away at the age of 59 in Buenos Aires. Wikipedia suggests Castro died from the effects of hypoglycemia. Born on August 18, 1967, in Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz (Argentina), Castro built one of the most courageous, enduring, and memorable careers in South American boxing history. A relentless and confirmed warrior of the ring, he fought in 144 professional bouts, compiling a now-unthinkable record of 130 victories, 11 losses and 3 draws.
Castro's career had some incredible moments: he lost early-1990 title shots to Terry Norris and Roy Jones but garnered the WBA middleweight title in 1994 by defeating Reggie Johnson. Castro defeated Johnson in a rematch and then lost his title to Shinji Takehara. But Castro will always be remembered for one of the greatest turnarounds in boxing history. Castro was in dire straits against John David Jackson. The annoucers were calling for the fight to be stopped due to the punishment absorbed by Castro. Jackson closed in to finish off the wounded and badly cut Castro in round nine when Castro landed a thunderous left that floored Jackson. Castro scored two more knocdowns in short order to complete the stunning comeback.
Later in his career, Castro put on a lot of weight but managed to split two fights with Hall of Famer Roberto Duran and lose 190-pound title fights to Juan Carlos Gomez and Vassily Jirov.
Beyond his glory inside the squared ring and the endearing charisma that made him a beloved national idol, “Locomotora” Castro was known for his huge heart outside the ring, dedicating much of his post-retirement life to community work and supporting soup kitchens to help those most in need.
Boxingtalk joins the WBC in sending its sympathies to the friends and family of Jorge Castro.
|
WBC appeases Zuffa by delaying Adames mandatory |
|
The WBC has reversed its postion on the mandatory defense obligations of its middleweight champion, Carlos Adames, just days after Adames signed a promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. Just prior to Adames inking his Zuffa deal, the WBC ordered him to make his next defense against Meiirim Nursultanov. On Wednseaday, however, ihe WBC approved Adames’ petition to instead participate in a non-title fight on November 17th. The WBC further promised to review Adames’ mandatory obligations during its upcoming annual convention, to be held in Acapulco, Mexico from November 8th through 13th. Nursultanov won a WBC eliminator in 2023 and has not fought since then while waiting, and then having the Ramos fight fall out. Today's development means he wont get a title shot until 2027. Nursultanov's record is 32-1 including paid bouts in the World Series of Boxing.
According to the WBC announcement, the current status of the WBC middleweight championship is that if Adames loses the November 17th fight, the title will be declared vacant. If he wins, Adames must make the mandatory defense against Nursultanov, with the winner of the Adames vs. Nursultanov bout then obligated to fight WBC interim champion Jesús Ramos Jr.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE:
OCT. 14, 2026: Zuffa Boxing announced that WBC middleweight champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with the company. Adames hails from Elias Piña, Dominican Republic, joins a Zuffa boxing roster that also includes WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley, although Bentley may soon be stripped by the WBO for skipping his mandatory defense obligation. An announcement regarding Adames’ Zuffa Boxing debut will be made shortly. The WBC recently ordered Adames to make a mandatory defense against undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov.
“This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history. Zuffa Boxing is building something special, and I want to be part of it,” Adames said. “I’m ready to face the best fighters in the world on the biggest stage. The best of ‘Caballo Bronco’ is yet to come.”
Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs), 32, is an eleven-year pro who is unbeaten in seven fights since moving up to middleweight in 2021. He has defended the WBC championship three times, including a hard-fought draw against Hamzah Sheeraz last year and a one-sided decision over Austin “Ammo” Williams in March. Prior to becoming world champion, Adames knocked out former unified s154-pound champion Julian Williams in nine rounds. As an amateur, he won more than 200 fights and competed at the international level, capturing gold at the 2012 Pan American Youth Championships and the 2015 Jose Cheo Aponte Tournament.
SEPT. 25, 2026: Undefeated Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov is getting a title shot against WBC middleweight monarch Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames. No date has been set for the fight, but the WBC has officially ordered both boxers' camps to begin negotiations, setting October 20th as the deadline to reach an agreement. If a deal is not finalized within the allotted time frame, the WBC will call for a purse bid to award the promotional rights for the fight. The path to this long-awaited matchup accelerated directly following the unfortunate withdrawal of the division’s interim champion, Jesus Ramos, who was unable to compete in the scheduled eliminator against Nursultanov last weekend due to health reasons. Under these circumstances, the WBC granted Nursultanov the direct right as the division’s official mandatory contender.
Adames, from the Dominican Republic is coming off a successful decision defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando, Florida. Carrying power and an increasingly cerebral approach, Adames looks to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the division.
Nursultanov, age 33, earned his mandatory challenger status way back in November 2023 with a decisive victory over Chile’s Julio Álamos. Despite the long layoff away from the squared circle, Nursultanov has maintained constant physical preparation while awaiting the final call to fulfill his dream of becoming a champion.
SEPT. 18, 2026: The WBC has ordered its reigning middleweight champion, Carlos Adames of the Dominican Republic (pictured) to make his next title defense against the winner of this weekend's clash between Mexican-American Jesús “Mono” Ramos Jr. and undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov of Kazakhstan. Ramos is recognized as the WBC interim champion but the WBC ruling officially transforms the showdown at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego into a definitive title eliminator. Adames (27-3-1 including the World Series of Boxing) has had only two fights in the last two years and three months, the last one being a win over Austin Williams in March.
|
|
|
|
WBC appeases Zuffa by delaying Adames mandatory
The WBC has reversed its postion on the mandatory defense obligations of its middleweight champion, Carlos Adames, just days after Adames signed a promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. Just prior to Adames inking his Zuffa deal, the WBC ordered him to make his next defense against Meiirim Nursultanov. On Wednseaday, however, ihe WBC approved Adames’ petition to instead participate in a non-title fight on November 17th. The WBC further promised to review Adames’ mandatory obligations during its upcoming annual convention, to be held in Acapulco, Mexico from November 8th through 13th. Nursultanov won a WBC eliminator in 2023 and has not fought since then while waiting, and then having the Ramos fight fall out. Today's development means he wont get a title shot until 2027. Nursultanov's record is 32-1 including paid bouts in the World Series of Boxing.
According to the WBC announcement, the current status of the WBC middleweight championship is that if Adames loses the November 17th fight, the title will be declared vacant. If he wins, Adames must make the mandatory defense against Nursultanov, with the winner of the Adames vs. Nursultanov bout then obligated to fight WBC interim champion Jesús Ramos Jr.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE:
OCT. 14, 2026: Zuffa Boxing announced that WBC middleweight champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with the company. Adames hails from Elias Piña, Dominican Republic, joins a Zuffa boxing roster that also includes WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley, although Bentley may soon be stripped by the WBO for skipping his mandatory defense obligation. An announcement regarding Adames’ Zuffa Boxing debut will be made shortly. The WBC recently ordered Adames to make a mandatory defense against undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov.
“This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history. Zuffa Boxing is building something special, and I want to be part of it,” Adames said. “I’m ready to face the best fighters in the world on the biggest stage. The best of ‘Caballo Bronco’ is yet to come.”
Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs), 32, is an eleven-year pro who is unbeaten in seven fights since moving up to middleweight in 2021. He has defended the WBC championship three times, including a hard-fought draw against Hamzah Sheeraz last year and a one-sided decision over Austin “Ammo” Williams in March. Prior to becoming world champion, Adames knocked out former unified s154-pound champion Julian Williams in nine rounds. As an amateur, he won more than 200 fights and competed at the international level, capturing gold at the 2012 Pan American Youth Championships and the 2015 Jose Cheo Aponte Tournament.
SEPT. 25, 2026: Undefeated Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov is getting a title shot against WBC middleweight monarch Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames. No date has been set for the fight, but the WBC has officially ordered both boxers' camps to begin negotiations, setting October 20th as the deadline to reach an agreement. If a deal is not finalized within the allotted time frame, the WBC will call for a purse bid to award the promotional rights for the fight. The path to this long-awaited matchup accelerated directly following the unfortunate withdrawal of the division’s interim champion, Jesus Ramos, who was unable to compete in the scheduled eliminator against Nursultanov last weekend due to health reasons. Under these circumstances, the WBC granted Nursultanov the direct right as the division’s official mandatory contender.
Adames, from the Dominican Republic is coming off a successful decision defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando, Florida. Carrying power and an increasingly cerebral approach, Adames looks to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the division.
Nursultanov, age 33, earned his mandatory challenger status way back in November 2023 with a decisive victory over Chile’s Julio Álamos. Despite the long layoff away from the squared circle, Nursultanov has maintained constant physical preparation while awaiting the final call to fulfill his dream of becoming a champion.
