Takuma Inoue now a two-time bantamweight champ |
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Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa... Japan's Takuma Inoue (21-2, 5 KOs) is now a two-time bantamweight title holder. On Monday, he was crowned the WBC champion by defeating his compatriot, former kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa (7-1, 2 KOs). Inoue picked up the vacant title via a unanimous decision win on a Teiken Promotions show held in Tokyo. (The title was vacated when Junto Nakatani decided to move up to junior featherweight). Inoue, a former WBA champion and brother of superstar Naoya Inoue, proved that his vast experience to be the determining factor, especially in the championship rounds. The WBC's open scoring system also played a crucial role in the development of the fight. By revealing the judges’ scorecards after rounds four and eight, the system dictated the pace for both fighters at key moments.
After round four, the score of 38-38 showed that the fight was level, with Nasukawa’s speed and power punches neutralizing Inoue’s technique. Bit the reveal after round eight was that Inoue had taken a significant lead (with scores of 77-75, 78-74, and 77-76 in his favor). This information was vital, as it forced Nasukawa to seek the knockout or win the final four rounds dominantly, while giving Inoue the confidence to box intelligently and secure the victory.
Nasukawa used his speed and strong jab to dominate the second, fourth, and fifth rounds. His offense caused initial concern. However, Inoue’s boxing maturity emerged in the second half of the fight. In rounds six and seven, Inoue commanded the action with intelligence and short-range boxing, landing effective flurries and handling Nasukawa’s power. The key to victory was defined in the final rounds (ten to twelve), where Inoue neutralized Nasukawa’s pressure in close quarters. At the conclusion of the dozen rounds, the judges’ final scorecards dictated the victory for Takuma Inoue: 116-112 (twice and 117-111.
Nasukawa suffered his first professional boxing loss (he also was KO'd by Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition), but made it clear that he still has the potential to be a dominant figure.
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Takuma Inoue now a two-time bantamweight champ
Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa... Japan's Takuma Inoue (21-2, 5 KOs) is now a two-time bantamweight title holder. On Monday, he was crowned the WBC champion by defeating his compatriot, former kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa (7-1, 2 KOs). Inoue picked up the vacant title via a unanimous decision win on a Teiken Promotions show held in Tokyo. (The title was vacated when Junto Nakatani decided to move up to junior featherweight). Inoue, a former WBA champion and brother of superstar Naoya Inoue, proved that his vast experience to be the determining factor, especially in the championship rounds. The WBC's open scoring system also played a crucial role in the development of the fight. By revealing the judges’ scorecards after rounds four and eight, the system dictated the pace for both fighters at key moments.
After round four, the score of 38-38 showed that the fight was level, with Nasukawa’s speed and power punches neutralizing Inoue’s technique. Bit the reveal after round eight was that Inoue had taken a significant lead (with scores of 77-75, 78-74, and 77-76 in his favor). This information was vital, as it forced Nasukawa to seek the knockout or win the final four rounds dominantly, while giving Inoue the confidence to box intelligently and secure the victory.
Nasukawa used his speed and strong jab to dominate the second, fourth, and fifth rounds. His offense caused initial concern. However, Inoue’s boxing maturity emerged in the second half of the fight. In rounds six and seven, Inoue commanded the action with intelligence and short-range boxing, landing effective flurries and handling Nasukawa’s power. The key to victory was defined in the final rounds (ten to twelve), where Inoue neutralized Nasukawa’s pressure in close quarters. At the conclusion of the dozen rounds, the judges’ final scorecards dictated the victory for Takuma Inoue: 116-112 (twice and 117-111.
Nasukawa suffered his first professional boxing loss (he also was KO'd by Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition), but made it clear that he still has the potential to be a dominant figure.
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ProBox has strong show set for Saturday in Fresno |
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On Saturday, November 29th at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State in California, ProBoxTV will present another edition of its Contender Series, broadcast live on ProBoxTV beginning at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT. In a ten-round head-on collision at lightweight, surging Justin “The Million Dollar Man” Pauldo (19-2, 9 KOs) will face hard-punching Colombian Nike Theran (20-1, 14 KOs). n the ten-round junior lightweight co-feature, Muhammad Yaqubov (23-1, 12 KOs) of Tajikistan, will go to war with Tijuana's Cristian Cruz Chacon (24-7-1, 12 KOs). Yaqubov had been scheduled to face Jessie Magdaleno in the night’s original main event, but Magdaleno pulled out with an injury.
“Coming off his stellar performance against highly regarded Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov, Justin Pauldo will be looking to continue his climb to a world title shot,” said ProBoxTV's founder and CEO, Garry Jonas. “This should be a phenomenal fight and a real test to see if Justin Pauldo is that guy. If he has another performance like Rakhimov, he is the running for a title fight in the 135-lb division.”
