Lauren Price title defense added to Liverpool show |
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As previously announced, IBF welterweight champion Natasha Jonas will headline in her hometown of Liverpool, England against WBC champion Ivana Habazin in a unification clash. The bout's promoter, Boxxer, has announced that a Jonas victory on December 14th puts her on a collision course with WBA champion Lauren Price in what would be a ‘Battle of Britain’ unification match. Price has now been added to the Dec. 14th show against unbeaten Colombian Bexcy Mateus. All the action is available to watch live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and on Peacock in the USA.
Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs) will top the bill in her hometown of Liverpool in her sixth straight world title contest under the Boxxer promotional banner. Habazin (23-6, 7 KOs) became the WBC champion by outpointing Kinga Magyar to capture the vacant belt in April. The 35-year old from Zagreb, Croatia, who has shared the ring with some of the greatest female fighters of the modern era including Cecilia Braekhus and Claressa Shields, has previously held the IBF welterweight Title and is also a former IBO middleweight champion.
Price (7-0, 1 KO) defends her WBA and IBO titles against unbeaten Colombian Bexcy Mateus. Mateus (7-0, 6 KOs) is a 29-year old from Bogota, and wil be fighting outside of her native Colombia for the first time.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Irish junior middleweight Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KOs) will go toe-to-toe with English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KOs)...
Also scheduled to appear will be English Cruiserweight Champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KOs) who has recovered from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career best win over Mikael Lawal in March...
Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KOs),
Cheshire junior middleweight Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KOs) and local lightweight Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) are all awaiting opponents to be added to the show.
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Lauren Price title defense added to Liverpool show
As previously announced, IBF welterweight champion Natasha Jonas will headline in her hometown of Liverpool, England against WBC champion Ivana Habazin in a unification clash. The bout's promoter, Boxxer, has announced that a Jonas victory on December 14th puts her on a collision course with WBA champion Lauren Price in what would be a ‘Battle of Britain’ unification match. Price has now been added to the Dec. 14th show against unbeaten Colombian Bexcy Mateus. All the action is available to watch live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and on Peacock in the USA.
Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs) will top the bill in her hometown of Liverpool in her sixth straight world title contest under the Boxxer promotional banner. Habazin (23-6, 7 KOs) became the WBC champion by outpointing Kinga Magyar to capture the vacant belt in April. The 35-year old from Zagreb, Croatia, who has shared the ring with some of the greatest female fighters of the modern era including Cecilia Braekhus and Claressa Shields, has previously held the IBF welterweight Title and is also a former IBO middleweight champion.
Price (7-0, 1 KO) defends her WBA and IBO titles against unbeaten Colombian Bexcy Mateus. Mateus (7-0, 6 KOs) is a 29-year old from Bogota, and wil be fighting outside of her native Colombia for the first time.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Irish junior middleweight Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KOs) will go toe-to-toe with English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KOs)...
Also scheduled to appear will be English Cruiserweight Champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KOs) who has recovered from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career best win over Mikael Lawal in March...
Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KOs),
Cheshire junior middleweight Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KOs) and local lightweight Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) are all awaiting opponents to be added to the show.
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Cruiserweight division overview |
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WBA & WBO / NOV. 16, 2024... A two-belt cruiserweight unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday was won by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. Chris "CBS" Billam-Smith's WBO title was added to Ramirez's WBA version in an exciting but mostly one-sided contest. Ramirez, a southpaw, cut Billam-Smith over the left eye in round four, but the British fighter fought through it. Ramirez, the smaller of the two men, prevailed by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113. It was an exciting and bruising twelve rounds but Billam-Smith made himself an easy target by standing in front of Ramirez and in an upright, easy-to-hit manner.
WBA / MARCH 31, 2024: In Inglewood, California, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez became a two division champion, taking the WBA cruiserweight title from Arsen Goulamirian, who will go down in the books as a weak, inactive champion. All three judges scored it 118-110. Give Ramirez credit, though. A natural super middleweight, he stood and traded with a naturally bigger opponent to become the first Mexican ever to hold a cruiserweight championship. Ramirez is now 46-1. He gave up his super middleweight title in 2019 and lost a 2022 light heavyweight title shot to Dmitriy Bivol. Goulamirian takes his first pro loss after a 27-win start to his career. Sadly, this was just his second fight since 2019.
IBF/ MAY 18, 2024: In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) defeated former two-time champion Mairis Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision in a bruising battle that saw both men finish with possible broken noses. Briedis rallied late but lost by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 (twice). Opetaia regained the IBF cruiserweight world title that the IBF basically forced him to vacate a few months ago. This was a rematch. In July 2022, Opetaia, a 2012 Australian Olympian, overcame an injured jaw to claim Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision. Official scores for the first bout were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improved to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joined Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
IBF / DEC. 18, 2023: Jai Opetaia of Australia vacated the IBF cruiserweight championship in order to move forward with a bout in Saudi Arabia against Great Britain's Ellis Zorro. Opetaia was ordered to grant Briediis a rematch by the IBF but when Briedis got injured, Opetaia sought to sneak in a lucrative voluntary defense on the huge show in Riadh. Reportedly, Briedis had no objection to Opetaia making a voluntary defense, but the IBF rigidly refused to budge, so Opetaia moved on without the belt and KO'd Zorro in a beautiful one-punch knockout in round one on December 23rd.
WBC / NOV. 4, 2023: There is a new WBC cruiserweight champion as Noel Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs) stopped the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs) one minute into the third round. After flooring Makabu in the second round, Miami’s Mikaelian, by way of Armenia, flustered the former champion with a barrage of punches. The title was recently vacated by Badou Jack. Mikaelian said about his knockout victory: “I didn’t expect the knockout so early, but I knew my hand would be raised (in victory) at the end of the night. I’m so happy. I waited two years. I was so close to winning that belt and this time I didn’t want to leave any doubts.” Mikaelian noted the significance of his win: “I had a great camp…I’m the first German to win a world championship on American soil in 90 years, since Max Schmelling.”
IBF / SEPT. 30, 2023: IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia made a successful first title defense in London, stopping previously unbeaten Jordan Thompson in the fourth round. The end came with a left-right combination from Opetaia's southpaw stance. Opetaia returns home to Australia with his belt plus a record of 24-0. Thompson is now 15-1.
WBO / MAY 28, 2023... In a crazy fight in Bournemouth, England, Chris Billam-Smith won the WBO cruiserweight champion from his fellow Brit, good friend and former sparring partner Lawrence Okolie. Billam-Smith scored thee knockdowns and Okolie was penalized two points for non-stop holding. But the championship rounds saw Okolie furiously pressing for a knockdown and Billam-Smith dealing with a bad cut over his left eye. Despite Okolie's late rally, when the final bell sounded, the three knockdowns and two point deductions seemed impossible for the champ to overcome, but there was one more plot twist to come. When the first score was read by the ring announcer, Billam-Smith was shocked to hear 112-112. Sanity prevailed as the other two judges favored Billam-Smith by 116-107 and 115-108. As the majority win was revealed, Billam-Smith broke down in tears and described how he was sick during the week. He also dedicated the win to his mother who was battling breast cancer. During his post-fight interview, Okolie acknowledged his loss but revealed that he had a rematch clause that he planned to invoke.
WBC / FEB. 26, 2023: Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) is now a two-division world champion.* The 39-year old scored a technical knockout victory over Ilunga Makabu (29-3, 25 KOs) to capture the WBC cruiserweight world title. Jack boxed an intelligent fight, mixing footwork and counterpunching to consistently find a home for his right hand. Makabu, on the other hand, seemed too cautious and had trouble putting his punches together. In the fourth round, Jack dropped Makabu with a right hand, and he repeated the knockdown in the eleventh. In the final round, Makabu was clearly worn out from Jack’s offense, and Swedish standout only needed an additional right hand and a brief fusillade of shots to force referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.
*Some list Jack as a three-division champion because he won the WBA regular light heavyweight title in 2017. Boxingtalk does not recognize that as a legitimate world title because Sergey Kovalev was recognized as WBA super champion at that time.
WBA / NOV. 22, 2022... Arsen Goulamirian retained his WBA cruiserweight championship this weekend against Aleksei Egorov with a unanimous decision victory at La Palestre in Le Cannet, France. The Armenian native and French national came off a nearly three-year layoff and came away with a win on the cards by scores of 116-112 and 117-111 (twice). Inactive since 2019, this was Goulamirian's mandatory defense. Goulamirian (27-0) went from strength to strength in the bout and improved as the rounds went by. He faced a very active opponent in the early rounds but was able to figure out his Russian foe to come on strong at the end of the bout. Egorov’s record stands at 16 wins and 3 losses including the World Series of Boxing. [After this win, Goulamirian would remain inactive for more than a year].
IBF / JULY 3, 2022: 2012 Australian Olympian Jai Opetaia overcame an injured jaw to claim Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksadr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision on Saturday in Broadbeach, Australia. Official scores were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improves to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joins Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
WBO / MARCH 21, 2021: Lawrence Okolie crushed former champion Krzysztof Glowacki to be crowned the new WBO cruiserweight champion in just his sixteenth fight at The SSE Arena, Wembley. Okolie unloaded a huge finishing punch to drop Poland’s Glowacki heavily in the sixth round and referee Marcus McDonnell waved off the fight to confirm the coronation of Britain’s newest champ. [The WBO title was vacant coming in after Mairis Briedis discarded it in order to pursue the IBF title in the World Boxing Super Series final]. The unbeaten 28 year-old from Hackney had emulated the likes of Tony Bellew, David Haye and Johnny Nelson, who previously held world crowns in the weight class.
IBF / SEPT. 27, 2020: Season II of the World Boxing Super Series came to its conclusion on Saturday with Latvia's Mairis Briedis taking home the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy and the IBF championship by defeating Yuniel Dorticos in Munich. The WBSS cruiserweight Final, contested behind closed doors, was a close battle. Briedis repeatedly troubled the Cuban Dorticos with powerful counter-punches during a commanding performance. Dorticos was never far behind, and one judge scored it a draw, 114-114, while the other two handed in wide verdicts of 117-111 for Briedis. The Latvian Briedis would only defend the title once in 2021 before losing to Jai Opetaia in 2022.
WBC / FEB. 1. 2020: Ilunga "Junior" Makabu is the new WBC cruiserweight champion, having won the vacant title by defeating Poland's Michal Cieslak via twelve-round decision. The judges’ scores were Omar Mintum 114-112, Carlos Flores 115-111 and Humberto Olivares 116-111, all in favor of Makabu. The fight took place in Makabu's home nation, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Makabu is now 27-2, while Cieslak is 19-1. The WBC title went vacant after world champion Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight.
WBO / NOV. 26, 2019: The WBO cruiserweight championship has been declared vacant as part of a months-long legal battle arising from Maris Briedis' foul-tainted victory over Krzysztof Glowacki last June. That fight was part of the World Boxing Super Series. Briedis landed a deliberate foul, an elbow to the jaw of Glowacki, that hurt him badly but went unpunished by referee Robert Byrd. A few seconds after Glowacki got up from the foul, Byrd allowed the boxers to continue fighting well after the bell sounded to end round two, leading to Glowacki suffering a hard knockdown about ten seconds after the bell rang. Again, Byrd did nothing. Briedis admitted in his post fight interview that the elbow was deliberate and that he heard the bell but kept fighting anyway. Glowacki protested to the WBO, and after an arbitration was held in Puerto Rico, the WBO ordered Briedis to give Glowacki an immediate rematch. Briedis refused, intending to fight IBF champion Yuniel Dorticos in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series, although that fight still has not been scheduled. Glowacki will now await the WBO to name the co-challenger for the vacant title. NOTE: Glowacki was represented in the arbitration by Scott Shaffer, the author of this article.
WBO / JUNE 15, 2019: In a wildly entertaining and controversial bout in Riga, Latvia, Mairis Briedis took advantage of horrendous refereeing by Robert Byrd to become the new WBO cruiserweight champion. Fighting in his home nation, Briedis committed a blatant foul that led to a third-round technical knockout win over Kyrzysztof Glowacki. The win advanced Briedis to the World Boxing Super Series finals, where he will meet newly minted IBF cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos. In round two, Glowacki twice hit Briedis on the back of the head during a clinch as Byrd yelled stop. The second time, Briedis decided to use self help, throwing a nasty, deliberate elbow that caught Glowacki flush on the jaw and sent the Polish man to the canvas. Byrd took a point away, but Glowacki was not fully recovered when the action resumed. Briedis pressed the action and the knocked Glowacki down with about nineteen seconds left in the round. Glowacki beat the count, but was foggy eyed, and definitely needed the minute rest between rounds. As the action resumed, one of Briedis' cornermen jumed up on the ring apron, which is grounds for disqulaification. Then, the bell sounded to end round two, but Byrd did not hear it, and the the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, with Briedis again knocking Glowacki down. The knockdown came a full ten seconds after the bell. In his post-fight interview, Briedis smiled and admitted he heard the bell but kept fighting. To recap round two, Glowacki was down three times: once from an illegal elbow, once from a legal blow while still buzzed from the illegal elbow, and once from a punch that landed well after the bell sounded. In round three, the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, but it was clear Glowacki was fighting at a diminished capacity. He was knocked down again, hard, with his arms flailing, and beat the count, but was in no shape to continue. Byrd, who put in a terrible performance tonight, stopped the fight, to the delight of the Latvian audience. Note: Briedis has the WBO title only, as the WBC threw a hissy fit and pulled the sanction. The WBC cruiserweight title remains vacant.
IBF / JUNE 15, 2019: In Riga, Latvia, Cuba's Yuniel Dorticos got a career-changing win, landing a hard right hand that put previously undefeated Andrew Tabiti to sleep in round ten of the World Boxing Super Series semi-final bout. The win was doubly significant because, in a surprise move, the IBF announced earlier in the day that the winner would be recognized as the IBF cruiserweight champion (Oleksandr Usyk formally vacated the belt in furtherance of his heavyweight campaign). Dorticos was ahead on points, but had to deal with a bad cut over his right eye. Dorticos will await the winner of the other semi-final, a WBO title fight in which Kryzysztof Glowacki defends against former WBC titlist Mairis Briedis. An emotional Dorticos shed tears of joy in the ring. He's now 24-1, with the only loss to Murat Gassiev in last years World Boxing Super Series. The disappointed Tabiti heads home to the United States with a 17-1 record.
WBO / JUNE 6, 2019: The WBO promoted its interim cruiserweight champion, Krysztof Glowacki of Poland, to its full champion in the 200-pound division. According to WBO social media, "With Oleksandr Usyk moving to the heavyweight division, interim champion Krysztof Glowacki is now recognized as the new WBO champion and will face Mairis Briedis in a voluntary defense on June 15th in Riga, Latvia" [as part of the World Boxing Super Series]. Glowacki (31-1) previously held the WBO title from 2015-2016, but lost it to Usyk in 2016. Briedis (25-1) held the WBC version of the title from 2017-2018, also losing his belt to Usyk.
WORLD / NOV. 11, 2018: World champion Oleksandr Usyk said goodbye to the 200-pound division with yet another road win to add to his resume. Fighting in his opponent's coutry, Usyk stopped Tony Bellew, who had earned this shot with an impressive run of five quality wins. After seven hotly contested rounds, Usyk knocked out Bellew with a left hand to Bellew's jaw that violently sent him crashing to the canvas. Promoter Eddie Hearn nearly cradled Bellew's head as he made his way to his feet. Bellew might have been able to beat the count, but the referee did the right thing by stopping the fight. After uifying all four major titles, Usyk will campaign as a heavyweight in the future.
WORLD / JULY 22, 2018: In Moscow, cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk of the Ukraine put on a master boxing class to become only the fifth boxer in history to gain undisputed world championship recognition from the IBF, WBO, WBC and WBA. Usyk accomplished this by defeating Murat Gassiev of Russia by unanimous decision. The win also made Usyk the winner of the World Boxing Super Series eight-man tournament. Official scores were for Usyk 120-108 and 119-109 (twice). Seeing Usyk draped in the Ukraine flag with four championships belts wrapped around him and the Ali Trophy raised over his head was quite an impressive ending to a fantastic tournament pulled off by Comosa AG. Usyk joins Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Cecilia Braekhus and Terence Crawford as the only boxers to hold all four major belts since the WBO gained recognition in the early 1990s. (In the cruiserweight division, the great Evander Holyfiled conquered all three major championships in 1988 prior to the emergence of the WBO). Both men were undfeated coming into this bout, and Gassiev, if not Usyk as well, will likely move up to heavyweight.