SEPT. 18, 2026: The WBC has ordered its reigning middleweight champion, Carlos Adames of the Dominican Republic (pictured) to make his next title defense against the winner of this weekend's clash between Mexican-American Jesús “Mono” Ramos Jr. and undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov of Kazakhstan. Ramos is recognized as the WBC interim champion but the WBC ruling officially transforms the showdown at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego into a definitive title eliminator. Adames (27-3-1 including the World Series of Boxing) has had only two fights in the last two years and three months, the last one being a win over Austin Williams in March.
|
Ex-champ Yuniel Dorticos back in action on Sunday |
|
Kris Lawrence and Kelly Baker of the Heavyweight Factory are set to bring "Fists of Fury 13" to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino this Sunday, October 18th, in Hollywood, Florida. The co-feature see ex-cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos (28-3) facing Juan Camilo Novoa (35-15-1) of Bogota, Colombia. Dorticos, originally from Cienfugos, Cuba, lost his last major fight in a WBO cruiserweight title bid vs. Gilberto Ramirez. However, Dorticos came back as a heavyweight in August and defeated Ronald Montes with an early stoppage. Dorticos vs. Novoa will be a ten rounder. The main event will pit Donald Haynesworth (19-10-1) of New York trying to gatekeep against a feared striker, Gustavo "The Cuban Assassin" Trujillo (12-0) in a ten-round heavyweight showdown. Trujillo, now based out of Miami, is simulataneously campaigning in traditional as well as bare knuckles boxing. A total of eleven bouts is scheduled for October 18th. The opening bout is scheduled for 4PM. Tickets are available online. The event's ring announcer will be Boxingtalk's Christian Schmidt.
|
|
|
|
Ex-champ Yuniel Dorticos back in action on Sunday
Kris Lawrence and Kelly Baker of the Heavyweight Factory are set to bring "Fists of Fury 13" to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino this Sunday, October 18th, in Hollywood, Florida. The co-feature see ex-cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos (28-3) facing Juan Camilo Novoa (35-15-1) of Bogota, Colombia. Dorticos, originally from Cienfugos, Cuba, lost his last major fight in a WBO cruiserweight title bid vs. Gilberto Ramirez. However, Dorticos came back as a heavyweight in August and defeated Ronald Montes with an early stoppage. Dorticos vs. Novoa will be a ten rounder. The main event will pit Donald Haynesworth (19-10-1) of New York trying to gatekeep against a feared striker, Gustavo "The Cuban Assassin" Trujillo (12-0) in a ten-round heavyweight showdown. Trujillo, now based out of Miami, is simulataneously campaigning in traditional as well as bare knuckles boxing. A total of eleven bouts is scheduled for October 18th. The opening bout is scheduled for 4PM. Tickets are available online. The event's ring announcer will be Boxingtalk's Christian Schmidt.
|
MVP going to India in 2027 for Goyat vs. Pettis |
|
MVP announced that India’s top pro boxer Neeraj Goyat, will box former UFC champion Anthony Pettis on Saturday, January 23, 2027. The host city will be selected from among Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai. Goyat is 21-4-2 with 9 KOs while Pettis will be making his boxing debut after a 25-14 run in MMA, which included the UFC 155-pound championship. Goyat-Pettis will be a six-round bout at 154 pounds, presented by IPBL Boxing and sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council. The city and venue to be announced in November.
Goyat, age 34, from Haryana, has spent more than a decade taking Indian professional boxing abroad. He was the first Indian boxer to be ranked by the WBC and in 2024, he became the first international fighter to sign with MVP, the American boxing and MMA promotion founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. That November he beat Brazil’s Whindersson Nunes on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card, a night watched live by 108 million people on Netflix. Now comes the biggest fight of his career, at home.
Goyat said: “I have fought in China, in Thailand, in America and in the UK, and every time I was the Indian on somebody else’s card. This time the card is ours. I want to thank MVP and Nakisa Bidarian for believing in me and helping bring this moment to India. Anthony is a real champion and I respect everything he has done, but I have waited my whole career to fight a name like this in front of my own people. I am not giving that night away.”
Pettis, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won the WEC lightweight title in 2010 and the UFC lightweight (155-pound) championship in 2013, beating Benson Henderson for both. He made his professional debut in January 2007, so fight night falls 20 years after his first professional fight, and days before he turns 40. Outside the ring, Pettis is a co-promoter of the Indian Fight League (IFL), India’s MMA league, and the Indian Pro Boxing League (IPBL), and has spent the last two years helping build combat sports in India.
For Pettis, the fight is also personal. His younger brother, former Bellator champion (Sergio Pettis) fought in Hyderabad at Road to IPBL 2 in March 2025 and lost a unanimous decision to India’s Sabari Jaishankar. Anthony is coming back to India to settle the score.
Pettis said: “I have seen what Indian fighters can do, and Neeraj is the best of them. That is who I want. I have thought a lot about Sergio’s loss. This one is for him, and I am coming to win.”
Together, Goyat and Pettis bring a global boxing show to India, making it the biggest card in the history of Indian boxing. They are joined on the card by the country’s top-ranked boxers, including Akshay Chahal of Rohtak, Faizan Anwar of Kolkata, Pavan Kalyan of Hyderabad, Ritesh Singh of Dehradun and Laldinsanga Ramlawt of Mizoram, along with other leading fighters from across India.
IPBL Boxing is India’s biggest professional boxing promoter and one of its first, with more than ten years of staging fights in the country. It runs the Indian Pro Boxing League, India’s first franchise-based professional boxing league, and the BoxingBay fight series. The men behind it are co-founders Akshar Madhavaram and Prashanth Singh, alongside actor and producer Rana Daggubati. Its events are sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council and have been broadcast live on DAZN, UFC Fight Pass & Aha.
Rana Daggubati said: “Every big sport in this country started with one night that people still talk about years later. This can be that night for boxing. A world champion and India’s best fighter, in front of an Indian crowd. We have never had that before, and I can’t wait to be ringside.”
Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of MVP, said: “We signed Neeraj because we believed he had the potential to become a global boxing star and help put Indian boxing on the world stage. Now he has the opportunity to headline a historic event in his home country against one of the biggest names in combat sports. Anthony Pettis is an MMA icon, but this is boxing, and we expect Neeraj to show exactly why we believed in him from day one.”
Full card, broadcast and ticket details will be announced with the host city in November.
|
|
|
|
MVP going to India in 2027 for Goyat vs. Pettis
MVP announced that India’s top pro boxer Neeraj Goyat, will box former UFC champion Anthony Pettis on Saturday, January 23, 2027. The host city will be selected from among Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai. Goyat is 21-4-2 with 9 KOs while Pettis will be making his boxing debut after a 25-14 run in MMA, which included the UFC 155-pound championship. Goyat-Pettis will be a six-round bout at 154 pounds, presented by IPBL Boxing and sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council. The city and venue to be announced in November.
Goyat, age 34, from Haryana, has spent more than a decade taking Indian professional boxing abroad. He was the first Indian boxer to be ranked by the WBC and in 2024, he became the first international fighter to sign with MVP, the American boxing and MMA promotion founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. That November he beat Brazil’s Whindersson Nunes on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card, a night watched live by 108 million people on Netflix. Now comes the biggest fight of his career, at home.
Goyat said: “I have fought in China, in Thailand, in America and in the UK, and every time I was the Indian on somebody else’s card. This time the card is ours. I want to thank MVP and Nakisa Bidarian for believing in me and helping bring this moment to India. Anthony is a real champion and I respect everything he has done, but I have waited my whole career to fight a name like this in front of my own people. I am not giving that night away.”
Pettis, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won the WEC lightweight title in 2010 and the UFC lightweight (155-pound) championship in 2013, beating Benson Henderson for both. He made his professional debut in January 2007, so fight night falls 20 years after his first professional fight, and days before he turns 40. Outside the ring, Pettis is a co-promoter of the Indian Fight League (IFL), India’s MMA league, and the Indian Pro Boxing League (IPBL), and has spent the last two years helping build combat sports in India.
For Pettis, the fight is also personal. His younger brother, former Bellator champion (Sergio Pettis) fought in Hyderabad at Road to IPBL 2 in March 2025 and lost a unanimous decision to India’s Sabari Jaishankar. Anthony is coming back to India to settle the score.
Pettis said: “I have seen what Indian fighters can do, and Neeraj is the best of them. That is who I want. I have thought a lot about Sergio’s loss. This one is for him, and I am coming to win.”
Together, Goyat and Pettis bring a global boxing show to India, making it the biggest card in the history of Indian boxing. They are joined on the card by the country’s top-ranked boxers, including Akshay Chahal of Rohtak, Faizan Anwar of Kolkata, Pavan Kalyan of Hyderabad, Ritesh Singh of Dehradun and Laldinsanga Ramlawt of Mizoram, along with other leading fighters from across India.
IPBL Boxing is India’s biggest professional boxing promoter and one of its first, with more than ten years of staging fights in the country. It runs the Indian Pro Boxing League, India’s first franchise-based professional boxing league, and the BoxingBay fight series. The men behind it are co-founders Akshar Madhavaram and Prashanth Singh, alongside actor and producer Rana Daggubati. Its events are sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council and have been broadcast live on DAZN, UFC Fight Pass & Aha.
Rana Daggubati said: “Every big sport in this country started with one night that people still talk about years later. This can be that night for boxing. A world champion and India’s best fighter, in front of an Indian crowd. We have never had that before, and I can’t wait to be ringside.”
Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of MVP, said: “We signed Neeraj because we believed he had the potential to become a global boxing star and help put Indian boxing on the world stage. Now he has the opportunity to headline a historic event in his home country against one of the biggest names in combat sports. Anthony Pettis is an MMA icon, but this is boxing, and we expect Neeraj to show exactly why we believed in him from day one.”
Full card, broadcast and ticket details will be announced with the host city in November.
|
Fundora on Hadribeaj: “I don’t take anybody lightly" |
|
|
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and his unbeaten mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj kicked off fight week events on Wednesday with a media workout before they headline “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN this Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The workout also featured WBA featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and former bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda, who duel in the co-feature, former super middleweight titlist Armando “Toro” Reséndiz and Australia’s Koen Mazoudier, who battle in a ten-round super middleweight showdown and Kansas' Marco Romero, who faces Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira in the eight-round super middleweight opening attraction at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The fourth installment of the acclaimed live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, this event will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN.
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Radiant Brand Complex in Las Vegas:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“I don’t take anybody lightly. We’re in nothing but championship fights now, so I have to prepare for everyone like they’re coming to rip my head off. That’s what they’re all trying to do.
“I’m gonna go do what I do best. I’m planning on doing what I do and get this guy out of here. Every time I step into the ring that’s what I plan on doing.
“He had to work hard to get into this position to become world champion. It’s unfortunate that we have to break that dream, but it’s a beautiful dream to have.
“We all deal with injuries. We had it last fight and we still kicked butt. I showed off my jab and a lot of people didn’t think I had that.