Born in Orlando, Florida, but now living in Houston and training with Ronnie Shields, the 31 year-old Pauldo is a four-time ProBoxTV veteran. He came to ProBox after having put together eleven consecutive wins since his first defeat, a split-decision to Efrain Cruz in July 2015. In his ProBoxTV debut in August 2023, Pauldo scored a ten-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Estela (then 14-2) in Plant City, Florida. He returned there in November 2023 to stop Jerry Perez (then 14-3-1) in three rounds. Pauldo suffered his second career setback on ProBoxTV air in February 2024, dropping a ten-round split decision to Miguel Madueno (30-2), but returned to ProBoxTV a year later to score an upset eighth-round knockout over former IBF 130-pound champion Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in February of this year. Pauldo scored two knockdowns on the night, the latter of the two produced an immediate stoppage at 1:53.
In his most recent ring appearance, Pauldo took a ten-round unanimous decision over Said Chino last August. “Training has been great,” said Pauldo. “I’ve gotten a lot of great work to sharpen my skills and be at my best come fight night. I know my opponent is a tough guy coming out of Colombia. He’s got quite a few fights under his belt, so I’m looking forward to facing an experienced and hungry fighter and to being back on ProBoxTV. I’m going to put on a great show for all the fans.”
Theran, age 28, is a nearly nine-year professional who will be making his debut fighting in the United States, having spent the bulk of his career fighting in South America and The Dominican Republic. He has won two consecutive fights since suffering his only career setback in October 2023, a close twelve-round unanimous decision to Italy's Michael Magnesi (then 22-1) in the 130-pound division. “Training camp has been going great; I’m very motivated,” said Theran. “Pauldo is a very good fighter and one of the best on ProBoxTV because he likes to fight. God gave me this opportunity and I’m well-prepared physically and mentally to win. I’m very happy for the opportunity and being in this important fight only gives me more motivation.”
As for the co-featrue, Jonas had this to say: “We’re not happy that Jessie Magdaleno fell out, but we’re fortunate enough to get a great replacement in Cristian Cruz Chacon, who recently had a huge win over Jeremy Hill on ProBoxTV. Honestly, this could be a tougher test for Yaqubov.”
The southpaw Yaqubov, age 30, started boxing at the age of 10 and turned professional in late 2015. In his decade-long career, Yaqubov has victories over Emanuel López (29-9-1), Abraham Montoya (18-1-1) and former two-time world champ Tomás Rojas. In March 2022, Yaqubov suffered his only career loss via a twelve-round unanimous decision in a WBC title eliminator to current WBC champion O'Shaquie Foster. He has since rebounded with five consecutive victories, including quality wins over Pablo Vicente (23 1) in a ten rounder, Zafar Parpiev (13-2) and his most recent fight, a ten-round majority decision over William Foster III in August of this year. The win was Yaqubov’s first under new head trainer Manny Robles.
Holding one of the most deceiving records in boxing, the 28 year-old Cruz Chacon turned professional in 2014 and lost five of his first seven fights before turning things around and going 22-2-1 since then. Along the way, he has scored notable victories over Diego Ortiz Aleman (12-1-1), Jesus Acosta Ayala (15-1-1), a first-round stoppage of Pablo Robles (15-3), an eighth-round stoppage of Rafael Rosas Ramirez (19-3-2), a third-round stoppage of former world title challenger David Carmona, and his most recent ring appearance, an impressive split decision victory over a streaking Jeremy Hill (22-3-1) in September of this year on ProBoxTV.
ADDITIONAL BROADCAST BOUTS
Light flyweight Erik Badillo Mares (18-0, 8 KOs), a southpaw, will battle former WBO champion Elwin “La Pulga” Soto (21-3-1, 13 KOs) in a ten-round All-Mexican clash of contenders.
There will be a ten-round junior welterweight rumble between Carlos Balderas (16-2, 14 KOs) of Santa Maria, California and Ricardo Quiroz (13-6, 7 KOs) of Oxnard, California.
Also, on the televised slate that night is a battle for the vacant WBC women's 115-pound championship between California's Adelaida Maria “La Cobra” Ruiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) and Canada's Alexas “Iron Lady” Kubicki (13-2, 2 KOs) of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A longtime contender, the 37 year-old Ruiz’s aggressive style, strength, and punching power make her a dangerous foe for any of the world’s female super flyweights. A victory over Kubicki will give her an opportunity to avenge her only career loss, a thrilling ten-round split decision to Ginny Fuchs for the WBC interim title in August 2024. The WBC has ordered the winner of Ruiz vs. Kubicki to fight Interim champ Fuchs, who has been out of action for 14 months due to injuries suffered in the fight with Ruiz and also promotional issues. Kubicki will be in just her second fight on U.S. soil. In her most recent fight, the 22 year-old lost by seventh-round TKO in a brave stand against undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora in September. Kubicki’s technical skills are predicted to test Ruiz’s aggression in what promises to be a thrilling clash of styles.