WBA / MARCH 26, 2018: Arsen Goulamirian got a significant win, plus a paper title in Marseille, France, defeating Ryad Merhy via eleventh-round technical knockout. The win gives Goulamirian the WBA regular cruiserweight title (Murat Gassiev is recognized as WBA super champion and Denis Lebedev as WBA champion in recess). A combination of many consecutive unanswered blows to Merhy forced the referee to stop the fight. Goulamirian, an Armenian living in France, is 23-0 while Merhy, from the Ivory Coast and living in Belgium, is now 24-1. Goulamirian would go on to inherit the WBA full title, emerging from a mess of WBA corruption involving Denis Lebedev, Murat Gassiev and Beibut Shumenov who repeatedly switched title designations as part of machinations of the WBA.
WBO & WBC / JAN. 28, 2018: Fighting in Latvia, his opponent's home country, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Mairis Briedis to add the WBC cruiserweight championship to the WBO version he already held. The Ukrainian Usyk, a 2012 Olympic champion, won by majority decision, with scores of 115-113 (twice) and 114-114. The unification bout was part of the World Boxing Super Series, and Usyk now qualifies for the finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. Usyk will face the winner of the bout between Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos, which will be contested next week in Sochi, Russia.
IBF & WBA / DEC. 4, 2016… In an all-Russian cruiserweight battle, Murat Gassiev defeated Denis Lebedev to become the IBF cruiserweight champion, and, along with WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, one of the top two cruiserweights in the world. Gassiev, a 23 year-old trained by Abel Sanchez, knocked the Freddie Roach-trained Lebedev down in round five and went on to win by split decision. Scores were 116-111, 116-112 for Gassiev and 114-113 for the 37 year-old Lebedev. In the very worst of boxing politics, Denis Lebedev will retain the WBA cruiserweight title because his promoter “convinced” the WBA that the title should not be on the line against an IBF mandatory.
WBO / SEPT. 18, 2016: A professional boxing star was born as Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk dethroned WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki (26-1, 16 KOs) by twelve-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. The official scores were 119-109 and 117-111 (twice). Undefeated as a pro, Usyk was the 2012 heavyweight gold medal champion and also holds the distinction of being the 2011 World Amateur Champion at heavyweight and 2008 European Amateur Champion at light-heavyweight.
WBC / MAY 31, 2016: Fighting in his home country, Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) delivered a third-round knockout win over South Africa’s Ilunga Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt on Sunday in Liverpool, England. In round one, Bellew punished Makabu on the ropes, but then he got clocked by a Makabu straight counter left and went down. Bellwe got up and fought cautiously through round two. Bellew opened up in round three, severely rocking Makabu, then ended the bout with a barrage of punches, which knocked him cold. Makabu collapsed to the canvas just as referee Victor Loughlin stepped in to wave it off. Bellew (27-2-1 with 17 KO(s) previously dropped light heavyweight title challenges to Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson. With this win, he picks up the WBC title, which for now makes him a distant third in prestige to the other 200-pound champions, Denis Lebedev (IBF/WBA) and Kryzystof Glowacki (WBO). s
WBO / APRIL 16, 2016: In Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, Polish warrior Krzysztof Glowacki scored four knockdowns and retained his WBO cruiserweight championship via unanimous decision over former world champion Steve Cunningham of Philadelphia. Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) twice floored Cunningham (28-8-1, 13 KOs) with second-round, left-hand counters, then used short right hands to drop him once more in the tenth and twelfth rounds en route to a unanimous decision. Thanks to the four knockdowns, Glowacki prevailed by scores of 115-109 (twice) and 116-108, to the delight of a Barclays Center crowd that was packed with Polish fight fans. However, the contest was tougher than the scorecards indicated, as the 29-year-old Glowacki was often forced to hold or fight off the ropes against a former champion who engaged toe-to-toe throughout the night.
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Cruiserweight division overview
WBA & WBO / NOV. 16, 2024... A two-belt cruiserweight unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday was won by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. Chris "CBS" Billam-Smith's WBO title was added to Ramirez's WBA version in an exciting but mostly one-sided contest. Ramirez, a southpaw, cut Billam-Smith over the left eye in round four, but the British fighter fought through it. Ramirez, the smaller of the two men, prevailed by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113. It was an exciting and bruising twelve rounds but Billam-Smith made himself an easy target by standing in front of Ramirez and in an upright, easy-to-hit manner.
WBA / MARCH 31, 2024: In Inglewood, California, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez became a two division champion, taking the WBA cruiserweight title from Arsen Goulamirian, who will go down in the books as a weak, inactive champion. All three judges scored it 118-110. Give Ramirez credit, though. A natural super middleweight, he stood and traded with a naturally bigger opponent to become the first Mexican ever to hold a cruiserweight championship. Ramirez is now 46-1. He gave up his super middleweight title in 2019 and lost a 2022 light heavyweight title shot to Dmitriy Bivol. Goulamirian takes his first pro loss after a 27-win start to his career. Sadly, this was just his second fight since 2019.
IBF/ MAY 18, 2024: In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) defeated former two-time champion Mairis Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision in a bruising battle that saw both men finish with possible broken noses. Briedis rallied late but lost by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 (twice). Opetaia regained the IBF cruiserweight world title that the IBF basically forced him to vacate a few months ago. This was a rematch. In July 2022, Opetaia, a 2012 Australian Olympian, overcame an injured jaw to claim Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision. Official scores for the first bout were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improved to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joined Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
IBF / DEC. 18, 2023: Jai Opetaia of Australia vacated the IBF cruiserweight championship in order to move forward with a bout in Saudi Arabia against Great Britain's Ellis Zorro. Opetaia was ordered to grant Briediis a rematch by the IBF but when Briedis got injured, Opetaia sought to sneak in a lucrative voluntary defense on the huge show in Riadh. Reportedly, Briedis had no objection to Opetaia making a voluntary defense, but the IBF rigidly refused to budge, so Opetaia moved on without the belt and KO'd Zorro in a beautiful one-punch knockout in round one on December 23rd.
WBC / NOV. 4, 2023: There is a new WBC cruiserweight champion as Noel Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs) stopped the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs) one minute into the third round. After flooring Makabu in the second round, Miami’s Mikaelian, by way of Armenia, flustered the former champion with a barrage of punches. The title was recently vacated by Badou Jack. Mikaelian said about his knockout victory: “I didn’t expect the knockout so early, but I knew my hand would be raised (in victory) at the end of the night. I’m so happy. I waited two years. I was so close to winning that belt and this time I didn’t want to leave any doubts.” Mikaelian noted the significance of his win: “I had a great camp…I’m the first German to win a world championship on American soil in 90 years, since Max Schmelling.”
IBF / SEPT. 30, 2023: IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia made a successful first title defense in London, stopping previously unbeaten Jordan Thompson in the fourth round. The end came with a left-right combination from Opetaia's southpaw stance. Opetaia returns home to Australia with his belt plus a record of 24-0. Thompson is now 15-1.
WBO / MAY 28, 2023... In a crazy fight in Bournemouth, England, Chris Billam-Smith won the WBO cruiserweight champion from his fellow Brit, good friend and former sparring partner Lawrence Okolie. Billam-Smith scored thee knockdowns and Okolie was penalized two points for non-stop holding. But the championship rounds saw Okolie furiously pressing for a knockdown and Billam-Smith dealing with a bad cut over his left eye. Despite Okolie's late rally, when the final bell sounded, the three knockdowns and two point deductions seemed impossible for the champ to overcome, but there was one more plot twist to come. When the first score was read by the ring announcer, Billam-Smith was shocked to hear 112-112. Sanity prevailed as the other two judges favored Billam-Smith by 116-107 and 115-108. As the majority win was revealed, Billam-Smith broke down in tears and described how he was sick during the week. He also dedicated the win to his mother who was battling breast cancer. During his post-fight interview, Okolie acknowledged his loss but revealed that he had a rematch clause that he planned to invoke.
WBC / FEB. 26, 2023: Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) is now a two-division world champion.* The 39-year old scored a technical knockout victory over Ilunga Makabu (29-3, 25 KOs) to capture the WBC cruiserweight world title. Jack boxed an intelligent fight, mixing footwork and counterpunching to consistently find a home for his right hand. Makabu, on the other hand, seemed too cautious and had trouble putting his punches together. In the fourth round, Jack dropped Makabu with a right hand, and he repeated the knockdown in the eleventh. In the final round, Makabu was clearly worn out from Jack’s offense, and Swedish standout only needed an additional right hand and a brief fusillade of shots to force referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.
*Some list Jack as a three-division champion because he won the WBA regular light heavyweight title in 2017. Boxingtalk does not recognize that as a legitimate world title because Sergey Kovalev was recognized as WBA super champion at that time.
WBA / NOV. 22, 2022... Arsen Goulamirian retained his WBA cruiserweight championship this weekend against Aleksei Egorov with a unanimous decision victory at La Palestre in Le Cannet, France. The Armenian native and French national came off a nearly three-year layoff and came away with a win on the cards by scores of 116-112 and 117-111 (twice). Inactive since 2019, this was Goulamirian's mandatory defense. Goulamirian (27-0) went from strength to strength in the bout and improved as the rounds went by. He faced a very active opponent in the early rounds but was able to figure out his Russian foe to come on strong at the end of the bout. Egorov’s record stands at 16 wins and 3 losses including the World Series of Boxing. [After this win, Goulamirian would remain inactive for more than a year].
IBF / JULY 3, 2022: 2012 Australian Olympian Jai Opetaia overcame an injured jaw to claim Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksadr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision on Saturday in Broadbeach, Australia. Official scores were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improves to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joins Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
WBO / MARCH 21, 2021: Lawrence Okolie crushed former champion Krzysztof Glowacki to be crowned the new WBO cruiserweight champion in just his sixteenth fight at The SSE Arena, Wembley. Okolie unloaded a huge finishing punch to drop Poland’s Glowacki heavily in the sixth round and referee Marcus McDonnell waved off the fight to confirm the coronation of Britain’s newest champ. [The WBO title was vacant coming in after Mairis Briedis discarded it in order to pursue the IBF title in the World Boxing Super Series final]. The unbeaten 28 year-old from Hackney had emulated the likes of Tony Bellew, David Haye and Johnny Nelson, who previously held world crowns in the weight class.
IBF / SEPT. 27, 2020: Season II of the World Boxing Super Series came to its conclusion on Saturday with Latvia's Mairis Briedis taking home the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy and the IBF championship by defeating Yuniel Dorticos in Munich. The WBSS cruiserweight Final, contested behind closed doors, was a close battle. Briedis repeatedly troubled the Cuban Dorticos with powerful counter-punches during a commanding performance. Dorticos was never far behind, and one judge scored it a draw, 114-114, while the other two handed in wide verdicts of 117-111 for Briedis. The Latvian Briedis would only defend the title once in 2021 before losing to Jai Opetaia in 2022.
WBC / FEB. 1. 2020: Ilunga "Junior" Makabu is the new WBC cruiserweight champion, having won the vacant title by defeating Poland's Michal Cieslak via twelve-round decision. The judges’ scores were Omar Mintum 114-112, Carlos Flores 115-111 and Humberto Olivares 116-111, all in favor of Makabu. The fight took place in Makabu's home nation, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Makabu is now 27-2, while Cieslak is 19-1. The WBC title went vacant after world champion Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight.
WBO / NOV. 26, 2019: The WBO cruiserweight championship has been declared vacant as part of a months-long legal battle arising from Maris Briedis' foul-tainted victory over Krzysztof Glowacki last June. That fight was part of the World Boxing Super Series. Briedis landed a deliberate foul, an elbow to the jaw of Glowacki, that hurt him badly but went unpunished by referee Robert Byrd. A few seconds after Glowacki got up from the foul, Byrd allowed the boxers to continue fighting well after the bell sounded to end round two, leading to Glowacki suffering a hard knockdown about ten seconds after the bell rang. Again, Byrd did nothing. Briedis admitted in his post fight interview that the elbow was deliberate and that he heard the bell but kept fighting anyway. Glowacki protested to the WBO, and after an arbitration was held in Puerto Rico, the WBO ordered Briedis to give Glowacki an immediate rematch. Briedis refused, intending to fight IBF champion Yuniel Dorticos in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series, although that fight still has not been scheduled. Glowacki will now await the WBO to name the co-challenger for the vacant title. NOTE: Glowacki was represented in the arbitration by Scott Shaffer, the author of this article.
WBO / JUNE 15, 2019: In a wildly entertaining and controversial bout in Riga, Latvia, Mairis Briedis took advantage of horrendous refereeing by Robert Byrd to become the new WBO cruiserweight champion. Fighting in his home nation, Briedis committed a blatant foul that led to a third-round technical knockout win over Kyrzysztof Glowacki. The win advanced Briedis to the World Boxing Super Series finals, where he will meet newly minted IBF cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos. In round two, Glowacki twice hit Briedis on the back of the head during a clinch as Byrd yelled stop. The second time, Briedis decided to use self help, throwing a nasty, deliberate elbow that caught Glowacki flush on the jaw and sent the Polish man to the canvas. Byrd took a point away, but Glowacki was not fully recovered when the action resumed. Briedis pressed the action and the knocked Glowacki down with about nineteen seconds left in the round. Glowacki beat the count, but was foggy eyed, and definitely needed the minute rest between rounds. As the action resumed, one of Briedis' cornermen jumed up on the ring apron, which is grounds for disqulaification. Then, the bell sounded to end round two, but Byrd did not hear it, and the the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, with Briedis again knocking Glowacki down. The knockdown came a full ten seconds after the bell. In his post-fight interview, Briedis smiled and admitted he heard the bell but kept fighting. To recap round two, Glowacki was down three times: once from an illegal elbow, once from a legal blow while still buzzed from the illegal elbow, and once from a punch that landed well after the bell sounded. In round three, the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, but it was clear Glowacki was fighting at a diminished capacity. He was knocked down again, hard, with his arms flailing, and beat the count, but was in no shape to continue. Byrd, who put in a terrible performance tonight, stopped the fight, to the delight of the Latvian audience. Note: Briedis has the WBO title only, as the WBC threw a hissy fit and pulled the sanction. The WBC cruiserweight title remains vacant.
IBF / JUNE 15, 2019: In Riga, Latvia, Cuba's Yuniel Dorticos got a career-changing win, landing a hard right hand that put previously undefeated Andrew Tabiti to sleep in round ten of the World Boxing Super Series semi-final bout. The win was doubly significant because, in a surprise move, the IBF announced earlier in the day that the winner would be recognized as the IBF cruiserweight champion (Oleksandr Usyk formally vacated the belt in furtherance of his heavyweight campaign). Dorticos was ahead on points, but had to deal with a bad cut over his right eye. Dorticos will await the winner of the other semi-final, a WBO title fight in which Kryzysztof Glowacki defends against former WBC titlist Mairis Briedis. An emotional Dorticos shed tears of joy in the ring. He's now 24-1, with the only loss to Murat Gassiev in last years World Boxing Super Series. The disappointed Tabiti heads home to the United States with a 17-1 record.
WBO / JUNE 6, 2019: The WBO promoted its interim cruiserweight champion, Krysztof Glowacki of Poland, to its full champion in the 200-pound division. According to WBO social media, "With Oleksandr Usyk moving to the heavyweight division, interim champion Krysztof Glowacki is now recognized as the new WBO champion and will face Mairis Briedis in a voluntary defense on June 15th in Riga, Latvia" [as part of the World Boxing Super Series]. Glowacki (31-1) previously held the WBO title from 2015-2016, but lost it to Usyk in 2016. Briedis (25-1) held the WBC version of the title from 2017-2018, also losing his belt to Usyk.
WORLD / NOV. 11, 2018: World champion Oleksandr Usyk said goodbye to the 200-pound division with yet another road win to add to his resume. Fighting in his opponent's coutry, Usyk stopped Tony Bellew, who had earned this shot with an impressive run of five quality wins. After seven hotly contested rounds, Usyk knocked out Bellew with a left hand to Bellew's jaw that violently sent him crashing to the canvas. Promoter Eddie Hearn nearly cradled Bellew's head as he made his way to his feet. Bellew might have been able to beat the count, but the referee did the right thing by stopping the fight. After uifying all four major titles, Usyk will campaign as a heavyweight in the future.