“I just want to show everyone that I’m better. When I get hit, it just gives me some extra motivation to show that I’m stronger.
“Me against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is the best fight at 154. That’s the fight everyone wants. But we both have fights we have to get through.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“I don’t think he’s underestimating me, but I don’t think they know me well. They’re about to see on Saturday night.
“I can fight outside, inside, use angles. I can deal with a lot of that. So he has to be ready for me too. It’s not just him fighting inside. It’s me as well. I can fight inside, outside, all angles.
“Becoming Albania’s first world champion is going to be big. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Securing the belt and making history. It’s big. It’s a dream that everybody has.
“I’m an athletic guy, so I like to take a look at a lot of different styles. There was a moment with me where I was fighting like ‘Albanian Lomachenko.’ He was the one they were saying I looked like. It depends. Every fighter has a different style, so I can be one style with one fighter, another style with another. I don’t know what I’m going to be with Fundora on Saturday night.
“They call me the ‘Albanian Sniper’ because I’m very precise and very calculated. I don’t waste my punches. One thing for sure that I know: win or no win, I know for sure that I’m going to land. When I land, it hurts.
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“Kameda is a come-forward, action fighter like me. They call him ‘El Mexicanito’ for a reason. He fights like he has that Mexican blood in him and he’s going to come fight.
“Manny Robles and I have been working really well together. I’ve been with him for a few months now, and you guys are going to see on October 17. We’ve been working on great things. I just want to keep getting better and better every fight.
“Nick Ball was a great performance on my part, but I’m still not satisfied. I still want the bigger, better fights, and I still want to keep proving myself and elevating my game.
“I come to fight. I’m a very hardcore fighter, a traditional, old-school fighter. I’m here to fight all 12 rounds. I’m here to throw a thousand punches. I’m here for whatever it takes. I train really hard for a reason. The way you train is the way you fight, and the way you guys see me fight is the way I train.
“Inoue is the big fight that everyone wants. Everyone is looking for that fight. Like I said, if he’s moving up to featherweight and wants to challenge me, I welcome him to featherweight. I’m out here for the big fights.
“I’m a big 122-pounder and I’m a big 126-pounder. Eventually, I’ll move up to 130 and 135, but right now I want to stay at 126. I feel great and I want to keep defending my belt.”
TOMOKI KAMEDA
“We’re both fighters that come forward. The fans are going to like this fight, and I do believe that they’re going to enjoy great action on Saturday night.
“We’re confident in our strategy. We have a game plan that we can’t wait to show everyone on Saturday night.
“You never know when it might be your last chance, but I do know that you have to take advantage of the opportunities you’re given because they don’t come along that often. I’m going to be a world champion this Saturday night, take full advantage of it and be my best self.
“I thought I did enough to win the fight against Angelo Leo, but I’m mindful of the fact that I failed in a lot of things. I made some mistakes. I took it as a learning experience, and now I’m a better fighter and I’m prepared for Saturday night.
“I feel even better than ever. At 126, I feel right at home compared to when I was at 118 and 122. And on Saturday night, you’re going to see just how well I feel.
“I moved to Mexico when I was 15 and I full embraced the Mexican style of fighting.”
ARMANDO RESENDIZ
“I took from my last fight that I need to keep learning. I got right back into the gym and now I have an opportunity that I’m ready to take advantage of to the fullest. I’m going to show everything that I’ve learned.
“I’m always ready for any opponent. I’m in great shape and I feel prepared. I’m excited about taking on this challenge.
“I’m very excited for this matchup. This is my opportunity to show that I will become a world champion once again.
“Jaime Munguia came in very well prepared and had a great strategy. I think his experience ended up beating us. But I have nothing to hang my head about. It was an experience that I value and now I’m moving forward.
“Caleb Plant gave me an opportunity, so giving him the rematch would be a great chance to pay it forward.
“I want to be world champion again. I don’t care who I have to fight, I’ll be ready.”
KOEN MAZOUDIER
“Reséndiz is a strong, tough, all-around fighter from what I’ve watched. And being a former world champion, you can never take that away from him. This is a massive step up and a door-opener for me.
“We didn’t have much time to change except for the game plan. The talking in the gym and the game plan of what we’re going to do changed a little bit. But the way that we box is the way we box. We make them change around us. We know what we want to do, and that’s what we focus on.
“We expect him to come forward a little bit more. We expect him to engage a little bit more. And that’s what I’m here for. Anyone who’s watched me knows I come to fight. I’m a fighter’s fighter.
“I bring a firefight every fight. Every fight I’m in is an entertaining fight. I’ve been voted Australia’s Most Entertaining Fight and most of my fights have been in Fight of the Year contention.
“I’m a big fan of this sport as much as I’m a competitor. So fighting a Mexican former world champion in Las Vegas is a bucket-list item.”
MARCO ROMERO
“I don’t think I’m too far. I just came back from a camp sparring with Christian Mbilli and Osleys Iglesias. I held my own in there. I definitely held my own in there, and they showed me just a couple things that I need to work on. But it just shows me I’m not too far from that level.
“I’m ready to go all eight rounds if I need to, and I’m ready for that KO. If I see a kill-shot opening, I’m going for it.
“You’re going to see a dominating performance. I’m a calm guy outside the ring, but once I step in there, El Tiburón comes out. The shark comes out. So yeah, expect that on Saturday night
“I think being on this platform is going to give back to Kansas and be able to put Kansas on the map. So that’s what I’m working toward.”
|
|
|
|
Fundora on Hadribeaj: “I don’t take anybody lightly"
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and his unbeaten mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj kicked off fight week events on Wednesday with a media workout before they headline “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN this Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The workout also featured WBA featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and former bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda, who duel in the co-feature, former super middleweight titlist Armando “Toro” Reséndiz and Australia’s Koen Mazoudier, who battle in a ten-round super middleweight showdown and Kansas' Marco Romero, who faces Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira in the eight-round super middleweight opening attraction at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The fourth installment of the acclaimed live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, this event will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN.
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Radiant Brand Complex in Las Vegas:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“I don’t take anybody lightly. We’re in nothing but championship fights now, so I have to prepare for everyone like they’re coming to rip my head off. That’s what they’re all trying to do.
“I’m gonna go do what I do best. I’m planning on doing what I do and get this guy out of here. Every time I step into the ring that’s what I plan on doing.
“He had to work hard to get into this position to become world champion. It’s unfortunate that we have to break that dream, but it’s a beautiful dream to have.
“We all deal with injuries. We had it last fight and we still kicked butt. I showed off my jab and a lot of people didn’t think I had that.
“I just want to show everyone that I’m better. When I get hit, it just gives me some extra motivation to show that I’m stronger.
“Me against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is the best fight at 154. That’s the fight everyone wants. But we both have fights we have to get through.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“I don’t think he’s underestimating me, but I don’t think they know me well. They’re about to see on Saturday night.
“I can fight outside, inside, use angles. I can deal with a lot of that. So he has to be ready for me too. It’s not just him fighting inside. It’s me as well. I can fight inside, outside, all angles.
“Becoming Albania’s first world champion is going to be big. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Securing the belt and making history. It’s big. It’s a dream that everybody has.
“I’m an athletic guy, so I like to take a look at a lot of different styles. There was a moment with me where I was fighting like ‘Albanian Lomachenko.’ He was the one they were saying I looked like. It depends. Every fighter has a different style, so I can be one style with one fighter, another style with another. I don’t know what I’m going to be with Fundora on Saturday night.
“They call me the ‘Albanian Sniper’ because I’m very precise and very calculated. I don’t waste my punches. One thing for sure that I know: win or no win, I know for sure that I’m going to land. When I land, it hurts.
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“Kameda is a come-forward, action fighter like me. They call him ‘El Mexicanito’ for a reason. He fights like he has that Mexican blood in him and he’s going to come fight.
“Manny Robles and I have been working really well together. I’ve been with him for a few months now, and you guys are going to see on October 17. We’ve been working on great things. I just want to keep getting better and better every fight.
“Nick Ball was a great performance on my part, but I’m still not satisfied. I still want the bigger, better fights, and I still want to keep proving myself and elevating my game.
“I come to fight. I’m a very hardcore fighter, a traditional, old-school fighter. I’m here to fight all 12 rounds. I’m here to throw a thousand punches. I’m here for whatever it takes. I train really hard for a reason. The way you train is the way you fight, and the way you guys see me fight is the way I train.
“Inoue is the big fight that everyone wants. Everyone is looking for that fight. Like I said, if he’s moving up to featherweight and wants to challenge me, I welcome him to featherweight. I’m out here for the big fights.
“I’m a big 122-pounder and I’m a big 126-pounder. Eventually, I’ll move up to 130 and 135, but right now I want to stay at 126. I feel great and I want to keep defending my belt.”
TOMOKI KAMEDA
“We’re both fighters that come forward. The fans are going to like this fight, and I do believe that they’re going to enjoy great action on Saturday night.
“We’re confident in our strategy. We have a game plan that we can’t wait to show everyone on Saturday night.
“You never know when it might be your last chance, but I do know that you have to take advantage of the opportunities you’re given because they don’t come along that often. I’m going to be a world champion this Saturday night, take full advantage of it and be my best self.
“I thought I did enough to win the fight against Angelo Leo, but I’m mindful of the fact that I failed in a lot of things. I made some mistakes. I took it as a learning experience, and now I’m a better fighter and I’m prepared for Saturday night.
“I feel even better than ever. At 126, I feel right at home compared to when I was at 118 and 122. And on Saturday night, you’re going to see just how well I feel.
“I moved to Mexico when I was 15 and I full embraced the Mexican style of fighting.”
ARMANDO RESENDIZ
“I took from my last fight that I need to keep learning. I got right back into the gym and now I have an opportunity that I’m ready to take advantage of to the fullest. I’m going to show everything that I’ve learned.