The opening televised bout will feature the sole addition to ProBoxTV’s Future Stars Series, which features emerging boxing talents and serves as a platform for up-and-coming fighters to showcase their skills, as lightweight Charlie Sheehy (11-0, 6 KOs) of Brisbane, California, will continue to try and prove his worth against veteran D'Angelo Keyes (18-6, 11 KOs) of Houston.
Tickets to attend ProBoxTV’s The Contender Series in person at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, are available from the ProBoxTV website, the Save Mart Center Box Office, or directly from Ticketmaster.
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ProBox has strong show set for Saturday in Fresno
On Saturday, November 29th at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State in California, ProBoxTV will present another edition of its Contender Series, broadcast live on ProBoxTV beginning at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT. In a ten-round head-on collision at lightweight, surging Justin “The Million Dollar Man” Pauldo (19-2, 9 KOs) will face hard-punching Colombian Nike Theran (20-1, 14 KOs). n the ten-round junior lightweight co-feature, Muhammad Yaqubov (23-1, 12 KOs) of Tajikistan, will go to war with Tijuana's Cristian Cruz Chacon (24-7-1, 12 KOs). Yaqubov had been scheduled to face Jessie Magdaleno in the night’s original main event, but Magdaleno pulled out with an injury.
“Coming off his stellar performance against highly regarded Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov, Justin Pauldo will be looking to continue his climb to a world title shot,” said ProBoxTV's founder and CEO, Garry Jonas. “This should be a phenomenal fight and a real test to see if Justin Pauldo is that guy. If he has another performance like Rakhimov, he is the running for a title fight in the 135-lb division.”
Born in Orlando, Florida, but now living in Houston and training with Ronnie Shields, the 31 year-old Pauldo is a four-time ProBoxTV veteran. He came to ProBox after having put together eleven consecutive wins since his first defeat, a split-decision to Efrain Cruz in July 2015. In his ProBoxTV debut in August 2023, Pauldo scored a ten-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Estela (then 14-2) in Plant City, Florida. He returned there in November 2023 to stop Jerry Perez (then 14-3-1) in three rounds. Pauldo suffered his second career setback on ProBoxTV air in February 2024, dropping a ten-round split decision to Miguel Madueno (30-2), but returned to ProBoxTV a year later to score an upset eighth-round knockout over former IBF 130-pound champion Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in February of this year. Pauldo scored two knockdowns on the night, the latter of the two produced an immediate stoppage at 1:53.
In his most recent ring appearance, Pauldo took a ten-round unanimous decision over Said Chino last August. “Training has been great,” said Pauldo. “I’ve gotten a lot of great work to sharpen my skills and be at my best come fight night. I know my opponent is a tough guy coming out of Colombia. He’s got quite a few fights under his belt, so I’m looking forward to facing an experienced and hungry fighter and to being back on ProBoxTV. I’m going to put on a great show for all the fans.”
Theran, age 28, is a nearly nine-year professional who will be making his debut fighting in the United States, having spent the bulk of his career fighting in South America and The Dominican Republic. He has won two consecutive fights since suffering his only career setback in October 2023, a close twelve-round unanimous decision to Italy's Michael Magnesi (then 22-1) in the 130-pound division. “Training camp has been going great; I’m very motivated,” said Theran. “Pauldo is a very good fighter and one of the best on ProBoxTV because he likes to fight. God gave me this opportunity and I’m well-prepared physically and mentally to win. I’m very happy for the opportunity and being in this important fight only gives me more motivation.”
As for the co-featrue, Jonas had this to say: “We’re not happy that Jessie Magdaleno fell out, but we’re fortunate enough to get a great replacement in Cristian Cruz Chacon, who recently had a huge win over Jeremy Hill on ProBoxTV. Honestly, this could be a tougher test for Yaqubov.”
The southpaw Yaqubov, age 30, started boxing at the age of 10 and turned professional in late 2015. In his decade-long career, Yaqubov has victories over Emanuel López (29-9-1), Abraham Montoya (18-1-1) and former two-time world champ Tomás Rojas. In March 2022, Yaqubov suffered his only career loss via a twelve-round unanimous decision in a WBC title eliminator to current WBC champion O'Shaquie Foster. He has since rebounded with five consecutive victories, including quality wins over Pablo Vicente (23 1) in a ten rounder, Zafar Parpiev (13-2) and his most recent fight, a ten-round majority decision over William Foster III in August of this year. The win was Yaqubov’s first under new head trainer Manny Robles.