WORLD / JULY 22, 2018: In Moscow, cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk of the Ukraine put on a master boxing class to become only the fifth boxer in history to gain undisputed world championship recognition from the IBF, WBO, WBC and WBA. Usyk accomplished this by defeating Murat Gassiev of Russia by unanimous decision. The win also made Usyk the winner of the World Boxing Super Series eight-man tournament. Official scores were for Usyk 120-108 and 119-109 (twice). Seeing Usyk draped in the Ukraine flag with four championships belts wrapped around him and the Ali Trophy raised over his head was quite an impressive ending to a fantastic tournament pulled off by Comosa AG. Usyk joins Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Cecilia Braekhus and Terence Crawford as the only boxers to hold all four major belts since the WBO gained recognition in the early 1990s. (In the cruiserweight division, the great Evander Holyfiled conquered all three major championships in 1988 prior to the emergence of the WBO). Both men were undfeated coming into this bout, and Gassiev, if not Usyk as well, will likely move up to heavyweight.
WBA / MARCH 26, 2018: Arsen Goulamirian got a significant win, plus a paper title in Marseille, France, defeating Ryad Merhy via eleventh-round technical knockout. The win gives Goulamirian the WBA regular cruiserweight title (Murat Gassiev is recognized as WBA super champion and Denis Lebedev as WBA champion in recess). A combination of many consecutive unanswered blows to Merhy forced the referee to stop the fight. Goulamirian, an Armenian living in France, is 23-0 while Merhy, from the Ivory Coast and living in Belgium, is now 24-1. Goulamirian would go on to inherit the WBA full title, emerging from a mess of WBA corruption involving Denis Lebedev, Murat Gassiev and Beibut Shumenov who repeatedly switched title designations as part of machinations of the WBA.
WBO & WBC / JAN. 28, 2018: Fighting in Latvia, his opponent's home country, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Mairis Briedis to add the WBC cruiserweight championship to the WBO version he already held. The Ukrainian Usyk, a 2012 Olympic champion, won by majority decision, with scores of 115-113 (twice) and 114-114. The unification bout was part of the World Boxing Super Series, and Usyk now qualifies for the finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. Usyk will face the winner of the bout between Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos, which will be contested next week in Sochi, Russia.
IBF & WBA / DEC. 4, 2016… In an all-Russian cruiserweight battle, Murat Gassiev defeated Denis Lebedev to become the IBF cruiserweight champion, and, along with WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, one of the top two cruiserweights in the world. Gassiev, a 23 year-old trained by Abel Sanchez, knocked the Freddie Roach-trained Lebedev down in round five and went on to win by split decision. Scores were 116-111, 116-112 for Gassiev and 114-113 for the 37 year-old Lebedev. In the very worst of boxing politics, Denis Lebedev will retain the WBA cruiserweight title because his promoter “convinced” the WBA that the title should not be on the line against an IBF mandatory.
WBO / SEPT. 18, 2016: A professional boxing star was born as Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk dethroned WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki (26-1, 16 KOs) by twelve-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. The official scores were 119-109 and 117-111 (twice). Undefeated as a pro, Usyk was the 2012 heavyweight gold medal champion and also holds the distinction of being the 2011 World Amateur Champion at heavyweight and 2008 European Amateur Champion at light-heavyweight.
WBC / MAY 31, 2016: Fighting in his home country, Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) delivered a third-round knockout win over South Africa’s Ilunga Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt on Sunday in Liverpool, England. In round one, Bellew punished Makabu on the ropes, but then he got clocked by a Makabu straight counter left and went down. Bellwe got up and fought cautiously through round two. Bellew opened up in round three, severely rocking Makabu, then ended the bout with a barrage of punches, which knocked him cold. Makabu collapsed to the canvas just as referee Victor Loughlin stepped in to wave it off. Bellew (27-2-1 with 17 KO(s) previously dropped light heavyweight title challenges to Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson. With this win, he picks up the WBC title, which for now makes him a distant third in prestige to the other 200-pound champions, Denis Lebedev (IBF/WBA) and Kryzystof Glowacki (WBO). s
WBO / APRIL 16, 2016: In Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, Polish warrior Krzysztof Glowacki scored four knockdowns and retained his WBO cruiserweight championship via unanimous decision over former world champion Steve Cunningham of Philadelphia. Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) twice floored Cunningham (28-8-1, 13 KOs) with second-round, left-hand counters, then used short right hands to drop him once more in the tenth and twelfth rounds en route to a unanimous decision. Thanks to the four knockdowns, Glowacki prevailed by scores of 115-109 (twice) and 116-108, to the delight of a Barclays Center crowd that was packed with Polish fight fans. However, the contest was tougher than the scorecards indicated, as the 29-year-old Glowacki was often forced to hold or fight off the ropes against a former champion who engaged toe-to-toe throughout the night.
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ESPN+ to stream two international shows on Saturday |
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Two boxing shows with international flavor will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ this Saturday, Nov. 23rd. The action begins at Canopée Westfield Forum des Halles in Paris at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT. French junior middleweight Bakary Samake battles Australian veteran Wade Ryan in the twelve-round main event. The fisticuffs continue from Plaza de Toros Calafia in Mexicali, Mexico, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, when former light flyweight champion Elwin Soto returns against Moisés Caro in a ten-rounder. Samake (16-0, 8 KOs) is a three-year pro who kicked off his 2024 campaign in March with a ten-round unanimous decision over Ahmed El Mousaoui. In June, he turned away Chile’s Julio Alamos over ten rounds. Ryan (22-11-1, 8 KOs), a southpaw from Gunnedah, Australia, has only been stopped once as a pro and is 2-0-1 in his last three fights. In March, he traveled to Tokyo and held local hero Takeshi Inoue to a twelve-round draw. In October 2017, he knocked down future champion Tim Tszyu in the opening round before dropping a unanimous decision.
As for the Mexican show, Soto (21-3, 13 KOs) held the WBO light flyweight title from 2019-2021 and made three successful title defenses. He won two fights in 2023 following a June 2022 decision defeat to former champion Hekkie Budler. Caro (11-3-3, 5 KOs) is coming off a highly disputed split decision loss to Mexican countryman Miguel Nieblas Avendano in June.
In other streaming action from Paris:
Mustapha Zaouche (15-0, 5 KOs) vs. Gregorio Marcano (14-7-1, 12 KOs), 8 rounds, super middleweights;
Victor Yoka (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Ali Yammouni (14-17, 4 KOs), 6 rounds, junior middleweights;
Morad Maizou (2-0-1, 1 KO) vs. Cesar Ignacio Paredes (17-13-1, 5 KOs), 6 rounds, junior lightweights; and
Pavel Yasmany Echaide Planche (0-1) vs. Julien Dimna (0-3), 6 rounds, welterweights
In other streaming action from Mexicali:
Erik Robles (15-2, 9 KOs) vs. Misael Gracia (15-5-3, 10 KOs), 10 rounds, junior featherweights;
Miguel Nieblas (11-3, 6 KOs) vs. Erick Gutierrez (7-1, 3 KOs), 8 rounds, flyweights;
Alex Guillen (8-1, 6 KOs) vs. Abimael Cruz (10-3-1, 8 KOs), 8 rounds, junior welterweights; and
Andres Garcia (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Jose Navarro Montanez (6-1, 2 KOs), 6 rounds, lightweights.
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ESPN+ to stream two international shows on Saturday
Two boxing shows with international flavor will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ this Saturday, Nov. 23rd. The action begins at Canopée Westfield Forum des Halles in Paris at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT. French junior middleweight Bakary Samake battles Australian veteran Wade Ryan in the twelve-round main event. The fisticuffs continue from Plaza de Toros Calafia in Mexicali, Mexico, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, when former light flyweight champion Elwin Soto returns against Moisés Caro in a ten-rounder. Samake (16-0, 8 KOs) is a three-year pro who kicked off his 2024 campaign in March with a ten-round unanimous decision over Ahmed El Mousaoui. In June, he turned away Chile’s Julio Alamos over ten rounds. Ryan (22-11-1, 8 KOs), a southpaw from Gunnedah, Australia, has only been stopped once as a pro and is 2-0-1 in his last three fights. In March, he traveled to Tokyo and held local hero Takeshi Inoue to a twelve-round draw. In October 2017, he knocked down future champion Tim Tszyu in the opening round before dropping a unanimous decision.
As for the Mexican show, Soto (21-3, 13 KOs) held the WBO light flyweight title from 2019-2021 and made three successful title defenses. He won two fights in 2023 following a June 2022 decision defeat to former champion Hekkie Budler. Caro (11-3-3, 5 KOs) is coming off a highly disputed split decision loss to Mexican countryman Miguel Nieblas Avendano in June.
In other streaming action from Paris:
Mustapha Zaouche (15-0, 5 KOs) vs. Gregorio Marcano (14-7-1, 12 KOs), 8 rounds, super middleweights;
Victor Yoka (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Ali Yammouni (14-17, 4 KOs), 6 rounds, junior middleweights;
Morad Maizou (2-0-1, 1 KO) vs. Cesar Ignacio Paredes (17-13-1, 5 KOs), 6 rounds, junior lightweights; and
Pavel Yasmany Echaide Planche (0-1) vs. Julien Dimna (0-3), 6 rounds, welterweights
In other streaming action from Mexicali:
Erik Robles (15-2, 9 KOs) vs. Misael Gracia (15-5-3, 10 KOs), 10 rounds, junior featherweights;
Miguel Nieblas (11-3, 6 KOs) vs. Erick Gutierrez (7-1, 3 KOs), 8 rounds, flyweights;
Alex Guillen (8-1, 6 KOs) vs. Abimael Cruz (10-3-1, 8 KOs), 8 rounds, junior welterweights; and
Andres Garcia (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Jose Navarro Montanez (6-1, 2 KOs), 6 rounds, lightweights.
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Rocili to fight in San Antonio, Texas this weekend |
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Middleweight prospect Blazen Rocili (7-0, 6 KOs), a 6’3” southpaw from Las Vegas, is ready to light up the ring this Saturday, November 23rd, 2024, at the Alzafar Shrine Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas. Rocili will face Houston’s De Priest Johnson (2-2) in a scheduled four-round bout as part of an action-packed evening of boxing. The Triple A Promotions event will be streamed live on KSAT.com, KSAT+, Veuit Boxing, and Radiant TV. “I'm incredibly excited to be back in the ring,” said Rocili, who’s rare size for a Filipino is gaining attention. “It’s been a dream of mine to fight in Texas, where the fans have so much passion for boxing. This will be my first time fighting here, and I want to make it a memorable night for everyone watching.”
“Blazen has the size, the skill, and the charisma to follow in the footsteps of the greats like Manny Pacquiao,” said Rocili’s manager, Andrew Bocanegra, who believes his fighter has all the qualities to become the next big Filipino star in boxing. “At just 22, he’s already showing that he’s ready to take on the world. Saturday is another step toward fulfilling that potential.”
For Rocili, the global reach of the event makes it even more special. “Knowing that my fans back home in Las Vegas and in the Philippines can watch live, is truly a blessing. Their support pushes me to train harder and give my all in the ring.”
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Rocili to fight in San Antonio, Texas this weekend
Middleweight prospect Blazen Rocili (7-0, 6 KOs), a 6’3” southpaw from Las Vegas, is ready to light up the ring this Saturday, November 23rd, 2024, at the Alzafar Shrine Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas. Rocili will face Houston’s De Priest Johnson (2-2) in a scheduled four-round bout as part of an action-packed evening of boxing. The Triple A Promotions event will be streamed live on KSAT.com, KSAT+, Veuit Boxing, and Radiant TV. “I'm incredibly excited to be back in the ring,” said Rocili, who’s rare size for a Filipino is gaining attention. “It’s been a dream of mine to fight in Texas, where the fans have so much passion for boxing. This will be my first time fighting here, and I want to make it a memorable night for everyone watching.”
“Blazen has the size, the skill, and the charisma to follow in the footsteps of the greats like Manny Pacquiao,” said Rocili’s manager, Andrew Bocanegra, who believes his fighter has all the qualities to become the next big Filipino star in boxing. “At just 22, he’s already showing that he’s ready to take on the world. Saturday is another step toward fulfilling that potential.”
For Rocili, the global reach of the event makes it even more special. “Knowing that my fans back home in Las Vegas and in the Philippines can watch live, is truly a blessing. Their support pushes me to train harder and give my all in the ring.”
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Cruiserweight fight booked for Essen, Germany this weekend |
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Tim Voessing of Germany and Erdogan Kadrija of Kosovo will fight this Saturday in a cruiserweight bout to be held in the Essen Coliseum in Germany. Voessing is 26 years old and has been moving up the boxing ladder at a good pace. He has power and has knocked out five of his last six opponents. Overall, Voessing is undefeated with 14 wins and 8 knockouts. Kadrija is 38 years old and has won four of his last five fights, although he is the betting underdog. Earlier this year, Kadrija was stopped i two rounds by John Hedges, but bounced back with a low-level win. Kadrija comes in with a career mark of 21 wins, 6 setbacks and 13 knockouts.
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Cruiserweight fight booked for Essen, Germany this weekend
Tim Voessing of Germany and Erdogan Kadrija of Kosovo will fight this Saturday in a cruiserweight bout to be held in the Essen Coliseum in Germany. Voessing is 26 years old and has been moving up the boxing ladder at a good pace. He has power and has knocked out five of his last six opponents. Overall, Voessing is undefeated with 14 wins and 8 knockouts. Kadrija is 38 years old and has won four of his last five fights, although he is the betting underdog. Earlier this year, Kadrija was stopped i two rounds by John Hedges, but bounced back with a low-level win. Kadrija comes in with a career mark of 21 wins, 6 setbacks and 13 knockouts.
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Florida man sues Netflix over Paul-Tyson streaming glitches |
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A Florida man named Ronald "Blue" Denton has sued Netflix in Florida state court, claiming he is entitled to monetary damages as a result of the streaming glitches Netflix suffered during Friday night's boxing broadcast, which was highlighted by Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano II and the disappointing Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight. Denton and his attorneys, The Consumer Protection Firm, PLLC, have styled the suit as a proposed class action, which means they seek to recover on behalf of every consumer in the United States, which is likely in the tens of millions. Boxingtalk is very dubious that the lawsuit can succeed on a large scale because there will not be an easy way to prove which viewers experienced streaming difficulties and who did not. Here are the allegations of the lawsuit: Sixty million households were part of a record-breaking night for Netflix as they attempted to tune in to see 58 year-old “Iron” Mike Tyson fight 27 year-old Jake Paul on Friday, November 15th. The fight was distributed by Netflix to over 6,000 bars and restaurants across the United States. This was a record for commercial distribution of a combat sports.
Family and friends across America were eagerly waiting for the highly anticipated fight between Tyson and Paul, in addition to three undercard fights, all to begin at 8:00 p.m. Instead, the boxing fans along with the average Americans wanting to see a legend in what would most likely be his last fight, were faced with legendary problems, including: no access, streaming glitches, and buffering issues. These caused Plaintiffs to “bite their gloves” in frustration as they did not get what they bargained for. They missed large portions of the fight(s); if not the fight all together. Tens of thousands of Netflix users reported issues accessing the streaming service to the long-awaited showdown between the two famous fighters. By 9:46 p.m., roughly 97,000 reports had been received. NBC Chicago contacted Netflix for a response to the troubles and was told, in part, “Nothing to comment on at this time..."
Netflix plan subscriptions range from $6.99 to $22.99 a month (pre-tax). Subscribers of Netflix were angered and disappointed after some reported Netflix crashed repeatedly throughout the fight. “The fight was ‘unwatchable,’ for most viewers.”
Instead of providing the programming its viewers pay for every month Netflix was completely unprepared and unable to “fix” the issues.
Plaintiffs, individually and on behalf of the [proposed] class of similarly situated persons, bring this class action lawsuit and allege the following against Defendant Netflix, Inc, based upon personal knowledge with respect to Plaintiff and on information and believe derived from, among other things, investigation of counsel and review of public documents as to all other matters.
Plaintiffs bring this class action for Netflix’s failure to fulfill contractual obligations, and engaging in deceptive trade practices, as they continued billing for services not delivered, and charging and collecting fees for a product that was not delivered. Plaintiffs seek, among other things, orders requiring Netflix to supply services or reimburse [proposed] class members for being unable to deliver on a highly advertised program which was included in Plaintiffs’ subscription to Netflix.
On Friday, November 15th, Netflix customers experienced massive streaming issues and should have known better because it’s happened before. They were woefully ill-prepared.
As a result of Netflix's failure to follow contractually agreed upon standards, Plaintiff and [the proposed] class members received only a diminished value of the services Netflix was to provide, or no value at all. Accordingly, Plaintiff, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, alleges claims for breach of contract, and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and Florida’s Consumer Collection Practices Act.