“I’m always ready for any opponent. I’m in great shape and I feel prepared. I’m excited about taking on this challenge.
“I’m very excited for this matchup. This is my opportunity to show that I will become a world champion once again.
“Jaime Munguia came in very well prepared and had a great strategy. I think his experience ended up beating us. But I have nothing to hang my head about. It was an experience that I value and now I’m moving forward.
“Caleb Plant gave me an opportunity, so giving him the rematch would be a great chance to pay it forward.
“I want to be world champion again. I don’t care who I have to fight, I’ll be ready.”
KOEN MAZOUDIER
“Reséndiz is a strong, tough, all-around fighter from what I’ve watched. And being a former world champion, you can never take that away from him. This is a massive step up and a door-opener for me.
“We didn’t have much time to change except for the game plan. The talking in the gym and the game plan of what we’re going to do changed a little bit. But the way that we box is the way we box. We make them change around us. We know what we want to do, and that’s what we focus on.
“We expect him to come forward a little bit more. We expect him to engage a little bit more. And that’s what I’m here for. Anyone who’s watched me knows I come to fight. I’m a fighter’s fighter.
“I bring a firefight every fight. Every fight I’m in is an entertaining fight. I’ve been voted Australia’s Most Entertaining Fight and most of my fights have been in Fight of the Year contention.
“I’m a big fan of this sport as much as I’m a competitor. So fighting a Mexican former world champion in Las Vegas is a bucket-list item.”
MARCO ROMERO
“I don’t think I’m too far. I just came back from a camp sparring with Christian Mbilli and Osleys Iglesias. I held my own in there. I definitely held my own in there, and they showed me just a couple things that I need to work on. But it just shows me I’m not too far from that level.
“I’m ready to go all eight rounds if I need to, and I’m ready for that KO. If I see a kill-shot opening, I’m going for it.
“You’re going to see a dominating performance. I’m a calm guy outside the ring, but once I step in there, El Tiburón comes out. The shark comes out. So yeah, expect that on Saturday night
“I think being on this platform is going to give back to Kansas and be able to put Kansas on the map. So that’s what I’m working toward.”
|
Alex Bray making progress at junior middleweight |
|
Junior middleweight Alex Bray (12-0, 9 KOs) is building a résumé that took a step forward on August 8th, when he delivered an eighth-round stoppage victory over Antraveous Ingram (13-1-1, 7 KOs) as part of Matchroom Boxing’s Project Series. It was more than another victory for Bray. Against a previously undefeated opponent, Bray produced one of the strongest performances of his professional career, breaking Ingram down before securing the stoppage in the eighth round.
“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, but I still feel like I’m just getting started,” said Bray. “Beating an undefeated fighter like Ingram... showed me that the work is paying off. At the same time, it made me even hungrier because I know there are bigger fights out there for me.”
Bray welcomes the pressure of reaching the contender stage. Rather than protecting his undefeated record, he wants the type of fights that will reveal how far he can go. “I want to keep stepping up,” he added. “I don’t want easy fights just to stay undefeated. I want to fight guys who are going to push me and make me better. Guys in the top ten. If I want to become a world champion, eventually I have to beat the best, so I’m ready to keep proving myself.”
He has nine stoppages in twelve victories, but Bray understands that power alone will not carry him to the top of one of boxing’s deepest divisions. “The knockouts are great, but I want people to see that I’m becoming a complete fighter,” Bray continued. “I’m learning to stay patient, make adjustments and trust what we worked on in camp. Every fight is teaching me something, and I feel like I’m getting better each time I step in the ring.”
Amaury Piedra, president of Bray's promoter, Boxlab Promotions, believes Bray’s victory over Ingram demonstrated why the promotional company has high expectations. “Alex is developing into a very good fighter, and the Ingram fight was an important step for him,” said Piedra. “He beat an undefeated opponent and showed he could perform when the level of competition went up. He has power, he works hard and, most importantly, he’s still improving. We believe Alex has a very bright future, and our job is to keep putting him in the right fights so he can earn his way toward a world-title opportunity.”
Bray understands there are still significant steps between his current position and a world title opportunity, and he has no intention of trying to skip them. “Becoming a world champion is the dream,” Bray concluded. “That’s why I put in the work every day. I know nobody is going to hand me that opportunity, and I don’t want anything handed to me. I want to earn my way there. Right now, I’m 12-0 but I’m still hungry. I want to keep winning, keep moving up the rankings and keep giving people a reason to watch me. When my opportunity comes, I want to be completely ready for it.”
|
|
|
|
Alex Bray making progress at junior middleweight
Junior middleweight Alex Bray (12-0, 9 KOs) is building a résumé that took a step forward on August 8th, when he delivered an eighth-round stoppage victory over Antraveous Ingram (13-1-1, 7 KOs) as part of Matchroom Boxing’s Project Series. It was more than another victory for Bray. Against a previously undefeated opponent, Bray produced one of the strongest performances of his professional career, breaking Ingram down before securing the stoppage in the eighth round.
“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, but I still feel like I’m just getting started,” said Bray. “Beating an undefeated fighter like Ingram... showed me that the work is paying off. At the same time, it made me even hungrier because I know there are bigger fights out there for me.”
Bray welcomes the pressure of reaching the contender stage. Rather than protecting his undefeated record, he wants the type of fights that will reveal how far he can go. “I want to keep stepping up,” he added. “I don’t want easy fights just to stay undefeated. I want to fight guys who are going to push me and make me better. Guys in the top ten. If I want to become a world champion, eventually I have to beat the best, so I’m ready to keep proving myself.”
He has nine stoppages in twelve victories, but Bray understands that power alone will not carry him to the top of one of boxing’s deepest divisions. “The knockouts are great, but I want people to see that I’m becoming a complete fighter,” Bray continued. “I’m learning to stay patient, make adjustments and trust what we worked on in camp. Every fight is teaching me something, and I feel like I’m getting better each time I step in the ring.”
Amaury Piedra, president of Bray's promoter, Boxlab Promotions, believes Bray’s victory over Ingram demonstrated why the promotional company has high expectations. “Alex is developing into a very good fighter, and the Ingram fight was an important step for him,” said Piedra. “He beat an undefeated opponent and showed he could perform when the level of competition went up. He has power, he works hard and, most importantly, he’s still improving. We believe Alex has a very bright future, and our job is to keep putting him in the right fights so he can earn his way toward a world-title opportunity.”
Bray understands there are still significant steps between his current position and a world title opportunity, and he has no intention of trying to skip them. “Becoming a world champion is the dream,” Bray concluded. “That’s why I put in the work every day. I know nobody is going to hand me that opportunity, and I don’t want anything handed to me. I want to earn my way there. Right now, I’m 12-0 but I’m still hungry. I want to keep winning, keep moving up the rankings and keep giving people a reason to watch me. When my opportunity comes, I want to be completely ready for it.”
|
Tickets on sale for Cacace vs. Ball |
|
Championship boxing returns to Belfast on December 19th when Anthony Cacace takes on Nick Ball at The O2, with Cacace’s WBA junior lightweight title on the line. Queensberry Promotions announced that tickets are on sale now. It will be a hometown fight in Northern Ireland for Cacace (25-1), a southpaw who has defeated James Dickens, Leigh Wood, Josh Warrington and Anthony Cordina in his last four outings. Ball (23-1-1) is a fomer featherweight champion who list his title to Brandon Figueroa last time out.
|
|
|
|
Tickets on sale for Cacace vs. Ball
Championship boxing returns to Belfast on December 19th when Anthony Cacace takes on Nick Ball at The O2, with Cacace’s WBA junior lightweight title on the line. Queensberry Promotions announced that tickets are on sale now. It will be a hometown fight in Northern Ireland for Cacace (25-1), a southpaw who has defeated James Dickens, Leigh Wood, Josh Warrington and Anthony Cordina in his last four outings. Ball (23-1-1) is a fomer featherweight champion who list his title to Brandon Figueroa last time out.
|
Carlos Adames signs with Zuffa |
|
Zuffa Boxing announced that WBC middleweight champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with the company. Adames hails from Elias Piña, Dominican Republic, joins a Zuffa boxing roster that also includes WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley, although Bentley may soon be stripped by the WBO for skipping his mandatory defense obligation. An announcement regarding Adames’ Zuffa Boxing debut will be made shortly. The WBC recently ordered Adames to make a mandatory defense against undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov.
“This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history. Zuffa Boxing is building something special, and I want to be part of it,” Adames said. “I’m ready to face the best fighters in the world on the biggest stage. The best of ‘Caballo Bronco’ is yet to come.”
Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs), 32, is an eleven-year pro who is unbeaten in seven fights since moving up to middleweight in 2021. He has defended the WBC championship three times, including a hard-fought draw against Hamzah Sheeraz last year and a one-sided decision over Austin “Ammo” Williams in March. Prior to becoming world champion, Adames knocked out former unified s154-pound champion Julian Williams in nine rounds. As an amateur, he won more than 200 fights and competed at the international level, capturing gold at the 2012 Pan American Youth Championships and the 2015 Jose Cheo Aponte Tournament.
|
|
|
|
Carlos Adames signs with Zuffa
Zuffa Boxing announced that WBC middleweight champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with the company. Adames hails from Elias Piña, Dominican Republic, joins a Zuffa boxing roster that also includes WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley, although Bentley may soon be stripped by the WBO for skipping his mandatory defense obligation. An announcement regarding Adames’ Zuffa Boxing debut will be made shortly. The WBC recently ordered Adames to make a mandatory defense against undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov.
“This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history. Zuffa Boxing is building something special, and I want to be part of it,” Adames said. “I’m ready to face the best fighters in the world on the biggest stage. The best of ‘Caballo Bronco’ is yet to come.”
Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs), 32, is an eleven-year pro who is unbeaten in seven fights since moving up to middleweight in 2021. He has defended the WBC championship three times, including a hard-fought draw against Hamzah Sheeraz last year and a one-sided decision over Austin “Ammo” Williams in March. Prior to becoming world champion, Adames knocked out former unified s154-pound champion Julian Williams in nine rounds. As an amateur, he won more than 200 fights and competed at the international level, capturing gold at the 2012 Pan American Youth Championships and the 2015 Jose Cheo Aponte Tournament.
|
WBA gives Jimenez a pass on fight ordered last month |
|
The WBA has granted a special permit to its 115-pound champion David Jiménez of Costa Rica to make a voluntary title defense against Japan’s Seigo Yuri Akui. The fight will tale place on November 29th in Tokyo. Akui is a former WBA flyweight champion. The request to avoid Jimenez's mandatory was submitted on September 22 by Teiken Promotions. The WBA notified Golden Boy Promotions, the company representing mandatory challenger John Ramírez, who opposed the request due to the ongoing negotiation process previously established for his mandatory world title bout. After reviewing the arguments presented by both parties and the provisions of its regulations, the WBA involed its authority to modify the mandatory defense rules and grant special permits under justified circumstances.
The winner of the bout between Jiménez and Akui must face Ramírez in a mandatory title defense within 120 days of the fight. In the event of a draw, Jiménez will still be required to fulfill the mandatory obligation within the same timeframe.
Ramírez has also been authorized to participate in a bout without a title at stake.
Jiménez was elevated to WBA super flyweight champion on June 10, 2026, following Jesse Rodríguez’s move to the bantamweight division, which left the title vacant. The Costa Rican had previously won the WBA interim title on April 20, 2024, defeating Ramírez by unanimous decision in Brooklyn, New York. He subsequently made two successful defenses of that belt. The ruling remains subject to compliance with all other WBA rules and regulatory obligations.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 21, 2026: The WBA has ordered a mandatory bout between WBA super flyweight champion David Jimenez and mandatory challenger John "Scrappy" Ramirez of Los Angeles. It would be a rematch, as Jimenez defeated Ramirez to become WBA interim title holder in 2024. In June, Jiménez was elevated to the WBA super flyweight championship after Jesse Rodríguez vacated the title to move up to bantamweight. Ramirez, who started boxing at the age of 20, has gone on a four-fight winning streak since losing to Jimenez. If the parties fail to reach an agreement during the negotiation period, or if either party declines to negotiate, the Championships Committee may call for a purse bid in accordance with the rules of the World Boxing Association.
|
|
|
|
WBA gives Jimenez a pass on fight ordered last month
The WBA has granted a special permit to its 115-pound champion David Jiménez of Costa Rica to make a voluntary title defense against Japan’s Seigo Yuri Akui. The fight will tale place on November 29th in Tokyo. Akui is a former WBA flyweight champion. The request to avoid Jimenez's mandatory was submitted on September 22 by Teiken Promotions. The WBA notified Golden Boy Promotions, the company representing mandatory challenger John Ramírez, who opposed the request due to the ongoing negotiation process previously established for his mandatory world title bout. After reviewing the arguments presented by both parties and the provisions of its regulations, the WBA involed its authority to modify the mandatory defense rules and grant special permits under justified circumstances.
The winner of the bout between Jiménez and Akui must face Ramírez in a mandatory title defense within 120 days of the fight. In the event of a draw, Jiménez will still be required to fulfill the mandatory obligation within the same timeframe.
Ramírez has also been authorized to participate in a bout without a title at stake.
Jiménez was elevated to WBA super flyweight champion on June 10, 2026, following Jesse Rodríguez’s move to the bantamweight division, which left the title vacant. The Costa Rican had previously won the WBA interim title on April 20, 2024, defeating Ramírez by unanimous decision in Brooklyn, New York. He subsequently made two successful defenses of that belt. The ruling remains subject to compliance with all other WBA rules and regulatory obligations.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 21, 2026: The WBA has ordered a mandatory bout between WBA super flyweight champion David Jimenez and mandatory challenger John "Scrappy" Ramirez of Los Angeles. It would be a rematch, as Jimenez defeated Ramirez to become WBA interim title holder in 2024. In June, Jiménez was elevated to the WBA super flyweight championship after Jesse Rodríguez vacated the title to move up to bantamweight. Ramirez, who started boxing at the age of 20, has gone on a four-fight winning streak since losing to Jimenez. If the parties fail to reach an agreement during the negotiation period, or if either party declines to negotiate, the Championships Committee may call for a purse bid in accordance with the rules of the World Boxing Association.
|
Scotney injured; Garcia to unify vs. Delgado |
|
|
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced updates to MVPW-07, featuring four world title bouts on the ESPN main card, taking place at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, November 8th, live on ESPN and the ESPN App. A previously scheduled WBC featherweight championship bout between Tiara Brown and Ellie Scotney was cancelled following Scotney’s withdrawal due to injury. Somali-British boxer Ramla Ali (11-2, 3 KOs) will face New York’s Mikiah Kreps (11-0, 3 KOs) in the new co-feature, a ten-round bout for the vacant WBO and IBF super bantamweight world titles. Joining the main card on ESPN will be Mexico’s IBF super flyweight champion Irma Garcia (26-5-1, 6 KOs) vs. Panama’s WBA super flyweight champion Nataly Delgado (21-7-2, 5 KOs) in a ten-round unification bout. The main event remains the same: world 130-pound champion Alycia Baumgardner moves up to challenge Elif Nur Turhan for Turhan's 135-pound lightweight title.
On the preliminary card, Brittany Sims (10-3, 5 KOs) will take on MVP’s newest signee Shera Mae Patricio (10-0, 3 KOs) for the vacant WBA regular world title at 118 pounds (Dina Thorslund remains the WBA super champion) in a ten-round contest.
Dallas featherweight Fernando Garcia (14-5, 8 KOs) will join the card in a six-round bout vs. Alexander Castellano (12-2-2, 2 KOs).
Nat “No Love” Dove (8-0-1, 2 KOs) will return to face Nayeli Rodriguez (7-2-1) in a rematch following their draw in May 2025. The two will meet again in an eight-round flyweight bout, with both fighters looking to settle unfinished business.
Rounding out the card will be a clash of local boxers as Javier Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) takes on Aiden Anderson (4-3, 3 KOs).
García is a professional boxer, attorney, police officer and member of the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City. In the ring, she is both a former and current world champion, having previously won the WBA bantamweight title. She most recently defended her 115-pound title in London in April.
Garcia said: “Thank you to MVP for their trust and for making this tremendous opportunity possible. Pursuing the unification of the world titles represents a major challenge. We are working with discipline, dedication, and a hunger for victory, determined to come out on top. Opportunities are not something you wait for. You work for them, you fight for them, and you seize them. And we have no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.”
Delgado is a 31-year-old pro boxer from Santiago de Veraguas, Panama. She has faced top competition throughout her career, including bouts against now-undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora and former champions Clara Lescurat and Maribel Ramírez. Delgado won the interim WBA super flyweight title in July 2025 and made two defenses before defeating then-champion Jasmine Artiga to win the WBA world title in June 2026.
Delgado said: “There’s a special meaning behind this next unification bout, and not just because I can be the first Panamanian female boxer to become a unified world champion. As the only Panamanian boxing world champion at this moment in time, it is, once again, an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime… And we’re preparing for it, accordingly. I have MVP and the Republic of Panama counting on me, and, God willing, I won’t disappoint.”
|
|
|
|
Scotney injured; Garcia to unify vs. Delgado
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced updates to MVPW-07, featuring four world title bouts on the ESPN main card, taking place at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, November 8th, live on ESPN and the ESPN App. A previously scheduled WBC featherweight championship bout between Tiara Brown and Ellie Scotney was cancelled following Scotney’s withdrawal due to injury. Somali-British boxer Ramla Ali (11-2, 3 KOs) will face New York’s Mikiah Kreps (11-0, 3 KOs) in the new co-feature, a ten-round bout for the vacant WBO and IBF super bantamweight world titles. Joining the main card on ESPN will be Mexico’s IBF super flyweight champion Irma Garcia (26-5-1, 6 KOs) vs. Panama’s WBA super flyweight champion Nataly Delgado (21-7-2, 5 KOs) in a ten-round unification bout. The main event remains the same: world 130-pound champion Alycia Baumgardner moves up to challenge Elif Nur Turhan for Turhan's 135-pound lightweight title.
On the preliminary card, Brittany Sims (10-3, 5 KOs) will take on MVP’s newest signee Shera Mae Patricio (10-0, 3 KOs) for the vacant WBA regular world title at 118 pounds (Dina Thorslund remains the WBA super champion) in a ten-round contest.
Dallas featherweight Fernando Garcia (14-5, 8 KOs) will join the card in a six-round bout vs. Alexander Castellano (12-2-2, 2 KOs).
Nat “No Love” Dove (8-0-1, 2 KOs) will return to face Nayeli Rodriguez (7-2-1) in a rematch following their draw in May 2025. The two will meet again in an eight-round flyweight bout, with both fighters looking to settle unfinished business.
Rounding out the card will be a clash of local boxers as Javier Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) takes on Aiden Anderson (4-3, 3 KOs).
García is a professional boxer, attorney, police officer and member of the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City. In the ring, she is both a former and current world champion, having previously won the WBA bantamweight title. She most recently defended her 115-pound title in London in April.
Garcia said: “Thank you to MVP for their trust and for making this tremendous opportunity possible. Pursuing the unification of the world titles represents a major challenge. We are working with discipline, dedication, and a hunger for victory, determined to come out on top. Opportunities are not something you wait for. You work for them, you fight for them, and you seize them. And we have no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.”