Holding one of the most deceiving records in boxing, the 28 year-old Cruz Chacon turned professional in 2014 and lost five of his first seven fights before turning things around and going 22-2-1 since then. Along the way, he has scored notable victories over Diego Ortiz Aleman (12-1-1), Jesus Acosta Ayala (15-1-1), a first-round stoppage of Pablo Robles (15-3), an eighth-round stoppage of Rafael Rosas Ramirez (19-3-2), a third-round stoppage of former world title challenger David Carmona, and his most recent ring appearance, an impressive split decision victory over a streaking Jeremy Hill (22-3-1) in September of this year on ProBoxTV.
ADDITIONAL BROADCAST BOUTS
Light flyweight Erik Badillo Mares (18-0, 8 KOs), a southpaw, will battle former WBO champion Elwin “La Pulga” Soto (21-3-1, 13 KOs) in a ten-round All-Mexican clash of contenders.
There will be a ten-round junior welterweight rumble between Carlos Balderas (16-2, 14 KOs) of Santa Maria, California and Ricardo Quiroz (13-6, 7 KOs) of Oxnard, California.
Also, on the televised slate that night is a battle for the vacant WBC women's 115-pound championship between California's Adelaida Maria “La Cobra” Ruiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) and Canada's Alexas “Iron Lady” Kubicki (13-2, 2 KOs) of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A longtime contender, the 37 year-old Ruiz’s aggressive style, strength, and punching power make her a dangerous foe for any of the world’s female super flyweights. A victory over Kubicki will give her an opportunity to avenge her only career loss, a thrilling ten-round split decision to Ginny Fuchs for the WBC interim title in August 2024. The WBC has ordered the winner of Ruiz vs. Kubicki to fight Interim champ Fuchs, who has been out of action for 14 months due to injuries suffered in the fight with Ruiz and also promotional issues. Kubicki will be in just her second fight on U.S. soil. In her most recent fight, the 22 year-old lost by seventh-round TKO in a brave stand against undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora in September. Kubicki’s technical skills are predicted to test Ruiz’s aggression in what promises to be a thrilling clash of styles.
The opening televised bout will feature the sole addition to ProBoxTV’s Future Stars Series, which features emerging boxing talents and serves as a platform for up-and-coming fighters to showcase their skills, as lightweight Charlie Sheehy (11-0, 6 KOs) of Brisbane, California, will continue to try and prove his worth against veteran D'Angelo Keyes (18-6, 11 KOs) of Houston.
Tickets to attend ProBoxTV’s The Contender Series in person at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, are available from the ProBoxTV website, the Save Mart Center Box Office, or directly from Ticketmaster.
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Tyrone James and Harley Burke win on Long Island |
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Tyrone James W8 Braulio Matias Ferreira... On Saturday in Huntington (Long Island), New York, Star Boxing closed out 2025 with a four bout show that was steamed live on Millions.co. In the featured bout, local middleweight Tyrone “Pretty Boy” James scored a unanimous decision victory over Uruguay’s Braulio Matias Ferreira in their eight-round main event. Ferreira came out aggressively, but by round three James found his rhythm, showcasing sharp combinations, timing, and improved ring generalship. With this win, James returned to his best form before injuries derailed him. James closed the fight strong in front of fan base, improving his career mark to 14-0 with 10 KOs while Ferreira drops to 7-2 with 2 KOs. The official scores were 79-73, 77-75 and 79-73.
Harley Burke W6 Avtandil Khurtsidze... Yonkers-based super middleweight Harley Burke dug deep to edge out the veteran Avtandil “Mini Mike Tyson” Khurtsidze by majority decision. Khurtsidze, a former contender whoise career was derailed by a prison stint, applied relentless pressure from the opening bell, but Burke matched him with grit, conditioning and smart counterpunching. The offfical scores were: 59–55, 58–56 and 57–57. The win raises Burke's record to 11-0 with 7 KOs while Khurtsidze goes to 34-3-3 with 23 KOs.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Bronx super middleweight Louis Maietta lost to Colorado’s Caleb Hall after a six-round, fan-friendly matchup. Maietta and Hall tore into each other from the start of round one to the closing bell of round six. The pro Maietta crowd cheered on their fighter but in the end Hall, a former U.S. Army boxer, came away with the close but unanimous decision.