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Florida man sues Netflix over Paul-Tyson streaming glitches
A Florida man named Ronald "Blue" Denton has sued Netflix in Florida state court, claiming he is entitled to monetary damages as a result of the streaming glitches Netflix suffered during Friday night's boxing broadcast, which was highlighted by Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano II and the disappointing Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight. Denton and his attorneys, The Consumer Protection Firm, PLLC, have styled the suit as a proposed class action, which means they seek to recover on behalf of every consumer in the United States, which is likely in the tens of millions. Boxingtalk is very dubious that the lawsuit can succeed on a large scale because there will not be an easy way to prove which viewers experienced streaming difficulties and who did not. Here are the allegations of the lawsuit: Sixty million households were part of a record-breaking night for Netflix as they attempted to tune in to see 58 year-old “Iron” Mike Tyson fight 27 year-old Jake Paul on Friday, November 15th. The fight was distributed by Netflix to over 6,000 bars and restaurants across the United States. This was a record for commercial distribution of a combat sports.
Family and friends across America were eagerly waiting for the highly anticipated fight between Tyson and Paul, in addition to three undercard fights, all to begin at 8:00 p.m. Instead, the boxing fans along with the average Americans wanting to see a legend in what would most likely be his last fight, were faced with legendary problems, including: no access, streaming glitches, and buffering issues. These caused Plaintiffs to “bite their gloves” in frustration as they did not get what they bargained for. They missed large portions of the fight(s); if not the fight all together. Tens of thousands of Netflix users reported issues accessing the streaming service to the long-awaited showdown between the two famous fighters. By 9:46 p.m., roughly 97,000 reports had been received. NBC Chicago contacted Netflix for a response to the troubles and was told, in part, “Nothing to comment on at this time..."
Netflix plan subscriptions range from $6.99 to $22.99 a month (pre-tax). Subscribers of Netflix were angered and disappointed after some reported Netflix crashed repeatedly throughout the fight. “The fight was ‘unwatchable,’ for most viewers.”
Instead of providing the programming its viewers pay for every month Netflix was completely unprepared and unable to “fix” the issues.
Plaintiffs, individually and on behalf of the [proposed] class of similarly situated persons, bring this class action lawsuit and allege the following against Defendant Netflix, Inc, based upon personal knowledge with respect to Plaintiff and on information and believe derived from, among other things, investigation of counsel and review of public documents as to all other matters.
Plaintiffs bring this class action for Netflix’s failure to fulfill contractual obligations, and engaging in deceptive trade practices, as they continued billing for services not delivered, and charging and collecting fees for a product that was not delivered. Plaintiffs seek, among other things, orders requiring Netflix to supply services or reimburse [proposed] class members for being unable to deliver on a highly advertised program which was included in Plaintiffs’ subscription to Netflix.
On Friday, November 15th, Netflix customers experienced massive streaming issues and should have known better because it’s happened before. They were woefully ill-prepared.
As a result of Netflix's failure to follow contractually agreed upon standards, Plaintiff and [the proposed] class members received only a diminished value of the services Netflix was to provide, or no value at all. Accordingly, Plaintiff, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, alleges claims for breach of contract, and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and Florida’s Consumer Collection Practices Act.
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Oliver McCall wins at age 59 |
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Oliver McCall KO2 Stacy Frazier ... Oliver McCall got a win at age 59, and the knockout was about as bad as you would expect. McCall, a former WBC heavyweight champion, knocked out fellow 50-something Stacy Frazier with an amateurish punch in round two. Frazier hasn't won a fight since 2014, then lost seven in a row and hadn't fought at all since 2019. Now 16-23, truth be told, Frazier was never very good anyway. McCall ended 5 1/2 years of inactivity and is now 60-14.
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Oliver McCall wins at age 59
Oliver McCall KO2 Stacy Frazier ... Oliver McCall got a win at age 59, and the knockout was about as bad as you would expect. McCall, a former WBC heavyweight champion, knocked out fellow 50-something Stacy Frazier with an amateurish punch in round two. Frazier hasn't won a fight since 2014, then lost seven in a row and hadn't fought at all since 2019. Now 16-23, truth be told, Frazier was never very good anyway. McCall ended 5 1/2 years of inactivity and is now 60-14.
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Salita Promotions signs heavyweight Pryce Taylor |
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Salita Promotions has signed undefeated heavyweight Pryce Taylor, a former amateur standout who, like his new promoter Dmitriy Salita, learned the sweet science in Brooklyn, New York. A pro for just under a year, the 28 year-old Taylor (4-0, 2 KOs) will be featured on the December 12th edition of “Big Time Boxing USA” in Flint, Michigan, airing live on global streaming service DAZN. Already scheduled to fight on the card are Michigan’s Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr., Joey Spencer, Da’Velle “Hitman 2.0” Smith and Leon Lawson III. Tickets for the event at Dort Financial Center are on sale now and can be purchased online or in-person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.
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Salita Promotions signs heavyweight Pryce Taylor
Salita Promotions has signed undefeated heavyweight Pryce Taylor, a former amateur standout who, like his new promoter Dmitriy Salita, learned the sweet science in Brooklyn, New York. A pro for just under a year, the 28 year-old Taylor (4-0, 2 KOs) will be featured on the December 12th edition of “Big Time Boxing USA” in Flint, Michigan, airing live on global streaming service DAZN. Already scheduled to fight on the card are Michigan’s Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr., Joey Spencer, Da’Velle “Hitman 2.0” Smith and Leon Lawson III. Tickets for the event at Dort Financial Center are on sale now and can be purchased online or in-person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.
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Atomweight unification is upon us |
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Tina Rupprecht, the WBC atomweight champion, will face Eri Matsuda, the WBA / WBO champion in a unification fight this coming Saturday, November 23rd at the Olympiastuetzpunkt in Heidelberg, Germany. The Japanese fighter will travel to the German’s home for a duel for three of the 102-pound championships. The fight is promoted by Fight Max and will be broadcast on TV Germany. Rupprecht (13-1-1) defeated Fabiana Bytyqi in her most recent fight on January 13th and took the WBC crown, which she will now put at stake in this fight. Matsuda (7-1-1) has been champion since last January when, as an underdog, she beat Yuko Kuroki. [Japan's Sumire Yamanaka holds the IBF title].
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Atomweight unification is upon us
Tina Rupprecht, the WBC atomweight champion, will face Eri Matsuda, the WBA / WBO champion in a unification fight this coming Saturday, November 23rd at the Olympiastuetzpunkt in Heidelberg, Germany. The Japanese fighter will travel to the German’s home for a duel for three of the 102-pound championships. The fight is promoted by Fight Max and will be broadcast on TV Germany. Rupprecht (13-1-1) defeated Fabiana Bytyqi in her most recent fight on January 13th and took the WBC crown, which she will now put at stake in this fight. Matsuda (7-1-1) has been champion since last January when, as an underdog, she beat Yuko Kuroki. [Japan's Sumire Yamanaka holds the IBF title].
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Tickets on sale for Benavidez vs. Morrell |
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WBC interim light heavyweight Champion David “El Monstro” Benavidez and WBA regular light heavyweight champion David Morrell Jr. will meet in a battle of two of the sport’s most exciting 175 pounders in the primes of their careers. Benavidez-Morrell headlines a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video taking place Saturday, Feb. 1st from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Pre-sale tickets are AVAILABLE NOW until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC. The public on sale is scheduled for TOMORROW, Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The co-feature will see WBC featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa defend his title against former two-belt junior featherweight champion Stephen Fulton Jr. in a rematch of one of 2021’s best fights. The pay-per-view will also feature Mexican star and former world title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz facing Angel Fierro in an all-Mexican junior welterweight duel, plus rising Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. against former unified junior middleweight champion Jeison Rosario in a ten-round middleweight fight.
“I’m very proud to help deliver this fantastic super fight to the fans,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, who promotes Benavidez. “The boxing world has been anticipating the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell Jr. showdown between these two heated rivals who don’t like each other at all, and now it is here on February 1st. The stakes will be high and both fighters will be in great shape, as the winner will be an interim unified light heavyweight champion, as well as the final mandatory for the WBC and WBA titles. T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be packed for this Mexico vs. Cuba matchup for the ages.”
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Tickets on sale for Benavidez vs. Morrell
WBC interim light heavyweight Champion David “El Monstro” Benavidez and WBA regular light heavyweight champion David Morrell Jr. will meet in a battle of two of the sport’s most exciting 175 pounders in the primes of their careers. Benavidez-Morrell headlines a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video taking place Saturday, Feb. 1st from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Pre-sale tickets are AVAILABLE NOW until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC. The public on sale is scheduled for TOMORROW, Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The co-feature will see WBC featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa defend his title against former two-belt junior featherweight champion Stephen Fulton Jr. in a rematch of one of 2021’s best fights. The pay-per-view will also feature Mexican star and former world title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz facing Angel Fierro in an all-Mexican junior welterweight duel, plus rising Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. against former unified junior middleweight champion Jeison Rosario in a ten-round middleweight fight.
“I’m very proud to help deliver this fantastic super fight to the fans,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, who promotes Benavidez. “The boxing world has been anticipating the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell Jr. showdown between these two heated rivals who don’t like each other at all, and now it is here on February 1st. The stakes will be high and both fighters will be in great shape, as the winner will be an interim unified light heavyweight champion, as well as the final mandatory for the WBC and WBA titles. T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be packed for this Mexico vs. Cuba matchup for the ages.”
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Stanionis agrees to defend against Giyasov |
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The teams of Eimantas Stanionis (pictured) and Shakhram Giyasov informed the WBA Championships Committee that they have reached an agreement for a mandatory title fight in the welterweight division. As a result, the purse bid scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was officially suspended. The contracts and details about the fight between Stanionis, the WBA welterweight champion and Giyasov, the WBA mandatory challenger, were not yet revealed. The welterweight division remains fractured since world champion Terence Crawford moved up to junior middleweight. The current champions are Stanionis (WBA), Jaron "Boots" Ennis (IBF), Mario Barrios (WBC) and Brian Norman (WBO). Stanionis, from Lithuania, was elevated from WBA interim champion to WBA champion when Crawford moved up in weight. Giyasov is from Uzbekistan and has apro record of 17-3 including the World Series of Boxing. He is on a run of four quality wins since 2022.
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Stanionis agrees to defend against Giyasov
The teams of Eimantas Stanionis (pictured) and Shakhram Giyasov informed the WBA Championships Committee that they have reached an agreement for a mandatory title fight in the welterweight division. As a result, the purse bid scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was officially suspended. The contracts and details about the fight between Stanionis, the WBA welterweight champion and Giyasov, the WBA mandatory challenger, were not yet revealed. The welterweight division remains fractured since world champion Terence Crawford moved up to junior middleweight. The current champions are Stanionis (WBA), Jaron "Boots" Ennis (IBF), Mario Barrios (WBC) and Brian Norman (WBO). Stanionis, from Lithuania, was elevated from WBA interim champion to WBA champion when Crawford moved up in weight. Giyasov is from Uzbekistan and has apro record of 17-3 including the World Series of Boxing. He is on a run of four quality wins since 2022.
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Daniel Dubois calls out Jake Paul |
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Daniel Dubois (pictured): "Hi Jake. Good business on the weekend but how would you feel fighting for the legitimate heavyweight championship of the world? This is Daniel Dubois calling you out. Let's get it on." Editor's note: Dubois is the IBF heavyweight champion, but NOT the legitimate heavyweight champion of the world. That distinction belongs to Oleksandr Usyk.
Jake Paul: "[That] Man [has] been boxing for twelve years, has over 100 fights between amateur and pro and fought on my undercard… hahaha. But f*ck it…I’m going to have Nakisa [Bidarian, Paul's business partner] talk to [Dubois' promoter] Frankie Warren and get you in line for the throne. Unlike Artur [Beterbiev, the world light heavyweight champion who also called out Paul this week], at least you have a few thousand fans."
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Daniel Dubois calls out Jake Paul
Daniel Dubois (pictured): "Hi Jake. Good business on the weekend but how would you feel fighting for the legitimate heavyweight championship of the world? This is Daniel Dubois calling you out. Let's get it on." Editor's note: Dubois is the IBF heavyweight champion, but NOT the legitimate heavyweight champion of the world. That distinction belongs to Oleksandr Usyk.
Jake Paul: "[That] Man [has] been boxing for twelve years, has over 100 fights between amateur and pro and fought on my undercard… hahaha. But f*ck it…I’m going to have Nakisa [Bidarian, Paul's business partner] talk to [Dubois' promoter] Frankie Warren and get you in line for the throne. Unlike Artur [Beterbiev, the world light heavyweight champion who also called out Paul this week], at least you have a few thousand fans."
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Late result: Barboza remains undefeated vs. ex-champ Ramirez |
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Arnold Barboza W10 Jose Carlos Ramirez.... In a junior welterweight out in Saudi Arabia, Arnold Barboza Jr. remained undefeated in his 31st pro bout, defeating former two-belt champion Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2). Barboza prevailed by ten-round unanimous decision, landing 15 of 55 punches per round compared to 11 of 40 per pound for Ramirez. The official scores were 97-93 and 96-94 (twice). Barboza threw a total of 772 punches, outlanding Ramirez 247-194.
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Late result: Barboza remains undefeated vs. ex-champ Ramirez
Arnold Barboza W10 Jose Carlos Ramirez.... In a junior welterweight out in Saudi Arabia, Arnold Barboza Jr. remained undefeated in his 31st pro bout, defeating former two-belt champion Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2). Barboza prevailed by ten-round unanimous decision, landing 15 of 55 punches per round compared to 11 of 40 per pound for Ramirez. The official scores were 97-93 and 96-94 (twice). Barboza threw a total of 772 punches, outlanding Ramirez 247-194.
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Next up for Ryan Garcia: exhibition vs. a kickboxer |
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[Troubled] Ryan Garcia will make a return to the ring for an end-of-year attraction in Tokyo as Rizin and Fanmio present a special exhibition showdown against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo on Monday, December 30th at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT (U.S. date and time). The event will be available worldwide on Fanmio pay-per-view, excluding Japan. This match-up will see Garcia go up against the biggest and strongest opponent of his career in kickboxing champion Anpo, who announced his presence on the big stage against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in a July exhibition. The exhibition will be fought at 153-pounds, with full boxing rules implemented across eight two-minute rounds. “I’m looking forward to knocking Anpo out for trying to knock out the legend Manny Pacquiao,” said Ryan Garcia. “Manny is past his prime and for him to try to knock him out rubbed me the wrong way. I will knock him out and teach him a lesson of respect.”
“I surpass Ryan in size, speed, power, everything,” said Rukiya Anpo. “If he goes into this match feeling like a party, it's definitely going to be a beatdown. I'm going to beat the shit out of an arrogant, cocky Ryan and show America who the real bad boy is.”
“We’re incredibly excited about the future working with Rizin, Japan’s biggest combat sports company and there’s no better way to launch our partnership than with Ryan Garcia vs Rukiya Anpo,” said Solomon Engel, Fanmio's CEO. “This is definitely an intriguing fight with Ryan’s power and Anpo’s significant size advantage. We look forward to having an amazing event that everyone will enjoy on December 30. Make sure to tune in.”
“We are delighted to celebrate our 10th New Year’s Eve event by hosting this super fight,” said Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Rizin's CEO. “We’re happy to partner with Fanmio to make this event spectacular and deliver it to fans worldwide.”
The 26-year-old Ryan Garcia sports an outstanding record of 24-1 with 20 KOs and will compete in an exhibition for his first boxing action since his April fight against Devin Haney for which Garcia tested positive for a banned subsatance. A native of Victorville, California, Garcia was undefeated in his first 23 professional fights following a stellar amateur career. As he rose through the rankings, Garcia’s star exploded across social media and translated to packed venues as he became one of boxing’s true crossover stars. His lone defeat came in a 2023 mega-event against three-division champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis, as their years-long rivalry culminated in the ring with an event that sold over a million pay-per-views.
A native of Himeji, Japan who was trained in karate from an early age alongside his younger brother Riku Anpo, Rukiya Anpo has risen to superstardom in Japan with his kickboxing prowess and earned himself the “Demolition Man” moniker as he’s taken out opponent after opponent. In 2019, he became a kickboxing world champion by defeating Kaew Fairtex in back-to-back fights to capture the super lightweight title. His accolades throughout his kickboxing career also include earning second place in the 2021 Welterweight Grand Prix, in addition to 2018 and 2020 Fight of the Year and 2017 KO of the Year awards. He debuted with RIZIN in 2023, fighting Buakaw Banchamek to a draw before defeating Sho Patrick Usami.