Delgado is a 31-year-old pro boxer from Santiago de Veraguas, Panama. She has faced top competition throughout her career, including bouts against now-undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora and former champions Clara Lescurat and Maribel Ramírez. Delgado won the interim WBA super flyweight title in July 2025 and made two defenses before defeating then-champion Jasmine Artiga to win the WBA world title in June 2026.
Delgado said: “There’s a special meaning behind this next unification bout, and not just because I can be the first Panamanian female boxer to become a unified world champion. As the only Panamanian boxing world champion at this moment in time, it is, once again, an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime… And we’re preparing for it, accordingly. I have MVP and the Republic of Panama counting on me, and, God willing, I won’t disappoint.”
|
Awe network picks up Thursday's IBO title fight |
|
Awe network announced that this Thursday, October 15th, it will be airing live the IBO junior middleweight title fight featuring Milan Prat (30-1-0) versus Brandon Thysse (20-4-1). The fight card, being held in Prat's home country, France, begins at 2 pm Eastern, 11 am Pacific time. Prat is on a ten-fight winning streak. Hailing from South Africa, Thysse is, like Prat, the top-rated 154 pounder in his home country. "We’re thrilled to bring another world title fight featuring two equally talented boxers to AWE viewers," stated Charles Herring, president of Awe. “These two hard slugging fighters haven’t been in the same ring before and it’s time to determine who is the world champ. We expect an all-out brawl for the IBO title.”
Awe has a history of featuring world-class boxing events. For example, on May 30, 2026, AWE exclusively aired in the United States the WBC bridgerweight title fight featuring a rematch of Kevin Lerena versus Ryad Merhy. The fight went the distance with Merhy winning a unanimous decision. Awe expects to feature another world title fight before the end of the year with upwards of a half dozen world-class fight cards in 2027.
|
|
|
|
Awe network picks up Thursday's IBO title fight
Awe network announced that this Thursday, October 15th, it will be airing live the IBO junior middleweight title fight featuring Milan Prat (30-1-0) versus Brandon Thysse (20-4-1). The fight card, being held in Prat's home country, France, begins at 2 pm Eastern, 11 am Pacific time. Prat is on a ten-fight winning streak. Hailing from South Africa, Thysse is, like Prat, the top-rated 154 pounder in his home country. "We’re thrilled to bring another world title fight featuring two equally talented boxers to AWE viewers," stated Charles Herring, president of Awe. “These two hard slugging fighters haven’t been in the same ring before and it’s time to determine who is the world champ. We expect an all-out brawl for the IBO title.”
Awe has a history of featuring world-class boxing events. For example, on May 30, 2026, AWE exclusively aired in the United States the WBC bridgerweight title fight featuring a rematch of Kevin Lerena versus Ryad Merhy. The fight went the distance with Merhy winning a unanimous decision. Awe expects to feature another world title fight before the end of the year with upwards of a half dozen world-class fight cards in 2027.
|
Cuadrado wins again on Star Boxing show |
|
Ray Cuadrado W6 Efstathios Antonas... On Saturday, October 10th, at the Paramount in Huntington (Long Island), New York, firefighter Raymond “The Scientist” Cuadrado (9-0, 3 KOs) of Ridgewood, Queens, earned a hard-fought six-round unanimous-decision win over Efstathios “The Greek God” Antonas (13-4-2, 4 KOs). The old-school New York borough showdown drew passionate supporters from Ridgewood and Astoria as Cuadrado faced a seasoned Greek contender with national championship and European title experience. The junior welterweight Cuadrado rose to the challenge, kept his undefeated professional record intact, and took another important step forward in his boxing career.
ADDITONAL RESULTS
Huntington’s own Ralph Clemente knocked out Brooklyn’s Kamron Humphrey in the first round. Clemente improved to a perfect 6-0 with 6 knockouts...
FDNY firefighter Lou Maietta secured a convincing unanimous decision over Eduardo “Demoledor” Monrreal. The scores were 60-54 by all three judges.
Ra-Leek Born continued his winning start in professional boxing, scoring a first-round technical knockout over Markus Bowes to move to 5-0 with five knockouts.
Yousaf Zazai opened the night's action with a technical knockout victory over professional debutant Robbie Cutler at 2:45 of the second round, improving to 2-0 with two knockouts.
The night also featured a special celebration recognizing Christopher Macchio, “America’s Tenor,” for his years of dedication and memorable performances at Star Boxing events. Macchio received a special commemorative championship belt honoring his longstanding relationship with the Star Boxing family and his contributions to the atmosphere and tradition of Rockin’ Fights.
|
|
|
|
Cuadrado wins again on Star Boxing show
Ray Cuadrado W6 Efstathios Antonas... On Saturday, October 10th, at the Paramount in Huntington (Long Island), New York, firefighter Raymond “The Scientist” Cuadrado (9-0, 3 KOs) of Ridgewood, Queens, earned a hard-fought six-round unanimous-decision win over Efstathios “The Greek God” Antonas (13-4-2, 4 KOs). The old-school New York borough showdown drew passionate supporters from Ridgewood and Astoria as Cuadrado faced a seasoned Greek contender with national championship and European title experience. The junior welterweight Cuadrado rose to the challenge, kept his undefeated professional record intact, and took another important step forward in his boxing career.
ADDITONAL RESULTS
Huntington’s own Ralph Clemente knocked out Brooklyn’s Kamron Humphrey in the first round. Clemente improved to a perfect 6-0 with 6 knockouts...
FDNY firefighter Lou Maietta secured a convincing unanimous decision over Eduardo “Demoledor” Monrreal. The scores were 60-54 by all three judges.
Ra-Leek Born continued his winning start in professional boxing, scoring a first-round technical knockout over Markus Bowes to move to 5-0 with five knockouts.
Yousaf Zazai opened the night's action with a technical knockout victory over professional debutant Robbie Cutler at 2:45 of the second round, improving to 2-0 with two knockouts.
The night also featured a special celebration recognizing Christopher Macchio, “America’s Tenor,” for his years of dedication and memorable performances at Star Boxing events. Macchio received a special commemorative championship belt honoring his longstanding relationship with the Star Boxing family and his contributions to the atmosphere and tradition of Rockin’ Fights.
|
Bridgerweight action from Amsterdam |
|
Angel Raymond Morejón TKO3 Willy Kyakonye ... On Monday, the sold-out Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam, packed with an enthusiastic crowd of 1,500 fans, saw Ángel Raymond Morejón stop Willy Kyakonye in a battle of undefeated bridgerweights via a third-round technical knockout. After an accidental low blow from Kyakonye, the Cuban-born Morejon returned to action with determination and, with just ten seconds remaining in the opening round, unleashed a powerful combination that sent the Ugandan-born Kyakonye to the canvas. Although Kyakonye beat the count, he was visibly hurt and the round concluded with a decisive 10-8 score. In the second round, Morejón maintained absolute control of the action, dictating the pace with superior reach and precision to secure the round 10-9 on the scorecards.
The end arrived in the third round, when Morejón dropped Kyakonye once again with sharp, accurate combinations. Recognizing the severity of the punishment at 1:08 of the round, Kyakonye’s chief cornerman, Vincent Stikkolorum, immediately threw in the towel to stop the fight and safeguard his fighter’s well-being.
|
|
|
|
Bridgerweight action from Amsterdam
Angel Raymond Morejón TKO3 Willy Kyakonye ... On Monday, the sold-out Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam, packed with an enthusiastic crowd of 1,500 fans, saw Ángel Raymond Morejón stop Willy Kyakonye in a battle of undefeated bridgerweights via a third-round technical knockout. After an accidental low blow from Kyakonye, the Cuban-born Morejon returned to action with determination and, with just ten seconds remaining in the opening round, unleashed a powerful combination that sent the Ugandan-born Kyakonye to the canvas. Although Kyakonye beat the count, he was visibly hurt and the round concluded with a decisive 10-8 score. In the second round, Morejón maintained absolute control of the action, dictating the pace with superior reach and precision to secure the round 10-9 on the scorecards.
The end arrived in the third round, when Morejón dropped Kyakonye once again with sharp, accurate combinations. Recognizing the severity of the punishment at 1:08 of the round, Kyakonye’s chief cornerman, Vincent Stikkolorum, immediately threw in the towel to stop the fight and safeguard his fighter’s well-being.
|
New champ alert: Mendoza stuns Sandoval for WBA flyweight title |
|
Sergio Mendoza W12 Ricardo Sandoval... In Chicago, Mexico's Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza delivered a statement-making performance to capture the WBA flyweight world title, stopping hard-nosed Californian Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval by fifth-round technical knockout. Rather than feeling out his opponent from the outside, Mendoza came out aggressively from the opening bell, determined to dictate the action. The turning point came in a wild second round, when the Sonoran fighter landed a pair of powerful, pinpoint shots that sent Sandoval to the canvas twice in quick succession. Despite the punishment and visible signs of being shaken, Sandoval showed tremendous heart, beating the count and weathering the storm to make it to the bell.
Mendoza continued to press the action in the following rounds, steadily cutting off the ring and limiting Sandoval’s escape routes. The Californian tried to trade punches with the relentless Mexican, but his return fire lacked the power he had shown early in the fight. The decisive sequence came in the fifth round, when another flurry, capped by a crushing hook, sent Sandoval to the canvas for the third time that night. Although the courageous Californian managed to get back to his feet with considerable difficulty, his condition prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight to protect his safety. The official technical knockout victory sparked celebrations in Mendoza’s corner as the Mexican was crowned the new WBA flyweight world champion.
|
|
|
|
New champ alert: Mendoza stuns Sandoval for WBA flyweight title
Sergio Mendoza W12 Ricardo Sandoval... In Chicago, Mexico's Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza delivered a statement-making performance to capture the WBA flyweight world title, stopping hard-nosed Californian Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval by fifth-round technical knockout. Rather than feeling out his opponent from the outside, Mendoza came out aggressively from the opening bell, determined to dictate the action. The turning point came in a wild second round, when the Sonoran fighter landed a pair of powerful, pinpoint shots that sent Sandoval to the canvas twice in quick succession. Despite the punishment and visible signs of being shaken, Sandoval showed tremendous heart, beating the count and weathering the storm to make it to the bell.