Local cruiserweight Emmanuel Etienne started the night with a high-energy six-round win over Canada’s Hassen Oseni, a seasoned Muay Thai veteran with extensive MMA experience and a Canadian military background. Both men came out fast, exchanging heavy shots from start to finish. It was give and take throughout as each fighter scored significantly on their opponent. In the end, Etienne proved a little too much and took a very close decision, scored 58-56 on all three official cards. Etienne improves to 11-1 with 5 KOs while Oseni drops to 2-2 with 1 KO in pro boxing.
Promoter Joe DeGuardia was pleased with the show, saying, “This is what Rockin’ Fights is all about — high-level action, passionate fans, and fighters who leave everything in the ring. Tyrone James made a strong statement in his return, Burke showed tremendous heart, Hall-Maietta was nonstop action, and Etienne-Oseni set the tone for an unforgettable night.”
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Tyrone James and Harley Burke win on Long Island
Tyrone James W8 Braulio Matias Ferreira... On Saturday in Huntington (Long Island), New York, Star Boxing closed out 2025 with a four bout show that was steamed live on Millions.co. In the featured bout, local middleweight Tyrone “Pretty Boy” James scored a unanimous decision victory over Uruguay’s Braulio Matias Ferreira in their eight-round main event. Ferreira came out aggressively, but by round three James found his rhythm, showcasing sharp combinations, timing, and improved ring generalship. With this win, James returned to his best form before injuries derailed him. James closed the fight strong in front of fan base, improving his career mark to 14-0 with 10 KOs while Ferreira drops to 7-2 with 2 KOs. The official scores were 79-73, 77-75 and 79-73.
Harley Burke W6 Avtandil Khurtsidze... Yonkers-based super middleweight Harley Burke dug deep to edge out the veteran Avtandil “Mini Mike Tyson” Khurtsidze by majority decision. Khurtsidze, a former contender whoise career was derailed by a prison stint, applied relentless pressure from the opening bell, but Burke matched him with grit, conditioning and smart counterpunching. The offfical scores were: 59–55, 58–56 and 57–57. The win raises Burke's record to 11-0 with 7 KOs while Khurtsidze goes to 34-3-3 with 23 KOs.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Bronx super middleweight Louis Maietta lost to Colorado’s Caleb Hall after a six-round, fan-friendly matchup. Maietta and Hall tore into each other from the start of round one to the closing bell of round six. The pro Maietta crowd cheered on their fighter but in the end Hall, a former U.S. Army boxer, came away with the close but unanimous decision.
Local cruiserweight Emmanuel Etienne started the night with a high-energy six-round win over Canada’s Hassen Oseni, a seasoned Muay Thai veteran with extensive MMA experience and a Canadian military background. Both men came out fast, exchanging heavy shots from start to finish. It was give and take throughout as each fighter scored significantly on their opponent. In the end, Etienne proved a little too much and took a very close decision, scored 58-56 on all three official cards. Etienne improves to 11-1 with 5 KOs while Oseni drops to 2-2 with 1 KO in pro boxing.
Promoter Joe DeGuardia was pleased with the show, saying, “This is what Rockin’ Fights is all about — high-level action, passionate fans, and fighters who leave everything in the ring. Tyrone James made a strong statement in his return, Burke showed tremendous heart, Hall-Maietta was nonstop action, and Etienne-Oseni set the tone for an unforgettable night.”
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Golovkin is now president of World Boxing |
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Former world middleweight champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Gennadiy "Triple G" Golovkin, has been named the new president of World Boxing at its Congress 2025 in Rome. He will serve an initial three-year term and succeeds Boris van der Vorst, who did not seek re-election following the completion of his term. Golovkin was the only candidate for the role on the final ballot paper and was named president by acclamation at the Congress. Other candidates had put themselves forward in October 2025 to contest the Presidential election, however Golovkin was the only person approved to stand by an independent vetting panel, which assessed the backgrounds of all the candidates. The panel was made up of three independent, external experts and supported by the leading independent provider of sport-specific arbitration and mediation services, Sport Resolutions, and was designed to ensure World Boxing adheres to the highest standards of governance by providing independent, third party checking and oversight of Congress and the election process.
Golovkin, said: “It is a privilege to be elected as the new president of World Boxing. But this is just the beginning. Starting today, athletes will be at the heart of every decision we make. On the road to LA28, we will restore trust in Olympic boxing to secure our place in Brisbane and beyond. Now it’s time to move forward as one united boxing family.”
The presidential election was one of four votes at the Congress which included one position as Vice President and two seats on the World Boxing Executive Board. In the election for vice president, Ryan O’Shea from Canada secured a second term with 57 per cent of the vote in a two-person contest with Thailand’s Chaiwat Chotima.
The election for the executive board had six candidates and saw Michael Muller from Germany and Tatsuya Nakama from Japan emerge with the most votes.