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Next up for Ryan Garcia: exhibition vs. a kickboxer
[Troubled] Ryan Garcia will make a return to the ring for an end-of-year attraction in Tokyo as Rizin and Fanmio present a special exhibition showdown against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo on Monday, December 30th at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT (U.S. date and time). The event will be available worldwide on Fanmio pay-per-view, excluding Japan. This match-up will see Garcia go up against the biggest and strongest opponent of his career in kickboxing champion Anpo, who announced his presence on the big stage against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in a July exhibition. The exhibition will be fought at 153-pounds, with full boxing rules implemented across eight two-minute rounds. “I’m looking forward to knocking Anpo out for trying to knock out the legend Manny Pacquiao,” said Ryan Garcia. “Manny is past his prime and for him to try to knock him out rubbed me the wrong way. I will knock him out and teach him a lesson of respect.”
“I surpass Ryan in size, speed, power, everything,” said Rukiya Anpo. “If he goes into this match feeling like a party, it's definitely going to be a beatdown. I'm going to beat the shit out of an arrogant, cocky Ryan and show America who the real bad boy is.”
“We’re incredibly excited about the future working with Rizin, Japan’s biggest combat sports company and there’s no better way to launch our partnership than with Ryan Garcia vs Rukiya Anpo,” said Solomon Engel, Fanmio's CEO. “This is definitely an intriguing fight with Ryan’s power and Anpo’s significant size advantage. We look forward to having an amazing event that everyone will enjoy on December 30. Make sure to tune in.”
“We are delighted to celebrate our 10th New Year’s Eve event by hosting this super fight,” said Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Rizin's CEO. “We’re happy to partner with Fanmio to make this event spectacular and deliver it to fans worldwide.”
The 26-year-old Ryan Garcia sports an outstanding record of 24-1 with 20 KOs and will compete in an exhibition for his first boxing action since his April fight against Devin Haney for which Garcia tested positive for a banned subsatance. A native of Victorville, California, Garcia was undefeated in his first 23 professional fights following a stellar amateur career. As he rose through the rankings, Garcia’s star exploded across social media and translated to packed venues as he became one of boxing’s true crossover stars. His lone defeat came in a 2023 mega-event against three-division champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis, as their years-long rivalry culminated in the ring with an event that sold over a million pay-per-views.
A native of Himeji, Japan who was trained in karate from an early age alongside his younger brother Riku Anpo, Rukiya Anpo has risen to superstardom in Japan with his kickboxing prowess and earned himself the “Demolition Man” moniker as he’s taken out opponent after opponent. In 2019, he became a kickboxing world champion by defeating Kaew Fairtex in back-to-back fights to capture the super lightweight title. His accolades throughout his kickboxing career also include earning second place in the 2021 Welterweight Grand Prix, in addition to 2018 and 2020 Fight of the Year and 2017 KO of the Year awards. He debuted with RIZIN in 2023, fighting Buakaw Banchamek to a draw before defeating Sho Patrick Usami.
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Habazin and Jonas to unify two welterweight titles |
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WBC welterweight champion Ivana Habazin will be matched against IBF champion Natasha Jonas in a unification showdown on Saturday, December 14th at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England. Habazin hails from Croatia, and outpointed Kinga Magyar to capture the vacant WBC title in April. Now 35 years old, she has shared the ring with some of the best fighters of the modern era, including Cecilia Braekhus and Claressa Shields. Habazin (23-5), said: “It will be an honor for me to unify the WBC and IBF welterweight world titles. I have a lot of respect for Natasha. She has been a great champion throughout her career. She is one of the most outstanding fighters in the sport today and defeating her will give me the recognition that I have long deserved.”
For Jonas, this represents the opportunity to become a unified world champion in a second weight division, having previously won multiple belts at junior middleweight.
In January, Jonas (15-2-1), won a split decision against American Mikaela Mayer, a former unified champion, in Liverpool. She commented: “I am excited to be back with another great world title fight in my home, Liverpool. To have the opportunity to win another world title and unify the IBF and WBC world titles is going to be special. Ivana Habazin is a great champion. She has fought some of the best in the world. I expect a tough fight, but I am ready to prove that I am number one in the division.”
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Habazin and Jonas to unify two welterweight titles
WBC welterweight champion Ivana Habazin will be matched against IBF champion Natasha Jonas in a unification showdown on Saturday, December 14th at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England. Habazin hails from Croatia, and outpointed Kinga Magyar to capture the vacant WBC title in April. Now 35 years old, she has shared the ring with some of the best fighters of the modern era, including Cecilia Braekhus and Claressa Shields. Habazin (23-5), said: “It will be an honor for me to unify the WBC and IBF welterweight world titles. I have a lot of respect for Natasha. She has been a great champion throughout her career. She is one of the most outstanding fighters in the sport today and defeating her will give me the recognition that I have long deserved.”
For Jonas, this represents the opportunity to become a unified world champion in a second weight division, having previously won multiple belts at junior middleweight.
In January, Jonas (15-2-1), won a split decision against American Mikaela Mayer, a former unified champion, in Liverpool. She commented: “I am excited to be back with another great world title fight in my home, Liverpool. To have the opportunity to win another world title and unify the IBF and WBC world titles is going to be special. Ivana Habazin is a great champion. She has fought some of the best in the world. I expect a tough fight, but I am ready to prove that I am number one in the division.”
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Oliver McCall to fight at age 59 |
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This Tuesday night at The Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee, former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall-- age 59-- takes on veteran Stacy Frazier (16-22) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. McCall will break the record for being the oldest former heavyweight champion to compete in a sanctioned fight. The record was set just four days earlier by former undisputed champion Mike Tyson when he took on Jake Paul in Arlington, Texas. McCall, 59-14 with 38 knockouts, had his last recorded fight, a win in 2019 vs. Hugo Lomeli. Frazier last won a fight in 2014 and went 0-7 from 2014 through 2019.
McCall believes that staying active over the last 19 years will separate his performance on Tuesday night from what Tyson looked like on Friday. "I am ready. I have been training down here in Nashville for a few weeks, but I am always in shape. This will be a lot different then what fans saw on Friday. I think being active has a great deal to do with it. The only reason that I have not fought in five years was the pandemic and a few things falling through. If you look at my record, since 2005, I have fought 25 times and have been 19-6 with wins over quality fighters and have won various regional titles.
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Oliver McCall to fight at age 59
This Tuesday night at The Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee, former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall-- age 59-- takes on veteran Stacy Frazier (16-22) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. McCall will break the record for being the oldest former heavyweight champion to compete in a sanctioned fight. The record was set just four days earlier by former undisputed champion Mike Tyson when he took on Jake Paul in Arlington, Texas. McCall, 59-14 with 38 knockouts, had his last recorded fight, a win in 2019 vs. Hugo Lomeli. Frazier last won a fight in 2014 and went 0-7 from 2014 through 2019.
McCall believes that staying active over the last 19 years will separate his performance on Tuesday night from what Tyson looked like on Friday. "I am ready. I have been training down here in Nashville for a few weeks, but I am always in shape. This will be a lot different then what fans saw on Friday. I think being active has a great deal to do with it. The only reason that I have not fought in five years was the pandemic and a few things falling through. If you look at my record, since 2005, I have fought 25 times and have been 19-6 with wins over quality fighters and have won various regional titles.
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Martinez to give Ioka a rematch in Tokyo |
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This Monday it was officially announced that WBA super flyweight champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez (pictured) will return to Japan for a second consecutive fight against the great Kazuto Ioka on December 31st. The Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, will be the venue for the rematch between the Argentinian and the Japanese legend. They faced each other on July 7th and the result was a wide unanimous decision victory for Martinez. On that occasion, Martinez arrived as the undefeated IBF champion and added Ioka's WBA belt in a great fight that improved his record to 17-0. Martinez has opted for a rematch with Ioka over an IBF mandatory defense, so he will travel to Japan to defend only the WBA's black and gold belt after being stripped recently by the IBF.
The press conference held on Monday was attended by the challenger Ioka in Tokyo. Ioka, 31-3 for his career, who spoke to the press about how important the fight is for his aspirations and his need to win. Ioka is a four-division champion with world titles at 105, 108, 112 and 115 pounds.
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Martinez to give Ioka a rematch in Tokyo
This Monday it was officially announced that WBA super flyweight champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez (pictured) will return to Japan for a second consecutive fight against the great Kazuto Ioka on December 31st. The Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, will be the venue for the rematch between the Argentinian and the Japanese legend. They faced each other on July 7th and the result was a wide unanimous decision victory for Martinez. On that occasion, Martinez arrived as the undefeated IBF champion and added Ioka's WBA belt in a great fight that improved his record to 17-0. Martinez has opted for a rematch with Ioka over an IBF mandatory defense, so he will travel to Japan to defend only the WBA's black and gold belt after being stripped recently by the IBF.
The press conference held on Monday was attended by the challenger Ioka in Tokyo. Ioka, 31-3 for his career, who spoke to the press about how important the fight is for his aspirations and his need to win. Ioka is a four-division champion with world titles at 105, 108, 112 and 115 pounds.
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Dillian Whyte back at it next month |
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Dillian Whyte (30-3) is set to return to the ring on December 15th as he plots a return back to the business end of the heavyweight division. After [failing] a drug test last year that forced his bout with Anthony Joshua to be postponed, Whyte has largely been absent from the heavyweight picture. Once one of British boxing's biggest draws thanks to big fights vs. Derek Chisora, Tyson Fury and Joshua, Whyte is hopeful of a return to the grand stage in 2025. Whyte can get his plans up and running when he faces Ebenezer Tetteh (23-1) in Gibraltar next month, a fight that can be seen live on DAZN. The tough Ghanaian has only lost one fight and that was when he was stopped by Dubois in 2019.
The heavyweight scene is currently thriving with numerous big fights on taking place and that trend is set to continue with Oleksandr Usyk's world championship defense against Tyson Fury on December 21st, and Daniel Dubois set to defend his world title in February.
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Dillian Whyte back at it next month
Dillian Whyte (30-3) is set to return to the ring on December 15th as he plots a return back to the business end of the heavyweight division. After [failing] a drug test last year that forced his bout with Anthony Joshua to be postponed, Whyte has largely been absent from the heavyweight picture. Once one of British boxing's biggest draws thanks to big fights vs. Derek Chisora, Tyson Fury and Joshua, Whyte is hopeful of a return to the grand stage in 2025. Whyte can get his plans up and running when he faces Ebenezer Tetteh (23-1) in Gibraltar next month, a fight that can be seen live on DAZN. The tough Ghanaian has only lost one fight and that was when he was stopped by Dubois in 2019.
The heavyweight scene is currently thriving with numerous big fights on taking place and that trend is set to continue with Oleksandr Usyk's world championship defense against Tyson Fury on December 21st, and Daniel Dubois set to defend his world title in February.
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Spotlight on Rivera vs. Gonzalez, battle of unbeaten flyweights |
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Flyweight Yankiel "El Doctorcito" Rivera (6-0, 2 KOs) will take on Angel "Set it Off" Gonzalez (14-0, 7 KOs) on Saturday, December 7th at the Roberto Clemente Coliseo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout will be televised live worldwide on DAZN as part of a huge night of action headlined by Liam Paro defending his IBF junior welterweight title against Richardson Hitchins. The 27 year-old Rivera fights on his home island for the second time in 2024 having seen off the experienced Victor Sandoval over ten rounds in June. ‘Doctorcito’ will be looking to stamp his credentials for a world shot in 2025, but Gonzalez is determined to spoil those plans in the biggest fight of his career. Gonzalez, a Hartford, Connecticut native of Puerto Rican descent, can catapult himself into world title contention with a victory over Rivera.
"The goal for which I embarked on this wonderful journey full of hope is closer than ever," said Rivera. "By now, there are no easy fights, and each fight gets me closer to that cherished and long-awaited opportunity for a world title. This victory will propel me right at the door of that world title opportunity, and there is no better place to do this than in front of my people at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Angel González is a dangerous opponent and has all my respect. But I was born to become champion of the world and no one, absolutely no one, will stop me short of my destiny." I want to give special thanks to Matchroom, my manager Peter Kahn and my adviser Miguel Ortega, who have, without reservations, put their trust in me. I will not let you down. See you all on December 7th where the great ones fight: the Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico!"
"This fight means everything to me," said Gonzalez, age 31. "It puts me one fight closer to my goal of becoming a world champion. The best thing about it is, I'm fighting in my island of Puerto Rico. I was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, but Puerto Rico will always be my home. My roots, just like my opponents’, are here. The Boxing energy in Puerto Rico is unparalleled and it will give me more confidence and motivation to show all my people how great I am. I can’t wait for the opportunity. I want to thank CES Boxing and my promoter Jimmy Burchfield, Sr. for making this happen. I won’t let you guys down. See you December 7th."
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Spotlight on Rivera vs. Gonzalez, battle of unbeaten flyweights
Flyweight Yankiel "El Doctorcito" Rivera (6-0, 2 KOs) will take on Angel "Set it Off" Gonzalez (14-0, 7 KOs) on Saturday, December 7th at the Roberto Clemente Coliseo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout will be televised live worldwide on DAZN as part of a huge night of action headlined by Liam Paro defending his IBF junior welterweight title against Richardson Hitchins. The 27 year-old Rivera fights on his home island for the second time in 2024 having seen off the experienced Victor Sandoval over ten rounds in June. ‘Doctorcito’ will be looking to stamp his credentials for a world shot in 2025, but Gonzalez is determined to spoil those plans in the biggest fight of his career. Gonzalez, a Hartford, Connecticut native of Puerto Rican descent, can catapult himself into world title contention with a victory over Rivera.
"The goal for which I embarked on this wonderful journey full of hope is closer than ever," said Rivera. "By now, there are no easy fights, and each fight gets me closer to that cherished and long-awaited opportunity for a world title. This victory will propel me right at the door of that world title opportunity, and there is no better place to do this than in front of my people at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Angel González is a dangerous opponent and has all my respect. But I was born to become champion of the world and no one, absolutely no one, will stop me short of my destiny." I want to give special thanks to Matchroom, my manager Peter Kahn and my adviser Miguel Ortega, who have, without reservations, put their trust in me. I will not let you down. See you all on December 7th where the great ones fight: the Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico!"
"This fight means everything to me," said Gonzalez, age 31. "It puts me one fight closer to my goal of becoming a world champion. The best thing about it is, I'm fighting in my island of Puerto Rico. I was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, but Puerto Rico will always be my home. My roots, just like my opponents’, are here. The Boxing energy in Puerto Rico is unparalleled and it will give me more confidence and motivation to show all my people how great I am. I can’t wait for the opportunity. I want to thank CES Boxing and my promoter Jimmy Burchfield, Sr. for making this happen. I won’t let you guys down. See you December 7th."
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Barrios and Ramos fight to bloody draw in WBC welterweight title fight |
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Mario Barrios D12 Abel Ramos ... Mario “Azteca” Barrios managed to retain his WBC welterweight belt in his first defense, after drawing with Abel Ramos on the historic card starred by Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano II and Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was an exciting and bloody battle between two Mexican-Americans, but the skill level will not draw any comparisons to the great welterweights of the past. Barrios started with ample dominance, pummeling Ramos in the first round and sending him to the canvas in the second. It seemed that he would have an easy first defense through the effective use of his jab and distance.
However, Ramos fought back hard in the sixth round when he sent Barrios to the canvas with a powerful series of right hands. Barrios bravely got up and both really went at it. During the final round, Barrios had Ramos in trouble again, but he rallied to fight back. It would all end in a split draw with one judge scoring it 114-112 for Ramos, another 116-110 for Barrios while the third had it even 113-113. Barrios left the ring with a record of 29-2-1 with 18 KOs, while Ramos exited at 28-6-3 with 22 KOs. Both men's faces showed plenty of damage, and six months off would be a good idea for both of them.
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Barrios and Ramos fight to bloody draw in WBC welterweight title fight
Mario Barrios D12 Abel Ramos ... Mario “Azteca” Barrios managed to retain his WBC welterweight belt in his first defense, after drawing with Abel Ramos on the historic card starred by Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano II and Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was an exciting and bloody battle between two Mexican-Americans, but the skill level will not draw any comparisons to the great welterweights of the past. Barrios started with ample dominance, pummeling Ramos in the first round and sending him to the canvas in the second. It seemed that he would have an easy first defense through the effective use of his jab and distance.