Mendoza continued to press the action in the following rounds, steadily cutting off the ring and limiting Sandoval’s escape routes. The Californian tried to trade punches with the relentless Mexican, but his return fire lacked the power he had shown early in the fight. The decisive sequence came in the fifth round, when another flurry, capped by a crushing hook, sent Sandoval to the canvas for the third time that night. Although the courageous Californian managed to get back to his feet with considerable difficulty, his condition prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight to protect his safety. The official technical knockout victory sparked celebrations in Mendoza’s corner as the Mexican was crowned the new WBA flyweight world champion.
|
WBA hasn’t approved Munguia-Zon |
|
|
The WBA has not approved the Jaime Munguia vs. Nikita Zon bout. Bektemir Melikuziev is the official contender in the super middleweight division but Munguia is seeking to avoid him and fight someone else on the Saul “Canelo” undercard later this month in Saudi Arabia. The WBA stopped short of saying it will strip Munguia of his title if he goes through with the fight, but it did state that it will “review the situation.”
|
|
|
|
WBA hasn’t approved Munguia-Zon
The WBA has not approved the Jaime Munguia vs. Nikita Zon bout. Bektemir Melikuziev is the official contender in the super middleweight division but Munguia is seeking to avoid him and fight someone else on the Saul “Canelo” undercard later this month in Saudi Arabia. The WBA stopped short of saying it will strip Munguia of his title if he goes through with the fight, but it did state that it will “review the situation.”
|
Fundora, Figueroa quotables |
|
|
WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora, WBA featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (pcitured) and rMarco “El Tiburón” Romero took part in an Instagram Live on Friday to connect with fans and preview their respective matchups featured on “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN this Saturday, October 17th from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The four-fight card begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by Fundora defending his world title against undefeated mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj. In the co-main event, Figueroa makes his first world title defense against former world champion Tomoki Kameda.
The card also features all-action former world champion Armando “Toro” Reséndiz stepping in to face Australia’s Koen Mazoudier for 10 rounds of super middleweight action, plus Romero kicks off the card against Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira in an eight-round super middleweight clash.
The fourth installment of the acclaimed live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, this event will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
Here is what the fighters had to say Friday during an Instagram Live hosted by Aliyah Orozco:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“This is boxing, you have to fight everyone if you want to be the best. I consider myself the best, so come after me.
“This is what I do. I’m in the gym every day with my family. So when it’s time to step into the ring in front of other people, it’s really just another day for me.
“I’d like to unify. I want the winner between Jaron Ennis and Josh Kelly. I think that’s the best fight in the 154-pound division. I’m ready for whoever.
“My sister Gabriela gives me a lot of motivation. Watching her win the title and become undisputed inspires me. It not only inspired me but I think it’s an inspiration to everyone watching boxing.
“The Thurman win was a good win for me, it did a lot for my career. Now I’m excited to make another defense on October 17.
“I want to be remembered as a gentleman of the sport. We want people to say that we always kept it real.”
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“It feels amazing to be champion again. I said yes right away to going to the U.K. to face Nick Ball and now we’re here with the belt and ready to defend it.
“Kameda has great experience. He’s been in there with a lot of world champions and he has the grit you need. He’s gonna use his experience, but we’re training 110%. We’re always preparing for anything that can come our way.
“Right now I’m just locked in on my fight. I want to break Tomoki Kameda’s heart. That’s my plan and that’s my mission. I haven’t been home in three months, so I’m just ready to go out and perform and give the fans exciting fights.
“With the style that my dad and my older brother implemented in me from when I was young, combined with the kind of fighters I looked up to, it’s given me this way of fighting that takes a lot of heart and a lot of will. I’m just so aggressive and intense when it comes to tackling my dreams and goals.
“I want to be one of the greatest fighters on the planet. I want to represent my community and help out my community. I want to inspire and motivate the youth in my community and in Mexico as well.
“I’m excited to stay active, keep defending the belt and hopefully unify this division.”
MARCO ROMERO
“I’m excited and more than ready. I just came back from a big camp and I’m more than ready for October 17.
“It’s a dream come true to be on this stage. Coming off the performance that I had in August, I just can’t wait to do it again on October 17.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity. It shows that my team believes in me and it shows what they expect from me. I’m here to deliver more big performances.
“I’m looking to show that I’m the full package. I can brawl and I can box. I can counterpunch and I have the ring IQ to do anything. If this goes a few more rounds, I’ll be able to demonstrate that to the public.
“Sparring with world champions Osleys Iglesias and Christia
|
|
|
|
Fundora, Figueroa quotables
WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora, WBA featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (pcitured) and rMarco “El Tiburón” Romero took part in an Instagram Live on Friday to connect with fans and preview their respective matchups featured on “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN this Saturday, October 17th from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The four-fight card begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by Fundora defending his world title against undefeated mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj. In the co-main event, Figueroa makes his first world title defense against former world champion Tomoki Kameda.
The card also features all-action former world champion Armando “Toro” Reséndiz stepping in to face Australia’s Koen Mazoudier for 10 rounds of super middleweight action, plus Romero kicks off the card against Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira in an eight-round super middleweight clash.
The fourth installment of the acclaimed live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, this event will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
Here is what the fighters had to say Friday during an Instagram Live hosted by Aliyah Orozco:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“This is boxing, you have to fight everyone if you want to be the best. I consider myself the best, so come after me.
“This is what I do. I’m in the gym every day with my family. So when it’s time to step into the ring in front of other people, it’s really just another day for me.
“I’d like to unify. I want the winner between Jaron Ennis and Josh Kelly. I think that’s the best fight in the 154-pound division. I’m ready for whoever.
“My sister Gabriela gives me a lot of motivation. Watching her win the title and become undisputed inspires me. It not only inspired me but I think it’s an inspiration to everyone watching boxing.
“The Thurman win was a good win for me, it did a lot for my career. Now I’m excited to make another defense on October 17.
“I want to be remembered as a gentleman of the sport. We want people to say that we always kept it real.”
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“It feels amazing to be champion again. I said yes right away to going to the U.K. to face Nick Ball and now we’re here with the belt and ready to defend it.
“Kameda has great experience. He’s been in there with a lot of world champions and he has the grit you need. He’s gonna use his experience, but we’re training 110%. We’re always preparing for anything that can come our way.
“Right now I’m just locked in on my fight. I want to break Tomoki Kameda’s heart. That’s my plan and that’s my mission. I haven’t been home in three months, so I’m just ready to go out and perform and give the fans exciting fights.
“With the style that my dad and my older brother implemented in me from when I was young, combined with the kind of fighters I looked up to, it’s given me this way of fighting that takes a lot of heart and a lot of will. I’m just so aggressive and intense when it comes to tackling my dreams and goals.
“I want to be one of the greatest fighters on the planet. I want to represent my community and help out my community. I want to inspire and motivate the youth in my community and in Mexico as well.
“I’m excited to stay active, keep defending the belt and hopefully unify this division.”
MARCO ROMERO
“I’m excited and more than ready. I just came back from a big camp and I’m more than ready for October 17.
“It’s a dream come true to be on this stage. Coming off the performance that I had in August, I just can’t wait to do it again on October 17.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity. It shows that my team believes in me and it shows what they expect from me. I’m here to deliver more big performances.
“I’m looking to show that I’m the full package. I can brawl and I can box. I can counterpunch and I have the ring IQ to do anything. If this goes a few more rounds, I’ll be able to demonstrate that to the public.
“Sparring with world champions Osleys Iglesias and Christia
|
New champ alert: Floyd Schofield |
|
Floyd Schofield beat Lucas Bahdi by a wide unanimous decision (119-108, 116-110, 115-111) to win the vacant WBA lightweight championship at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. After an unforgettable opening two rounds, Schofield began ramping up the pressure about 30 seconds into the third.
An overhand right to the temple shook Bahdi’s legs. Schofield connected on a multi-punch combination, but Bahdi grabbed a headlock to the ropes. Schofield continued the assault with a looping right hook to the temple, which nearly sent Bahdi to the canvas.
Schofield was looking for the finish. He landed another right hand that sent Bahdi partially through the ropes, which is considered a knockdown.
To Bahdi’s credit, he showed no quit. Near the end of the fourth, an exchange of hooks occurred with Bahdi landing the harder blow that temporarily stopped Schofield in his tracks.
Things started to take a turn in Bahdi’s direction at the end of the sixth round. Schofield landed a flush left hook that looked to put Bahdi in serious trouble. Not so much as Bahdi blasted a flush right hand that looked to have Schofield out on his feet. “Kid Austin” made it through the round, but when he got to his stool, Schofield still looked worse for the wear.
Schofield seemed to get his footing back in the ninth and the tenth. He started using his footwork, popping the jab and wearing out Bahdi.
The momentum shifted again in the eleventh. Bahdi landed an overhand right and stepped on Schofield’s foot. But Schofield went down, and it was ruled a knockdown.
The fight looked to be hanging in the balance in the 12th and final round. Each guy had their moments, with neither guy appearing to be pulling away.
|
|
|
|
New champ alert: Floyd Schofield
Floyd Schofield beat Lucas Bahdi by a wide unanimous decision (119-108, 116-110, 115-111) to win the vacant WBA lightweight championship at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. After an unforgettable opening two rounds, Schofield began ramping up the pressure about 30 seconds into the third.
An overhand right to the temple shook Bahdi’s legs. Schofield connected on a multi-punch combination, but Bahdi grabbed a headlock to the ropes. Schofield continued the assault with a looping right hook to the temple, which nearly sent Bahdi to the canvas.