The four winners of today’s elections will join the World Boxing Executive Board which is made-up of the president; three vice presidents; four Board members; four continental confederation presidents; two athlete representatives; the chairs of the Committees for Sport and Competition, Medical and Anti-Doping, and Finance and Audit.
The people that make up the Executive Board of World Boxing are:
Office Name
President Gennadiy Golovkin (KAZ)
Vice President Ryan O’Shea (CAN)
Vice President Matt Holt (GBR)
Vice President Dinah Glykidis (AUS)
Executive Board Micchael Muller (GER)
Executive Board Victorico Vargas (PHI)
Executive Board Tatsuya Nakama (JPN)
Executive Board Marcos Candido de Brito (BRA)
Athlete Representative (Chair) Richard Torres Jr. (USA)
President, Asian Boxing Lars Brovil (DEN)
President, Oceania Boxing Beulah Daunakamakama (FJI)
President, Panamerican Boxing Elise Seignolle (USA)
Chair Sport and Competition Committee Hernan Salvo (ARG)
Chair Medical and Anti-Doping Committee Dr Armando Sanchez (USA)
Chair Finance and Audit Committee Julia Felton (AUS)
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Congress 2025 was chaired by World Boxing vice president, Dinah Glykidis. In accordance, with World Boxing’s Statutes, 59 National Federations were eligible to take part in the voting which was conducted in-person and online and overseen by an independent, third-party organization. Scrutineers were onsite to validate the veracity of the election processes and ensure candidates were treated in a fair and equitable manner. Glykidis said: “Congress is the ultimate authority of World Boxing and to have so many of our members be able to participate in it today and express their views on the future direction of the organization is very important, and a positive sign that World Boxing is continuing to deliver on its commitment to transparency and rigorous governance. Since it was launched in April 2023, World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in a short space of time and I am confident that with our new President and the Executive Borad that we now have in place, following today’s elections, that it will continue to go from strength to strength as we build towards the next Olympic Games at LA28.”
Other business concluded at the World Boxing Congress 2025 included:
• Acceptance of a series of amendments to the Statutes of World Boxing following provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February 2025
• Ratification by Congress of the membership applications of 49 National Federations to join World Boxing
• Acceptance of a series of proposals which included the incorporation of World Boxing’s Sex Eligibility Policy into the Competition Rules and associated operational documents
• Approval of the 2025 Accounts and the provisional budget for 2026
• The acceptance of Panama’s bid to host World Boxing’s next annual Congress in 2026
World Boxing was launched in April 2023 with a mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It held its first formal meeting with the IOC in May 2024 and on February 25, 2025, it was granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.
Born in 1982, Gennadiy Golovkin is widely considered to be Kazakhstan’s greatest ever boxer. He won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before entering the professional ranks where he won the middleweight world title twice in a career made-up of 42 wins, two losses and a draw. He has been the President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee since 2024.
Golovkin will serve an initial three-year term and succeeds Boris van der Vorst, who did not seek re-election following the completion of his term.
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Golovkin is now president of World Boxing
Former world middleweight champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Gennadiy "Triple G" Golovkin, has been named the new president of World Boxing at its Congress 2025 in Rome. He will serve an initial three-year term and succeeds Boris van der Vorst, who did not seek re-election following the completion of his term. Golovkin was the only candidate for the role on the final ballot paper and was named president by acclamation at the Congress. Other candidates had put themselves forward in October 2025 to contest the Presidential election, however Golovkin was the only person approved to stand by an independent vetting panel, which assessed the backgrounds of all the candidates. The panel was made up of three independent, external experts and supported by the leading independent provider of sport-specific arbitration and mediation services, Sport Resolutions, and was designed to ensure World Boxing adheres to the highest standards of governance by providing independent, third party checking and oversight of Congress and the election process.
Golovkin, said: “It is a privilege to be elected as the new president of World Boxing. But this is just the beginning. Starting today, athletes will be at the heart of every decision we make. On the road to LA28, we will restore trust in Olympic boxing to secure our place in Brisbane and beyond. Now it’s time to move forward as one united boxing family.”
The presidential election was one of four votes at the Congress which included one position as Vice President and two seats on the World Boxing Executive Board. In the election for vice president, Ryan O’Shea from Canada secured a second term with 57 per cent of the vote in a two-person contest with Thailand’s Chaiwat Chotima.
The election for the executive board had six candidates and saw Michael Muller from Germany and Tatsuya Nakama from Japan emerge with the most votes.
The four winners of today’s elections will join the World Boxing Executive Board which is made-up of the president; three vice presidents; four Board members; four continental confederation presidents; two athlete representatives; the chairs of the Committees for Sport and Competition, Medical and Anti-Doping, and Finance and Audit.