However, Ramos fought back hard in the sixth round when he sent Barrios to the canvas with a powerful series of right hands. Barrios bravely got up and both really went at it. During the final round, Barrios had Ramos in trouble again, but he rallied to fight back. It would all end in a split draw with one judge scoring it 114-112 for Ramos, another 116-110 for Barrios while the third had it even 113-113. Barrios left the ring with a record of 29-2-1 with 18 KOs, while Ramos exited at 28-6-3 with 22 KOs. Both men's faces showed plenty of damage, and six months off would be a good idea for both of them.
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Japan's Mizuki Haruta ordered to make mandatory defense of WBO title |
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The WBO has ordered Mizuki Haruta to make a mandatory defense of her 115-pound title against Carla Ayelen Merino. Haruta, from Japan, is 6-0 and won the WBO world title in her fourth pro bout. Merino, from Argentina, is the South American champion and has a record of 15-2.
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Japan's Mizuki Haruta ordered to make mandatory defense of WBO title
The WBO has ordered Mizuki Haruta to make a mandatory defense of her 115-pound title against Carla Ayelen Merino. Haruta, from Japan, is 6-0 and won the WBO world title in her fourth pro bout. Merino, from Argentina, is the South American champion and has a record of 15-2.
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Results from Atlantic City, NJ |
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Justin Figueroa TKO4 Omar Rosales... On Saturday at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey, hometown favorite Justin Figueroa (11-0) thrilled his fanbase with a fourth-round stoppage of junior middleweight Omar “El Charro” Rosales (9-4-1, 5 KOs). Figueroa's record improved to 11-0. The 25 year-old Figueroa came out firing and never slowed down, pummeling Rosales with left and right hooks enroute to his ninth pro career knockout.
Dominique Crowder KO1 Duke Micah...vBantamweight contender Dominique “Dimes” Crowder (18-0, 11 KOs), of Baltimore blasted out 2012 Ghana Olympian Duke “The Baby Face Assassin” Micah (24-3, 19 KOs) in the opening round. Crowder barely worked up a sweat as he decked Mica early with a straight right hand from which he was unable to beat the referee’s count.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Heavy-handed Tennessee welterweight Avious Griffin improved to 16-0 with 15 KOs, putting Adrian Gutierrez (12-4-1, 6 KOs) to sleep with a powerful right in round three, extending his KO streak to nine.
In what was expected to be the toughest test of his young pro career, Paterson (NJ) junior middleweight Dwyke “The Real Silverback” Flemmings, Jr. more than passed the exam, making it 9-for-9 (9-0, 9 KOs) with an opening-round knockout of David Lobo Ramirez (17-3, 12 KOs).
Italy’s “Iron” Jack Michelo (9-0, 7 KOs), was one of four to register knockouts in the opening round, when junior welterweight Ronnell “The Punisher” Burnett (11-2, 7 KOs) was unable to continue due to an injured hand. Micheli was a standout amateur, highlighted by gold medal performances in the 2021 Italian Elite Nationals and U22 Nationals.
Local heavyweight Bruce “Atlantic City Express 2.0” Seldon (4-0, 3 KOs) – the son of ex-WBA heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon – went the distance for the first time as a pro and earned a four-round unanimous decision over Julio “God’s Warrior” Mendoza (3-5, 2 KOs).
Celebrated U.S. amateur, Donte Layne (5-0, 5 KOs) kept his pro record perfect with a first-round knockout of Shaquille Camerson (7-4, 6 KOs). Layne, age 21, was the 2022 USA Nationals and National Golden Gloves Champion.
Junior welterweight Stacia “The Natural” Suttles (2-0, 1 KO), fighting out of Philadelphia, won a four-round unanimous decision over Mariya “Money Mashka” Agapova )0-1-1). Suttles was a 2016 USA Women’s National Champion.
Another sensational U.S. amateur, “Da Beast” Shera Mae Patricio (3-0, 1 KO), cruised to a four-round unanimous decision over Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-8-1, 0 KOs). Patricio was the 2023 USA National Golden Gloves and 2022 USA Nationals Champion.
Legendary promoter Don Elbaum, who promoted 196 shows at The Tropicana during a five-year period alone (1982-1986), was honored by promoter Larry Goldberg.
An amateur show, sanctioned by USA Boxing, was held today (Sunday) at Tropicana Atlantic City and 100-percent of the proceeds is intended to be donated to the Atlantic City PAL.
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Results from Atlantic City, NJ
Justin Figueroa TKO4 Omar Rosales... On Saturday at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey, hometown favorite Justin Figueroa (11-0) thrilled his fanbase with a fourth-round stoppage of junior middleweight Omar “El Charro” Rosales (9-4-1, 5 KOs). Figueroa's record improved to 11-0. The 25 year-old Figueroa came out firing and never slowed down, pummeling Rosales with left and right hooks enroute to his ninth pro career knockout.
Dominique Crowder KO1 Duke Micah...vBantamweight contender Dominique “Dimes” Crowder (18-0, 11 KOs), of Baltimore blasted out 2012 Ghana Olympian Duke “The Baby Face Assassin” Micah (24-3, 19 KOs) in the opening round. Crowder barely worked up a sweat as he decked Mica early with a straight right hand from which he was unable to beat the referee’s count.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Heavy-handed Tennessee welterweight Avious Griffin improved to 16-0 with 15 KOs, putting Adrian Gutierrez (12-4-1, 6 KOs) to sleep with a powerful right in round three, extending his KO streak to nine.
In what was expected to be the toughest test of his young pro career, Paterson (NJ) junior middleweight Dwyke “The Real Silverback” Flemmings, Jr. more than passed the exam, making it 9-for-9 (9-0, 9 KOs) with an opening-round knockout of David Lobo Ramirez (17-3, 12 KOs).
Italy’s “Iron” Jack Michelo (9-0, 7 KOs), was one of four to register knockouts in the opening round, when junior welterweight Ronnell “The Punisher” Burnett (11-2, 7 KOs) was unable to continue due to an injured hand. Micheli was a standout amateur, highlighted by gold medal performances in the 2021 Italian Elite Nationals and U22 Nationals.
Local heavyweight Bruce “Atlantic City Express 2.0” Seldon (4-0, 3 KOs) – the son of ex-WBA heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon – went the distance for the first time as a pro and earned a four-round unanimous decision over Julio “God’s Warrior” Mendoza (3-5, 2 KOs).
Celebrated U.S. amateur, Donte Layne (5-0, 5 KOs) kept his pro record perfect with a first-round knockout of Shaquille Camerson (7-4, 6 KOs). Layne, age 21, was the 2022 USA Nationals and National Golden Gloves Champion.
Junior welterweight Stacia “The Natural” Suttles (2-0, 1 KO), fighting out of Philadelphia, won a four-round unanimous decision over Mariya “Money Mashka” Agapova )0-1-1). Suttles was a 2016 USA Women’s National Champion.
Another sensational U.S. amateur, “Da Beast” Shera Mae Patricio (3-0, 1 KO), cruised to a four-round unanimous decision over Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-8-1, 0 KOs). Patricio was the 2023 USA National Golden Gloves and 2022 USA Nationals Champion.
Legendary promoter Don Elbaum, who promoted 196 shows at The Tropicana during a five-year period alone (1982-1986), was honored by promoter Larry Goldberg.
An amateur show, sanctioned by USA Boxing, was held today (Sunday) at Tropicana Atlantic City and 100-percent of the proceeds is intended to be donated to the Atlantic City PAL.
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Tommy Fury sticking with crossover boxing |
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Tommy Fury and mixed martial artists Darren Till will meet in a crossover boxing match in Manchester, England on January 18th live on DAZN pay-per-view. Misfits Boxing comes flying out of the blocks for 2025 with Fury, who returns to the ring for the first time since his win over KSI last year. Fury has also beaten Jake Paul. MMA hero Till takes on his biggest challenge yet since swapping the octagon for the squared circle.
Fury said: “It feels great to, finally, say that I am back! I have been out of the ring far too long, I’ve been getting itchy knuckles, and so I am thrilled to be able to announce my return. This is extra special as I am the A-side and headlining a massive event in my hometown and in front of my fans, at Co-op Live. Till had a good UFC career but he’s stepping into the boxing ring now, against a proper pro, and he will quickly realise that he is out of his depth, and this is not the game for him. I plan on dealing with Till in conclusive fashion and then chasing even bigger fights in 2025.”
Till said: “January 18th is my time, my night.”
Mams Taylor, Co-President of Misfits Boxing, said: “We are starting 2025 with a serious statement of intent! Fury vs. Till is an absolute banger, one of the biggest crossover fights that can be made, and it will set up the X Series for a record-breaking year. The build-up to this is going to be compelling, it could get personal, and the fight will be one of the most brutal we have ever seen on Misfits. Get your tickets now!”
Kalle Sauerland, Co-President of Misfits Boxing, said: “Fury vs. Till is an absolute Misfits Boxing blockbuster. On January 18th, at the brilliant new Co-op Live, it is Manchester vs. Liverpool - and it’s going to be electric. Fury knows victory sets himself up for a giant year but Till steps into the Misfits Boxing ring for the very first time, straining at the leash and ready to take a giant scalp. We expect an incredibly red-hot atmosphere in the arena with a big undercard to be announced shortly.”
Alfie Sharman, VP DAZN said: “What a fantastic way to kick off a big year for MF & DAZN: X Series. Last time we were in Manchester we were there for the unrivalled Prime Card a year or so ago-and I truly believe this fight can match that in terms of noise and viewership. Darren Till is one of the biggest names in British combat sports and Tommy Fury needs no introduction at all. So tune in for this mega fight, only on DAZN January 18th”.
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Tommy Fury sticking with crossover boxing
Tommy Fury and mixed martial artists Darren Till will meet in a crossover boxing match in Manchester, England on January 18th live on DAZN pay-per-view. Misfits Boxing comes flying out of the blocks for 2025 with Fury, who returns to the ring for the first time since his win over KSI last year. Fury has also beaten Jake Paul. MMA hero Till takes on his biggest challenge yet since swapping the octagon for the squared circle.
Fury said: “It feels great to, finally, say that I am back! I have been out of the ring far too long, I’ve been getting itchy knuckles, and so I am thrilled to be able to announce my return. This is extra special as I am the A-side and headlining a massive event in my hometown and in front of my fans, at Co-op Live. Till had a good UFC career but he’s stepping into the boxing ring now, against a proper pro, and he will quickly realise that he is out of his depth, and this is not the game for him. I plan on dealing with Till in conclusive fashion and then chasing even bigger fights in 2025.”
Till said: “January 18th is my time, my night.”
Mams Taylor, Co-President of Misfits Boxing, said: “We are starting 2025 with a serious statement of intent! Fury vs. Till is an absolute banger, one of the biggest crossover fights that can be made, and it will set up the X Series for a record-breaking year. The build-up to this is going to be compelling, it could get personal, and the fight will be one of the most brutal we have ever seen on Misfits. Get your tickets now!”
Kalle Sauerland, Co-President of Misfits Boxing, said: “Fury vs. Till is an absolute Misfits Boxing blockbuster. On January 18th, at the brilliant new Co-op Live, it is Manchester vs. Liverpool - and it’s going to be electric. Fury knows victory sets himself up for a giant year but Till steps into the Misfits Boxing ring for the very first time, straining at the leash and ready to take a giant scalp. We expect an incredibly red-hot atmosphere in the arena with a big undercard to be announced shortly.”
Alfie Sharman, VP DAZN said: “What a fantastic way to kick off a big year for MF & DAZN: X Series. Last time we were in Manchester we were there for the unrivalled Prime Card a year or so ago-and I truly believe this fight can match that in terms of noise and viewership. Darren Till is one of the biggest names in British combat sports and Tommy Fury needs no introduction at all. So tune in for this mega fight, only on DAZN January 18th”.
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Martin hits the comeback trail with a quick KO |
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Charles Martin KO1 Matthew McKinney.... Former IBF champion Charles Martin took a successful first step back into heavyweight contention on Saturday. Martin hadn't fought in about sixteen months since losing to Jared Anderson, but he didn't need much warm-up time against Matthew McKinney. Martin scored a first-round knockout of McKinney in Redwood City, California to boost his career record to 30-4. McKinney had won four of his last five but drops to 17-8-3 overall.
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Martin hits the comeback trail with a quick KO
Charles Martin KO1 Matthew McKinney.... Former IBF champion Charles Martin took a successful first step back into heavyweight contention on Saturday. Martin hadn't fought in about sixteen months since losing to Jared Anderson, but he didn't need much warm-up time against Matthew McKinney. Martin scored a first-round knockout of McKinney in Redwood City, California to boost his career record to 30-4. McKinney had won four of his last five but drops to 17-8-3 overall.
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Tevin Farmer says drug testing was skipped for his WBC interim title fight |
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Lightweight contender William Zepeda remained undefeated, defeating former junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. But Farmer complained that neither fighter was drug tested after the fight. He said, "Why wasn’t me and Zepeda drug tested? I ask multiple times in the locker room before we fought. [At first] they said after the fight. And still no test. I’m just saying. Boxing is dirty. You never know... Every other championship fight on the card was drug tested. Why not me and Zepeda ? I have so many questions. I kept asking before the fight. They told me after the fight 'oh we was short staffed.' How ? [There] was only six fights on the card." It was only a ten-round fight but the WBC apparently relaxed its rules and awarded Zepeda the interim championship. Farmer (33-7-1) performed very well and was distraught when he lost a split decision by scores of 95-94 (twice), overruling a 95-94 tally in his favor. Zepeda is now 32-0 and in a position to soon challenge WBC full champion Shakur Stevenson.
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Tevin Farmer says drug testing was skipped for his WBC interim title fight
Lightweight contender William Zepeda remained undefeated, defeating former junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. But Farmer complained that neither fighter was drug tested after the fight. He said, "Why wasn’t me and Zepeda drug tested? I ask multiple times in the locker room before we fought. [At first] they said after the fight. And still no test. I’m just saying. Boxing is dirty. You never know... Every other championship fight on the card was drug tested. Why not me and Zepeda ? I have so many questions. I kept asking before the fight. They told me after the fight 'oh we was short staffed.' How ? [There] was only six fights on the card." It was only a ten-round fight but the WBC apparently relaxed its rules and awarded Zepeda the interim championship. Farmer (33-7-1) performed very well and was distraught when he lost a split decision by scores of 95-94 (twice), overruling a 95-94 tally in his favor. Zepeda is now 32-0 and in a position to soon challenge WBC full champion Shakur Stevenson.
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Mike Tyson reflects on his loss |
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Mike Tyson reflects on his experience losing to Jake Paul at age 58: "This is one of those situations when [I] lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25 pounds in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight rounds with [Jake Paul,] a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you."
Netflix Twitter account: "Sixty million households around the world tuned in live to watch Paul vs. Tyson! The boxing mega-event dominated social media, shattered records, and even had our buffering systems on the ropes."
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Mike Tyson reflects on his loss
Mike Tyson reflects on his experience losing to Jake Paul at age 58: "This is one of those situations when [I] lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25 pounds in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight rounds with [Jake Paul,] a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you."
Netflix Twitter account: "Sixty million households around the world tuned in live to watch Paul vs. Tyson! The boxing mega-event dominated social media, shattered records, and even had our buffering systems on the ropes."
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Ramirez now a two-belt cruiserweight champion |
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Gilberto Ramirez W12 Chris Billam-Smith... A two-belt cruiserweight unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday was won by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. Chris "CBS" Billam-Smith's WBO title was added to Ramirez's WBA version in an exciting but mostly one-sided contest. Ramirez, the smaller of the two men, prevailed by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113. It was an exciting and bruising twelve rounds but Billam-Smith made himself an easy target by standing in front of Ramirez and in an upright, easy-to-hit manner.
Ramirez, a southpaw, cut Billam-Smith over the left eye in round four, but the British fighter fought through it and had a strong round five. Ramirez, a former super middleweight title holder, isn't the hardest punching cruiserweight, but his superior footwork got him in position to land clean blows, which began to take their toll on Billam-Smith by round six. The second half of the fight saw Billam-Smith plodding forward, landing an occasional big shot, but more often taking two or three from the more fluid Ramirez. Blood flowed from over Billam-Smith's eye through the end of the fight and certainly no one can question the man's will.
Ramirez is now clearly one of the two top cruiserweights in the world along with IBF champion Jai Opetaia. WBC champion Noel Mikaelian remains mired in limbo due to legal issues with promoter Don King.