Schofield was looking for the finish. He landed another right hand that sent Bahdi partially through the ropes, which is considered a knockdown.
To Bahdi’s credit, he showed no quit. Near the end of the fourth, an exchange of hooks occurred with Bahdi landing the harder blow that temporarily stopped Schofield in his tracks.
Things started to take a turn in Bahdi’s direction at the end of the sixth round. Schofield landed a flush left hook that looked to put Bahdi in serious trouble. Not so much as Bahdi blasted a flush right hand that looked to have Schofield out on his feet. “Kid Austin” made it through the round, but when he got to his stool, Schofield still looked worse for the wear.
Schofield seemed to get his footing back in the ninth and the tenth. He started using his footwork, popping the jab and wearing out Bahdi.
The momentum shifted again in the eleventh. Bahdi landed an overhand right and stepped on Schofield’s foot. But Schofield went down, and it was ruled a knockdown.
The fight looked to be hanging in the balance in the 12th and final round. Each guy had their moments, with neither guy appearing to be pulling away.
|
Craycraft defeats Ali Walsh |
|
|
BiYu Promotions delivered an action-packed night of professional boxing onSaturday, October 10, 2026, as the “Heart of America Pro + Am Boxing Invitational”took center stage at historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.
The action was broadcast live onCombatVisionTV, with the event replay available on the platform.
In the eight-round main event, undefeatedTreavon Craycraft (10-0-1, 3 KOs) scored the biggest victory of his professional career, defeating Nico Ali Walsh (12-3-1, 5 KOs)by unanimous decision. Ali Walsh, the grandson of legendary heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, entered Memorial Hall looking to get back into the win column, but Craycraft had other plans.
The undefeated fighter rose to the occasion over eight rounds, using the opportunity to establish himself against the most recognizable opponent of his young career. Craycraft maintained his composure under the main-event spotlight and did enough throughout the contest to earn the judges’ decision. Scorecards read 78-74, 77-75 twice all in favor of Craycraft.
For Craycraft, defeating Ali Walsh on a nationally and internationally accessible broadcast provided the type of breakthrough opportunity young fighters work toward, and he capitalized when it arrived.
The 8-round co-main event produced one of the evening’s most impressive performances as Baltimore’s undefeated bantamweight contender Dominique Crowder (20-0, 12 KOs) captured theNABA Silver Bantamweight Title with a devastating second-round knockout of Filipino contender Jayson Mama (21-5-1, 10 KOs).
Crowder entered the bout ranked No. 12 by the IBF and looking to prove he was ready to take another significant step toward the upper tier of the bantamweight division. He did exactly that.
Rather than allowing the experienced Mama to settle into the fight, Crowder imposed himself early and ended matters in the second round, becoming the new NABA Silver champion.
The victory adds a championship belt to Crowder’s undefeated résumé and gives the Baltimore contender additional momentum as he pursues bigger fights and an eventual opportunity at a world championship.
It was also a memorable night for Olathe, Kansas brothers Jorge Carlos and Izak Carlos, who both delivered knockout victories in front of their hometown supporters.
In a scheduled 10-round super lightweight contest, Jorge Carlos scored a second-round knockout over experienced Paraguayan Carlos Manuel Portillo (23-11, 17 KOs).
Carlos wasted little time taking control of the fight and finished Portillo in the second round. The victory kept Carlos’ perfect professional record intact at (14-0, 12 KOs)
His brother Izak Carlos needed even less time. Competing at super featherweight, Izak stopped Colombia’s experienced Deivi Julio (29-19, 18 KOs) by first-round knockout.
The victory improved Izak to (9-0, 7KOs), completing a perfect night for the Carlos family as both brothers scored emphatic stoppages close to their Olathe hometown.
Highly decorated Hawaiian amateur standout Azariah Cottrell made an impressive transition into traditional professional boxing, scoring a second-round knockout over veteran Karla Valenzuela Garcia (3-42-3, 1 KO) in their four-round lightweight bout.
Despite making her official professional debut against an opponent with more than 45 professional fights, Cottrell looked comfortable under the lights and ended the contest in the second round. The victory gives Cottrell a (1-0, 1 KO) and officially begins the professional chapter of a boxing journey that started when she was a child in Hawaii.
Unbeaten Eric Valencia (8-0, 7 KOs) continued his knockout streak with a first-round KO of Martin Diaz (18-25-2, 8 KOs)in their six-round super lightweight contest.
Valencia entered the fight having stopped six of his first seven professional opponents and once again demonstrated his finishing ability, ending the fight before the opening round concluded.
Middleweight Jamar Pemberton added another stoppage victory to his résumé, knocking out Edwin Gamboa (13-14-2, 6 KOs) after he couldn't return for the sixth round. The 5th round victory improved Pemberton’s professional record to (11-1, 6 KOs)
In super middleweight action, Shomari Wilson remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over veteran Kynndale Prather. Wilson controlled the four-round contest and earned a 40-36 score, moving his professional record to (2-0, 1 KO).
Super lightweight Alan Panduro Anguloimproved to (7-0, 4 KOs) following a six-round unanimous decision victory overNasser Matrane. Angulo went the distance and earned the judges’ decision to keep his undefeated professional record intact.
Ryan Maine (10-0, 7 KOs) added another victory to his undefeated record with a seventh-round technical knockout of David Lobo Ramirez (20-8, 15 KOs). The scheduled eight-round contest provided Maine with valuable rounds against an experienced opponent before he ultimately forced the stoppage in round seven.
|
|
|
|
Craycraft defeats Ali Walsh
BiYu Promotions delivered an action-packed night of professional boxing onSaturday, October 10, 2026, as the “Heart of America Pro + Am Boxing Invitational”took center stage at historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.
The action was broadcast live onCombatVisionTV, with the event replay available on the platform.
In the eight-round main event, undefeatedTreavon Craycraft (10-0-1, 3 KOs) scored the biggest victory of his professional career, defeating Nico Ali Walsh (12-3-1, 5 KOs)by unanimous decision. Ali Walsh, the grandson of legendary heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, entered Memorial Hall looking to get back into the win column, but Craycraft had other plans.
The undefeated fighter rose to the occasion over eight rounds, using the opportunity to establish himself against the most recognizable opponent of his young career. Craycraft maintained his composure under the main-event spotlight and did enough throughout the contest to earn the judges’ decision. Scorecards read 78-74, 77-75 twice all in favor of Craycraft.
For Craycraft, defeating Ali Walsh on a nationally and internationally accessible broadcast provided the type of breakthrough opportunity young fighters work toward, and he capitalized when it arrived.
The 8-round co-main event produced one of the evening’s most impressive performances as Baltimore’s undefeated bantamweight contender Dominique Crowder (20-0, 12 KOs) captured theNABA Silver Bantamweight Title with a devastating second-round knockout of Filipino contender Jayson Mama (21-5-1, 10 KOs).
Crowder entered the bout ranked No. 12 by the IBF and looking to prove he was ready to take another significant step toward the upper tier of the bantamweight division. He did exactly that.
Rather than allowing the experienced Mama to settle into the fight, Crowder imposed himself early and ended matters in the second round, becoming the new NABA Silver champion.
The victory adds a championship belt to Crowder’s undefeated résumé and gives the Baltimore contender additional momentum as he pursues bigger fights and an eventual opportunity at a world championship.
It was also a memorable night for Olathe, Kansas brothers Jorge Carlos and Izak Carlos, who both delivered knockout victories in front of their hometown supporters.
In a scheduled 10-round super lightweight contest, Jorge Carlos scored a second-round knockout over experienced Paraguayan Carlos Manuel Portillo (23-11, 17 KOs).
Carlos wasted little time taking control of the fight and finished Portillo in the second round. The victory kept Carlos’ perfect professional record intact at (14-0, 12 KOs)
His brother Izak Carlos needed even less time. Competing at super featherweight, Izak stopped Colombia’s experienced Deivi Julio (29-19, 18 KOs) by first-round knockout.
The victory improved Izak to (9-0, 7KOs), completing a perfect night for the Carlos family as both brothers scored emphatic stoppages close to their Olathe hometown.
Highly decorated Hawaiian amateur standout Azariah Cottrell made an impressive transition into traditional professional boxing, scoring a second-round knockout over veteran Karla Valenzuela Garcia (3-42-3, 1 KO) in their four-round lightweight bout.
Despite making her official professional debut against an opponent with more than 45 professional fights, Cottrell looked comfortable under the lights and ended the contest in the second round. The victory gives Cottrell a (1-0, 1 KO) and officially begins the professional chapter of a boxing journey that started when she was a child in Hawaii.
Unbeaten Eric Valencia (8-0, 7 KOs) continued his knockout streak with a first-round KO of Martin Diaz (18-25-2, 8 KOs)in their six-round super lightweight contest.
Valencia entered the fight having stopped six of his first seven professional opponents and once again demonstrated his finishing ability, ending the fight before the opening round concluded.
Middleweight Jamar Pemberton added another stoppage victory to his résumé, knocking out Edwin Gamboa (13-14-2, 6 KOs) after he couldn't return for the sixth round. The 5th round victory improved Pemberton’s professional record to (11-1, 6 KOs)
In super middleweight action, Shomari Wilson remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over veteran Kynndale Prather. Wilson controlled the four-round contest and earned a 40-36 score, moving his professional record to (2-0, 1 KO).
Super lightweight Alan Panduro Anguloimproved to (7-0, 4 KOs) following a six-round unanimous decision victory overNasser Matrane. Angulo went the distance and earned the judges’ decision to keep his undefeated professional record intact.
Ryan Maine (10-0, 7 KOs) added another victory to his undefeated record with a seventh-round technical knockout of David Lobo Ramirez (20-8, 15 KOs). The scheduled eight-round contest provided Maine with valuable rounds against an experienced opponent before he ultimately forced the stoppage in round seven.
|