The people that make up the Executive Board of World Boxing are:
Office Name
President Gennadiy Golovkin (KAZ)
Vice President Ryan O’Shea (CAN)
Vice President Matt Holt (GBR)
Vice President Dinah Glykidis (AUS)
Executive Board Micchael Muller (GER)
Executive Board Victorico Vargas (PHI)
Executive Board Tatsuya Nakama (JPN)
Executive Board Marcos Candido de Brito (BRA)
Athlete Representative (Chair) Richard Torres Jr. (USA)
President, Asian Boxing Lars Brovil (DEN)
President, Oceania Boxing Beulah Daunakamakama (FJI)
President, Panamerican Boxing Elise Seignolle (USA)
Chair Sport and Competition Committee Hernan Salvo (ARG)
Chair Medical and Anti-Doping Committee Dr Armando Sanchez (USA)
Chair Finance and Audit Committee Julia Felton (AUS)
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Congress 2025 was chaired by World Boxing vice president, Dinah Glykidis. In accordance, with World Boxing’s Statutes, 59 National Federations were eligible to take part in the voting which was conducted in-person and online and overseen by an independent, third-party organization. Scrutineers were onsite to validate the veracity of the election processes and ensure candidates were treated in a fair and equitable manner. Glykidis said: “Congress is the ultimate authority of World Boxing and to have so many of our members be able to participate in it today and express their views on the future direction of the organization is very important, and a positive sign that World Boxing is continuing to deliver on its commitment to transparency and rigorous governance. Since it was launched in April 2023, World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in a short space of time and I am confident that with our new President and the Executive Borad that we now have in place, following today’s elections, that it will continue to go from strength to strength as we build towards the next Olympic Games at LA28.”
Other business concluded at the World Boxing Congress 2025 included:
• Acceptance of a series of amendments to the Statutes of World Boxing following provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February 2025
• Ratification by Congress of the membership applications of 49 National Federations to join World Boxing
• Acceptance of a series of proposals which included the incorporation of World Boxing’s Sex Eligibility Policy into the Competition Rules and associated operational documents
• Approval of the 2025 Accounts and the provisional budget for 2026
• The acceptance of Panama’s bid to host World Boxing’s next annual Congress in 2026
World Boxing was launched in April 2023 with a mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It held its first formal meeting with the IOC in May 2024 and on February 25, 2025, it was granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.
Born in 1982, Gennadiy Golovkin is widely considered to be Kazakhstan’s greatest ever boxer. He won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before entering the professional ranks where he won the middleweight world title twice in a career made-up of 42 wins, two losses and a draw. He has been the President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee since 2024.
Golovkin will serve an initial three-year term and succeeds Boris van der Vorst, who did not seek re-election following the completion of his term.
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New Jersey show postponed until January |
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The CB Promotions card scheduled for tomorrow (Novermber 25th) at The Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey has been postponed. A new date of Tuesday, January 13, 2026 has been announced but the venue has not yet been secured. All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.
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New Jersey show postponed until January
The CB Promotions card scheduled for tomorrow (Novermber 25th) at The Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey has been postponed. A new date of Tuesday, January 13, 2026 has been announced but the venue has not yet been secured. All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.
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Saturday: Ruiz vs. Kubicki for WBC 115-pound title |
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On Saturday's ProBox TV broadcast from Fresno, California will be a battle for the vacant WBC women's 115-pound championship between California's Adelaida Maria “La Cobra” Ruiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) and Canada's Alexas “Iron Lady” Kubicki (13-2, 2 KOs). A longtime contender, the 37 year-old Ruiz’s aggressive style, strength, and punching power make her a dangerous foe for any of the world’s female super flyweights. A victory over Kubicki will give her an opportunity to avenge her only career loss, which occurred in a thrilling ten-round split decision to Ginny Fuchs for the WBC interim title in August 2024. The WBC has ordered the winner of Ruiz vs. Kubicki to fight interim champ Fuchs, who has been out of action for 14 months due to injuries suffered in the fight with Ruiz and also promotional issues. Kubicki, from Edmonton, will be in just her second fight on U.S. soil. In her most recent fight, the 22 year-old lost by seventh-round TKO in a brave stand against undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora in September. Kubicki’s technical skills are predicted to test Ruiz’s aggression in what promises to be a thrilling clash of styles.