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Ramirez now a two-belt cruiserweight champion
Gilberto Ramirez W12 Chris Billam-Smith... A two-belt cruiserweight unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday was won by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. Chris "CBS" Billam-Smith's WBO title was added to Ramirez's WBA version in an exciting but mostly one-sided contest. Ramirez, the smaller of the two men, prevailed by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113. It was an exciting and bruising twelve rounds but Billam-Smith made himself an easy target by standing in front of Ramirez and in an upright, easy-to-hit manner.
Ramirez, a southpaw, cut Billam-Smith over the left eye in round four, but the British fighter fought through it and had a strong round five. Ramirez, a former super middleweight title holder, isn't the hardest punching cruiserweight, but his superior footwork got him in position to land clean blows, which began to take their toll on Billam-Smith by round six. The second half of the fight saw Billam-Smith plodding forward, landing an occasional big shot, but more often taking two or three from the more fluid Ramirez. Blood flowed from over Billam-Smith's eye through the end of the fight and certainly no one can question the man's will.
Ramirez is now clearly one of the two top cruiserweights in the world along with IBF champion Jai Opetaia. WBC champion Noel Mikaelian remains mired in limbo due to legal issues with promoter Don King.
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Oscar Collazo ends the long title reign of Knockout CP Freshmart |
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Oscar Collazo KO7 Thammanoon Niyomtrong... A rare minimumweight unification bout was held in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The 105-pound battle of unbeaten champions was won by Puerto Rico's Oscar Collazo, who had a surprisingly easy time with Thailand's Thammanoon Niyomtrong a/k/a Knockout CP Freshmart. Now 11-0, Collazo scored a knockdown in the last thirty seconds of round six. Two more knockdowns followed in round seven, and the last one came on a body shot, leading the referee to end the fight without a count. Frehsmart, a WBA champion since 2016, drops to 25-1.
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Oscar Collazo ends the long title reign of Knockout CP Freshmart
Oscar Collazo KO7 Thammanoon Niyomtrong... A rare minimumweight unification bout was held in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The 105-pound battle of unbeaten champions was won by Puerto Rico's Oscar Collazo, who had a surprisingly easy time with Thailand's Thammanoon Niyomtrong a/k/a Knockout CP Freshmart. Now 11-0, Collazo scored a knockdown in the last thirty seconds of round six. Two more knockdowns followed in round seven, and the last one came on a body shot, leading the referee to end the fight without a count. Frehsmart, a WBA champion since 2016, drops to 25-1.
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William Zepeda defeats Tevin Farmer |
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William Zepeda W10 Tevin Farmer... Lightweight contender William Zepeda remained undefeated, defeating former junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. It was only a ten-round fight but the WBC apparently relaxed its rules and awarded Zepeda the interim championship. Farmer (33-7-1) performed very well and was distraught when he lost a split decision by scores of 95-94 (twice), overruling a 95-94 tally in his favor. Zepeda is now 32-0 and in a position to soon challenge WBC full champion Shakur Stevenson. Farmer complained that neither fighter was drug tested after the fight. He said, "Why wasn’t me and Zepeda drug tested? I ask multiple times in the locker room before we fought. [At first] they said after the fight. And still no test. I’m just saying. Boxing is dirty. You never know... Every other championship fight on the card was drug tested. Why not me and Zepeda ? I have so many questions. I kept asking before the fight. They told me after the fight 'oh we was short staffed.' How ? [There] was only six fights on the card."
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William Zepeda defeats Tevin Farmer
William Zepeda W10 Tevin Farmer... Lightweight contender William Zepeda remained undefeated, defeating former junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. It was only a ten-round fight but the WBC apparently relaxed its rules and awarded Zepeda the interim championship. Farmer (33-7-1) performed very well and was distraught when he lost a split decision by scores of 95-94 (twice), overruling a 95-94 tally in his favor. Zepeda is now 32-0 and in a position to soon challenge WBC full champion Shakur Stevenson. Farmer complained that neither fighter was drug tested after the fight. He said, "Why wasn’t me and Zepeda drug tested? I ask multiple times in the locker room before we fought. [At first] they said after the fight. And still no test. I’m just saying. Boxing is dirty. You never know... Every other championship fight on the card was drug tested. Why not me and Zepeda ? I have so many questions. I kept asking before the fight. They told me after the fight 'oh we was short staffed.' How ? [There] was only six fights on the card."
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Benavidez and Morrell to clash next year |
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On February 1, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, light heavyweight stars will go face-to-face. WBC interim champion David “El Monstro” Benavídez (pictured) and WBA regular champion David Morrell Jr. will hold a Los Angeles press conference to formally announces their showdown that will headline a PBC pay-per-view event. The press conference will also feature WBC featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and former unified world champion Stephen Fulton Jr., as they meet in a much-anticipated rematch in the co-main event. Also at Tuesday’s press conference will be fan-favorite and former champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and hard-charging contender Angel Fierro, as they meet in an all-Mexican pay-per-view undercard attraction, and rising Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and former unified junior middleweight champion Jeison Rosario, who square off in the pay-per-view opener.
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Benavidez and Morrell to clash next year
On February 1, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, light heavyweight stars will go face-to-face. WBC interim champion David “El Monstro” Benavídez (pictured) and WBA regular champion David Morrell Jr. will hold a Los Angeles press conference to formally announces their showdown that will headline a PBC pay-per-view event. The press conference will also feature WBC featherweight champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and former unified world champion Stephen Fulton Jr., as they meet in a much-anticipated rematch in the co-main event. Also at Tuesday’s press conference will be fan-favorite and former champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and hard-charging contender Angel Fierro, as they meet in an all-Mexican pay-per-view undercard attraction, and rising Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and former unified junior middleweight champion Jeison Rosario, who square off in the pay-per-view opener.
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Tyson fights like a 58 year old man, loses to Paul |
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Jake Paul W8 Mike Tyson... If you are a Mike Tyson fan, be happy for him. Tyson looked every bit of his age (58) fighting Jake Paul last night, and the truth is Paul probably could have knocked out Tyson if he wanted to. But he didn't instead cruising to a wide unanimous decision over eight two-minute rounds in Arlington, Texas. Still, Saturday was a night to celebrate the legacy of Tyson, who had one of the great runs in heavyweight history in the late 1980s, then lived a tumultuous life in the 1990s, going to jail for sexual assault, biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear, brawling with Lennox Lewis at a press conference and battling mental illness. But Tyson persevered and is now a relatively normal human being as he approaches his 60s. The 70,000+ fans who showed up to catch a glimpse of vintage Tyson didn't see anything special, but Tyson got his flowers. He received the love of the fans, the respect of probably the biggest current draw in American boxing, and millions of dollars for his efforts, perhaps as many as a reported twenty million. And he didn't get hurt. Tyson will enter his 60s with health, wealth and sanity, and hopefully a bizarre interview or two. For Tyson's true fans, those are all reasons to smile.
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Tyson fights like a 58 year old man, loses to Paul
Jake Paul W8 Mike Tyson... If you are a Mike Tyson fan, be happy for him. Tyson looked every bit of his age (58) fighting Jake Paul last night, and the truth is Paul probably could have knocked out Tyson if he wanted to. But he didn't instead cruising to a wide unanimous decision over eight two-minute rounds in Arlington, Texas. Still, Saturday was a night to celebrate the legacy of Tyson, who had one of the great runs in heavyweight history in the late 1980s, then lived a tumultuous life in the 1990s, going to jail for sexual assault, biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear, brawling with Lennox Lewis at a press conference and battling mental illness. But Tyson persevered and is now a relatively normal human being as he approaches his 60s. The 70,000+ fans who showed up to catch a glimpse of vintage Tyson didn't see anything special, but Tyson got his flowers. He received the love of the fans, the respect of probably the biggest current draw in American boxing, and millions of dollars for his efforts, perhaps as many as a reported twenty million. And he didn't get hurt. Tyson will enter his 60s with health, wealth and sanity, and hopefully a bizarre interview or two. For Tyson's true fans, those are all reasons to smile.
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Taylor edges Serrano: thrilling fight; debatable decision |
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Katie Taylor W10 Amanda Serrano... In a thrilling world championship fight, Amanda Serrano appeared to get the short end of the stick from the judges, as she lost a decision to world junior welterweight champion Katie Taylor by the narrow margin of 95-94 on all three official scorecards. Boxingtalk scored it 96-93 for Serrano. The fight took place in Arlington, Texas, just prior to the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson main event. Fighting out of her left-handed stance, Taylor repeatedly headbutted Serrano, opening up a huge cut over Serrano's right eye. The butts did not appear to be intentional, but Taylor did consistently lead with her head, causing the referee to penalize the champion with a one-point deduction.
Serrano, the world featherweight champion moved up three weight divisions for this fight and appeared to do enough to win the fast-paced ten rounder. Punchstats credited Serrano with a 324-217 advantage in punches landed, a stat that did not escapre Serrano. "I landed 107 more punches, she got a point deducted and I lost 95-94 .To my fans I’m going to always give it everything I have. I’m a ruthless warrior and Katie is my buddy but damn her best attribute is her head. No punching power but a hard ass head lol."
This was the second time that Taylor got a debatable win over Serrano, coming after a 2022 battle in New York City's Madison Square Garden that many thought could hacve gone Serrano's way as well. A third fight certainly seems in order.
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Taylor edges Serrano: thrilling fight; debatable decision
Katie Taylor W10 Amanda Serrano... In a thrilling world championship fight, Amanda Serrano appeared to get the short end of the stick from the judges, as she lost a decision to world junior welterweight champion Katie Taylor by the narrow margin of 95-94 on all three official scorecards. Boxingtalk scored it 96-93 for Serrano. The fight took place in Arlington, Texas, just prior to the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson main event. Fighting out of her left-handed stance, Taylor repeatedly headbutted Serrano, opening up a huge cut over Serrano's right eye. The butts did not appear to be intentional, but Taylor did consistently lead with her head, causing the referee to penalize the champion with a one-point deduction.
Serrano, the world featherweight champion moved up three weight divisions for this fight and appeared to do enough to win the fast-paced ten rounder. Punchstats credited Serrano with a 324-217 advantage in punches landed, a stat that did not escapre Serrano. "I landed 107 more punches, she got a point deducted and I lost 95-94 .To my fans I’m going to always give it everything I have. I’m a ruthless warrior and Katie is my buddy but damn her best attribute is her head. No punching power but a hard ass head lol."
This was the second time that Taylor got a debatable win over Serrano, coming after a 2022 battle in New York City's Madison Square Garden that many thought could hacve gone Serrano's way as well. A third fight certainly seems in order.
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Crawford says Tyson looked like trash |
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Four division champion, and current WBA 154-pound title holder Terrence Crawford was not impressed with Mike Tyson's performance in losing to Jake Paul last night... and that is even taking Tyson's age (58) into account. Crawford tweeted: "I love Mike Tyson, but they [are] giving him too much credit. He looked like trash... to train that long and only throw 97 punches the whole fight is crazy. I’m just glad he didn’t get hurt out there."
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Crawford says Tyson looked like trash
Four division champion, and current WBA 154-pound title holder Terrence Crawford was not impressed with Mike Tyson's performance in losing to Jake Paul last night... and that is even taking Tyson's age (58) into account. Crawford tweeted: "I love Mike Tyson, but they [are] giving him too much credit. He looked like trash... to train that long and only throw 97 punches the whole fight is crazy. I’m just glad he didn’t get hurt out there."
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Artur Beterbiev wants in on the Jake Paul business |
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World light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev would like to make some of that Jake Paul money. The undefeated 175-pounder opened the door to an offer from Pau, wh normally fights at cruiserweight but was well over 200 pounds for last night's win over Mike Tyson. Beteribeiv wrote: "Jake Paul, what can you do in [the] ring against the current undisputed [light heavyweight] champion? Just now that I'm always open to any suggestions."
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Artur Beterbiev wants in on the Jake Paul business
World light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev would like to make some of that Jake Paul money. The undefeated 175-pounder opened the door to an offer from Pau, wh normally fights at cruiserweight but was well over 200 pounds for last night's win over Mike Tyson. Beteribeiv wrote: "Jake Paul, what can you do in [the] ring against the current undisputed [light heavyweight] champion? Just now that I'm always open to any suggestions."
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Boxingtalk's Saturday fight predictions |
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Here are Boxingtalk's fight predictions for Saturday's show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Gilberto Ramirez (46-1) vs. Chris Billam-Smith (20-1) (WBA & WBO cruiserweight titles) … prediction: Ramirez by decision;
Oscar Collazo (10-0) vs. Thammanoon Niyomtrong (25-0) (WBA & WBO minimumweight titles) … prediction: Collazo by unanimous decision;
Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-1) vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. (30-0) (junior welterweights) … prediction: Barboza Jr. by decision;
William Zepeda (32-0) vs. Tevin Farmer (33-6-1) (WBC interim lightweight title) … prediction: Zepeda by mid to late knockout;
Oscar Duarte (27-2-1) vs. Batyr Akhmedov (10-3) (junior welterweights) … prediction: Duarte by decision.
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Boxingtalk's Saturday fight predictions
Here are Boxingtalk's fight predictions for Saturday's show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Gilberto Ramirez (46-1) vs. Chris Billam-Smith (20-1) (WBA & WBO cruiserweight titles) … prediction: Ramirez by decision;
Oscar Collazo (10-0) vs. Thammanoon Niyomtrong (25-0) (WBA & WBO minimumweight titles) … prediction: Collazo by unanimous decision;
Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-1) vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. (30-0) (junior welterweights) … prediction: Barboza Jr. by decision;
William Zepeda (32-0) vs. Tevin Farmer (33-6-1) (WBC interim lightweight title) … prediction: Zepeda by mid to late knockout;
Oscar Duarte (27-2-1) vs. Batyr Akhmedov (10-3) (junior welterweights) … prediction: Duarte by decision.
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Introducing 18 year-old Ruth Huntley |
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Amateur flyweight star Ruth Huntley will turn professional, having signed promotional terms with Frank Warren and Queensberry. The Gillingham-based 18-year-old had 17 fights in the amateurs, losing just two and winning eight by stoppage. The product of West Ham won two National titles and multiple Box Cup tournaments. She will be trained out of Kent Gloves in her home town by Dean Goodell, along with Eddie Lam, who trains Skye Nicolson. “I can’t wait, this is my biggest dream since I started boxing,” said Ruth. “I signed with my managers (WBM) in May and ever since then I have just been waiting to sign with Frank [Warren, head of Queensberry], more hoping to sign with Frank!"
Huntley continued, "It was surreal meeting him, I just couldn’t believe it. He knew about me and obviously I have been sparring with pros since I was 15-16. He had heard a lot of stories about me, how strong I am and whatever. I always liked watching boxing and always liked Katie Taylor, which is what started it for me. The main thing is my strength, when I found out I was strong I just carried on with it. I am aiming to be different. People say I am like a female version of Moses (Itauma), which are obviously massive boots to fill, but I am happy to do it. I want to put all my strength and aggression into all my fights. I don’t do much talking, but I think people will be a bit surprised.”
Warren added: “I am delighted to welcome Ruth to the team as our youngest female recruit to date and she is quite a little character, who I am sure the public will quickly warm to. The main thing, of course, is she can fight. To have roughly 50% stoppages in the amateurs is unusual and to do it as a female flyweight is even more unusual. Watching Ruth is going to be an exciting prospect and I am very much looking forward to launching her professional journey.”
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Introducing 18 year-old Ruth Huntley
Amateur flyweight star Ruth Huntley will turn professional, having signed promotional terms with Frank Warren and Queensberry. The Gillingham-based 18-year-old had 17 fights in the amateurs, losing just two and winning eight by stoppage. The product of West Ham won two National titles and multiple Box Cup tournaments. She will be trained out of Kent Gloves in her home town by Dean Goodell, along with Eddie Lam, who trains Skye Nicolson. “I can’t wait, this is my biggest dream since I started boxing,” said Ruth. “I signed with my managers (WBM) in May and ever since then I have just been waiting to sign with Frank [Warren, head of Queensberry], more hoping to sign with Frank!"
Huntley continued, "It was surreal meeting him, I just couldn’t believe it. He knew about me and obviously I have been sparring with pros since I was 15-16. He had heard a lot of stories about me, how strong I am and whatever. I always liked watching boxing and always liked Katie Taylor, which is what started it for me. The main thing is my strength, when I found out I was strong I just carried on with it. I am aiming to be different. People say I am like a female version of Moses (Itauma), which are obviously massive boots to fill, but I am happy to do it. I want to put all my strength and aggression into all my fights. I don’t do much talking, but I think people will be a bit surprised.”
Warren added: “I am delighted to welcome Ruth to the team as our youngest female recruit to date and she is quite a little character, who I am sure the public will quickly warm to. The main thing, of course, is she can fight. To have roughly 50% stoppages in the amateurs is unusual and to do it as a female flyweight is even more unusual. Watching Ruth is going to be an exciting prospect and I am very much looking forward to launching her professional journey.”
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Boxingtalk's Friday fight predictions |
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Here are Boxingtalk's predictions for tonight's action in Texas:
Jake Paul (10-1) vs. Mike Tyson (50-6) (heavyweights) … prediction: Paul by early knockout;
Mario Barrios (29-2) vs. Abel Ramos (28-6-2) (WBC welterweight title) … prediction: Barrios by unanimous decision;
Katie Taylor (23-1) vs. Amanda Serrano (47-2-1) II (world junior welterweight championship) … prediction: Serrano by decision;
Lucas Bahdi (17-0) vs. Armando Casamonica (14-0) (lightweights) … prediction: Bahdi by mid to late knockout;
Shadasia Green (14-1) vs. Melinda Watpool (7-0) (vacant WBO female super middleweight title) … prediction: Green by decision; and
Bruce Carrington (13-0) vs. Dana Coolwell (13-2) (featherweights) … prediction: Carrington by decision.
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Boxingtalk's Friday fight predictions
Here are Boxingtalk's predictions for tonight's action in Texas:
Jake Paul (10-1) vs. Mike Tyson (50-6) (heavyweights) … prediction: Paul by early knockout;
Mario Barrios (29-2) vs. Abel Ramos (28-6-2) (WBC welterweight title) … prediction: Barrios by unanimous decision;
Katie Taylor (23-1) vs. Amanda Serrano (47-2-1) II (world junior welterweight championship) … prediction: Serrano by decision;
Lucas Bahdi (17-0) vs. Armando Casamonica (14-0) (lightweights) … prediction: Bahdi by mid to late knockout;
Shadasia Green (14-1) vs. Melinda Watpool (7-0) (vacant WBO female super middleweight title) … prediction: Green by decision; and
Bruce Carrington (13-0) vs. Dana Coolwell (13-2) (featherweights) … prediction: Carrington by decision.
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IBF cancels purse bid for Bakole vs. Kabayel |
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After two postponements, the IBF has cancelled today's purse bid for a heavyweight elimination bout between Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole. No reason was given for the cancellation, but it appears the fight will not happen, as per a tweet from Billy Nelson, Bakole's trainer. Nelson tweeted, "Unfortunately I’m hearing Kabayal will be [joining] the long line of top fighters who don’t want to fight Martin, real shame has it would have been a good fight."
On October 10th, the IBF ordered heavyweights Kabayel and Bakole to begin negotiations for an IBF final eliminator (and the IBF #1 ranking). Negotiations were to be concluded on or before October 23rd. An agreement could not be made within the time frame allowed, so the IBF initially ordered a purse bid for Tuesday, November 5th at 12 noon. That date was later changed to November 7th and then to November 14th. Bakole is coming off a big win over Jared Anderson, while Kabayel's last fight was a win over Frank Sanchez. Both Anderson and Sanchez were previously undefeated.
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IBF cancels purse bid for Bakole vs. Kabayel
After two postponements, the IBF has cancelled today's purse bid for a heavyweight elimination bout between Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole. No reason was given for the cancellation, but it appears the fight will not happen, as per a tweet from Billy Nelson, Bakole's trainer. Nelson tweeted, "Unfortunately I’m hearing Kabayal will be [joining] the long line of top fighters who don’t want to fight Martin, real shame has it would have been a good fight."
On October 10th, the IBF ordered heavyweights Kabayel and Bakole to begin negotiations for an IBF final eliminator (and the IBF #1 ranking). Negotiations were to be concluded on or before October 23rd. An agreement could not be made within the time frame allowed, so the IBF initially ordered a purse bid for Tuesday, November 5th at 12 noon. That date was later changed to November 7th and then to November 14th. Bakole is coming off a big win over Jared Anderson, while Kabayel's last fight was a win over Frank Sanchez. Both Anderson and Sanchez were previously undefeated.
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Busy show set for Atlantic City this weekend |
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Boxing Insider Promotions is bringing boxing back to Atlantic City, New Jersey's Boardwalk this Saturday night at Tropicana. All the action will be streamed live on DAZN starting at 7 p.m. ET. Because it’s happening on the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk, promoter and Atlantic City native Larry Goldberg is presenting a power-packed card, highlighted by a trio of featured bouts. Bantamweight Dominique “Dimes” Crowder (17-0, 10 KOs) takes on 2012 Ghana Olympian Duke Micah (24-2, 19 KOs) in an eight-round main event. Crowder will be facing arguably the toughest test of his pro career. Popular local junior middleweight Justin Figueroa (10-0, 8 KOs), known as “Mr. Atlantic City,” is in a six rounder versus Omar Rosales (9-3-1, 5 KOs). Figueroa, age 25, was a popular football player at Holy Spirit High School and former member of the famed AC Beach Patrol. In the other featured contest, Tennessee welterweight Avious Griffin (15-0, 14 KOs) is matched against Adrian Gutierrez (12-2-1, 6 KOs). Riding an eight-right knockout streak, the Brian “Bomac” McIntyre-trained Griffin may be one of the best kept secrets in boxing.
Legendary promoter Don Elbaum, 93, will be honored by Boxing Insider Promotions. During his six-decade career in boxing, Elbaum promoted an amazing 196 shows at The Tropicana during a five-year period alone (1982-1986).
Either Long Island (New York ) super middleweight Donte Layne (4-0, 4 KOs) or Paterson (New Jersey) junior middleweight Dwyke Flemmings, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs) could steal the show at The Trop. A celebrated amateur boxer, Crowder will be in a six-round fight against Shaquille Cameron (7-3, 6 KOs) presented in association with Overtime Boxing. Crowder was the 2022 USA National Championships and National Golden Gloves champion, as well as a 2021 USA Nationals and Junior Pan American Games gold medalist. Flemmings throws down with Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-2, 12 KOs) in a six-rounder. A 2018 USA Junior Olympics silver medalist, Flemmings, Jr. is only 20 years old.
Italian junior welterweight Giacomo Micheli (8-0, 6 KOs) and Ronnell “Punisher” Burnett (11-1, 7 KOs) will battle in an eight-round encounter. Micheli was a 2021 Italian Elite and U22 National Champion.
Back to local talent, heavyweight hopeful heavyweight Bruce “Atlantic City Express 2.0” Seldon, Jr. (3-0, 3 KOs) - the son of former WBA heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon, Sr. was a solid football player at Absegami High School in Atlantic City. The 30-year-old Seldon, Jr. is matched with Julio Mendoza (3-4, 2 KOs) in a four-rounder. “I saw everything behind the scenes, all the hard work, and hard training,” Seldon, Jr. talked about what he learned growing up as the son of a champion boxer. “It was a blueprint for me. I always went to the gym with my father, but never was at his fights. I watched his fights on TV. There’s always pressure but not any extra pressure on me. Being my father’s son has opened up some doors.”
Philadelphia welterweight Stacia “The Natural” Suttles (1-0, 1 KO) and Hawaiian lightweight Shere Mae Patricio (2-0, 1 KO) will be showcased in separate four-round fights. New York City-born Suttles, now fighting out of Philadelphia, was a 2016 USA Women’s National Championships gold medalist. She squares off with Maroya Agapova (0-0-1), of Kazakhstan. The card is subject to change.
An amateur show, sanctioned by USA Boxing, will be held at Tropicana Atlantic City this Sunday (Nov. 17 – 1-6 pm ET). 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Atlantic City PAL. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door.
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Busy show set for Atlantic City this weekend
Boxing Insider Promotions is bringing boxing back to Atlantic City, New Jersey's Boardwalk this Saturday night at Tropicana. All the action will be streamed live on DAZN starting at 7 p.m. ET. Because it’s happening on the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk, promoter and Atlantic City native Larry Goldberg is presenting a power-packed card, highlighted by a trio of featured bouts. Bantamweight Dominique “Dimes” Crowder (17-0, 10 KOs) takes on 2012 Ghana Olympian Duke Micah (24-2, 19 KOs) in an eight-round main event. Crowder will be facing arguably the toughest test of his pro career. Popular local junior middleweight Justin Figueroa (10-0, 8 KOs), known as “Mr. Atlantic City,” is in a six rounder versus Omar Rosales (9-3-1, 5 KOs). Figueroa, age 25, was a popular football player at Holy Spirit High School and former member of the famed AC Beach Patrol. In the other featured contest, Tennessee welterweight Avious Griffin (15-0, 14 KOs) is matched against Adrian Gutierrez (12-2-1, 6 KOs). Riding an eight-right knockout streak, the Brian “Bomac” McIntyre-trained Griffin may be one of the best kept secrets in boxing.
Legendary promoter Don Elbaum, 93, will be honored by Boxing Insider Promotions. During his six-decade career in boxing, Elbaum promoted an amazing 196 shows at The Tropicana during a five-year period alone (1982-1986).
Either Long Island (New York ) super middleweight Donte Layne (4-0, 4 KOs) or Paterson (New Jersey) junior middleweight Dwyke Flemmings, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs) could steal the show at The Trop. A celebrated amateur boxer, Crowder will be in a six-round fight against Shaquille Cameron (7-3, 6 KOs) presented in association with Overtime Boxing. Crowder was the 2022 USA National Championships and National Golden Gloves champion, as well as a 2021 USA Nationals and Junior Pan American Games gold medalist. Flemmings throws down with Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-2, 12 KOs) in a six-rounder. A 2018 USA Junior Olympics silver medalist, Flemmings, Jr. is only 20 years old.
Italian junior welterweight Giacomo Micheli (8-0, 6 KOs) and Ronnell “Punisher” Burnett (11-1, 7 KOs) will battle in an eight-round encounter. Micheli was a 2021 Italian Elite and U22 National Champion.
Back to local talent, heavyweight hopeful heavyweight Bruce “Atlantic City Express 2.0” Seldon, Jr. (3-0, 3 KOs) - the son of former WBA heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon, Sr. was a solid football player at Absegami High School in Atlantic City. The 30-year-old Seldon, Jr. is matched with Julio Mendoza (3-4, 2 KOs) in a four-rounder. “I saw everything behind the scenes, all the hard work, and hard training,” Seldon, Jr. talked about what he learned growing up as the son of a champion boxer. “It was a blueprint for me. I always went to the gym with my father, but never was at his fights. I watched his fights on TV. There’s always pressure but not any extra pressure on me. Being my father’s son has opened up some doors.”
Philadelphia welterweight Stacia “The Natural” Suttles (1-0, 1 KO) and Hawaiian lightweight Shere Mae Patricio (2-0, 1 KO) will be showcased in separate four-round fights. New York City-born Suttles, now fighting out of Philadelphia, was a 2016 USA Women’s National Championships gold medalist. She squares off with Maroya Agapova (0-0-1), of Kazakhstan. The card is subject to change.
An amateur show, sanctioned by USA Boxing, will be held at Tropicana Atlantic City this Sunday (Nov. 17 – 1-6 pm ET). 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Atlantic City PAL. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door.
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Introducing Puerto Rican Olympian Ashleyann Lozada |
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Former HBO boxing executive Mark Taffet, through his company Mark Taffet Media LLC, has entered into a management agreement with 2024 Puerto Rican Olympian Ashleyann Lozada and her team headed by advisor Miguel Ortega-Nunez. Lozada’s decision to turn pro comes just months after she became the first woman ever to represent boxing-rich Puerto Rico in the Olympics. Lozada’s move to the professional ranks follows an outstanding amateur career in which she won the gold medal at both the Central American and Caribbean Games of 2018 and 2023 and a bronze medal in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. The Pan American Games medal secured her position on Puerto Rico’s 2024 Paris Olympic team. In Paris, Ashleyann scored a first-round victory over Karina Ibraginova who had previously won a silver medal in the 2023 World Boxing Championships.
Taffet's firm also manages two-time Olympic gold medal winner and current undefeated four-weight champion Claressa Shields and is one of the world’s leading proponents of women’s boxing and has a long history of working with the greatest Puerto Rican fighters of his era while heading HBO's pay-per-view division from 1991-2015.
“I’m so excited to be working with Ashleyann Lozada and her team as they begin their professional boxing journey toward a world championship. Through my years of great events with Tito Trinidad, Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon, I witnessed first-hand the passion and respect that Puerto Rican fighters and fans have for the sport of boxing. Ashleyann will add to this great legacy, and will be a great addition to the women’s boxing landscape for years to come,” said Taffet.
“Paris 2024 was a dream that came true, and it has been the honor of my life to represent my country at the highest level my sport allowed me. Now, I am beginning the journey into my next dream: becoming a professional world boxing champion. And I cannot be more excited about the future,” said Puerto Rico’s Ashleyann Lozada. “Dreams come true with discipline, sacrifice, and the help of God. For many years, I’ve done my part, and God has helped me. Now it is time to make the next dream come true. I am confident that with my determination and the team around me, I will not only not only reach my goal of becoming world champion but will create new pathways in the sport for generations of women boxers to come. I want to leave my mark in this sport, and I believe Mr. Mark Taffet is the right person to help me in this endeavor.”
Ortega-Nunez added: “Female boxing has come a long way since the 90’s. But it still has great lengths to conquer and many challenges to face. Since I first met Mr. Taffet, I recognize his vision and commitment with female boxing. He has, literally, changed the landscape of the sport. He knows it from top to bottom. That is why we are so excited and confident in this new relationship. Ashleyann will become a major figure in the sport and will cement her legacy as one of the best Puerto Rican fighters of all time. For her, the future is bright, and the sky is the limit. We welcome Mr. Taffet to 'Team La Máquina' with open arms.”
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Introducing Puerto Rican Olympian Ashleyann Lozada
Former HBO boxing executive Mark Taffet, through his company Mark Taffet Media LLC, has entered into a management agreement with 2024 Puerto Rican Olympian Ashleyann Lozada and her team headed by advisor Miguel Ortega-Nunez. Lozada’s decision to turn pro comes just months after she became the first woman ever to represent boxing-rich Puerto Rico in the Olympics. Lozada’s move to the professional ranks follows an outstanding amateur career in which she won the gold medal at both the Central American and Caribbean Games of 2018 and 2023 and a bronze medal in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. The Pan American Games medal secured her position on Puerto Rico’s 2024 Paris Olympic team. In Paris, Ashleyann scored a first-round victory over Karina Ibraginova who had previously won a silver medal in the 2023 World Boxing Championships.
Taffet's firm also manages two-time Olympic gold medal winner and current undefeated four-weight champion Claressa Shields and is one of the world’s leading proponents of women’s boxing and has a long history of working with the greatest Puerto Rican fighters of his era while heading HBO's pay-per-view division from 1991-2015.
“I’m so excited to be working with Ashleyann Lozada and her team as they begin their professional boxing journey toward a world championship. Through my years of great events with Tito Trinidad, Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon, I witnessed first-hand the passion and respect that Puerto Rican fighters and fans have for the sport of boxing. Ashleyann will add to this great legacy, and will be a great addition to the women’s boxing landscape for years to come,” said Taffet.
“Paris 2024 was a dream that came true, and it has been the honor of my life to represent my country at the highest level my sport allowed me. Now, I am beginning the journey into my next dream: becoming a professional world boxing champion. And I cannot be more excited about the future,” said Puerto Rico’s Ashleyann Lozada. “Dreams come true with discipline, sacrifice, and the help of God. For many years, I’ve done my part, and God has helped me. Now it is time to make the next dream come true. I am confident that with my determination and the team around me, I will not only not only reach my goal of becoming world champion but will create new pathways in the sport for generations of women boxers to come. I want to leave my mark in this sport, and I believe Mr. Mark Taffet is the right person to help me in this endeavor.”
Ortega-Nunez added: “Female boxing has come a long way since the 90’s. But it still has great lengths to conquer and many challenges to face. Since I first met Mr. Taffet, I recognize his vision and commitment with female boxing. He has, literally, changed the landscape of the sport. He knows it from top to bottom. That is why we are so excited and confident in this new relationship. Ashleyann will become a major figure in the sport and will cement her legacy as one of the best Puerto Rican fighters of all time. For her, the future is bright, and the sky is the limit. We welcome Mr. Taffet to 'Team La Máquina' with open arms.”
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