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Saturday: Ruiz vs. Kubicki for WBC 115-pound title
On Saturday's ProBox TV broadcast from Fresno, California will be a battle for the vacant WBC women's 115-pound championship between California's Adelaida Maria “La Cobra” Ruiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) and Canada's Alexas “Iron Lady” Kubicki (13-2, 2 KOs). A longtime contender, the 37 year-old Ruiz’s aggressive style, strength, and punching power make her a dangerous foe for any of the world’s female super flyweights. A victory over Kubicki will give her an opportunity to avenge her only career loss, which occurred in a thrilling ten-round split decision to Ginny Fuchs for the WBC interim title in August 2024. The WBC has ordered the winner of Ruiz vs. Kubicki to fight interim champ Fuchs, who has been out of action for 14 months due to injuries suffered in the fight with Ruiz and also promotional issues. Kubicki, from Edmonton, will be in just her second fight on U.S. soil. In her most recent fight, the 22 year-old lost by seventh-round TKO in a brave stand against undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora in September. Kubicki’s technical skills are predicted to test Ruiz’s aggression in what promises to be a thrilling clash of styles.
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Boxingtalk salutes CES' Pat Sullivan |
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Pat Sullivan has worked for many years as Director of Operations for Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES), New England's leading boxing and MMA promoter. Though he has never thrown a punch in the ring, Sullivan is a champion of life based on how he has responded to tragedy. He established the Joanne Sullivan Memorial Fund following his mother’s passing in 2008, and he calculates that he has raised more than $950,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Research Institute in Boston. That total was current as of November 1st. But later that night, during a fight card at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Burchfield along with CES’ righthand men Michael Parente and Steve Maze, presented a jumbo-sized $10,000 check to Sullivan in support of his efforts.
In addition, Burchfield supported a Pink Out as part of the night’s festivities. Every fighter wore pink gloves; CES staffers wore pink dress shirts and ties; the round card girls wore pink crop tops; Sullivan wore a pink shirt, pink blazer and pink shoes; QR codes were posted in the fight programs and around the arena inviting boxing fans to donate to the Joanne Sullivan Memorial Fund; and a table was set up in the upper concourse to encourage donations, with pink T-shirts being given to everyone contributing.
Burchfield said he considers Sullivan his “fourth son” and encouraged any generous donors out there to get Sullivan over the $1 millio mark. Anyone looking to support the cause can make a donation at https://joannesullivanmemorialfund.org/.
“We definitely want to go over the $1 million mark before this year is over,” said Burchfield, who planned to have another Pink Out event at his mixed martial arts event one week later at the Historic Park Theater in Cranston, Rhode Island. Alongside support from his boxing boss, Sullivan has raised nearly a million dollars through an annual golf event at Framingham Country Club. The three largest sponsorships are Dinner, Hole and Golf Cart, at $5,000, $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.
“Pat, I’m so proud of you,” said Burchfield after presenting the check. “Your mom and dad are smiling right now in Heaven. Thank you so much for everything that you do.”
Maze also encouraged boxing fans in attendance to donate. “There are QR codes all over the place,” he said. “Please, please help. It’s a fight that everybody’s in, whether it was your mother, your father, your grandmother, your grandfather, your husband, your wife. Everybody’s affected by cancer. Every dollar helps.”
As he accepted the generous donation, Sullivan thanked Burchfield, the CES team, Mohegan Sun for their combined efforts. He also talked about his mother. “In 2008 my mother passed away from breast cancer. I was only 23 years old,” said Sullivan. “And I’m not ashamed to say, I’m very proud to say, I am, 17 years later, I was and still am the biggest mama’s boy that anyone’s going to meet.”
He added, “My mother was my best friend, my rock, the person I looked up to. She’s still my hero to this day , so when she passed away it totally crushed me. But we got such great care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, that we went in and met with the head of oncology, and said, ‘What can we do to support what you’re doing here?’ ”
Sullivan and his family met with Dr. Sara Tolaney, an oncologist at the time who is now the head of Dana-Farber’s oncology department and an associate professor of nedicine at Harvard. “At the time, she said she was on to some pretty important research,” said Sullivan, “And we told her we’re going to raise as much money as we can, but the money has to go to the research [not to stock the shelves, or pay administrative fees, etc.], and I’m proud to say that in the 15 years of this research Dr. Tolaney has set the standard of care, not just in Boston, not just in Massachusetts, not just in the United States, but worldwide. People are being affected by the standard of care because of the research that we are funding.”
Dr. Tolaney praised Pat's efforts, saying "Pat is truly extraordinary. He has been hosting an annual golf tournament in memory of his mother, Joanna Sullivan, and pours his heart and soul into every detail of the event. The funds he raises each year provide critical support for our breast oncology research, enabling us to pursue more effective and better-tolerated therapies for patients. His commitment has a tangible and meaningful impact on the progress we’re able to make."
Sullivan’s said he’s proud he’s been able to support such change and “I know that my mother’s name might be on the check when it gets donated, but for everybody here that’s thinking of somebody, praying for somebody, remembering somebody, I want you to know..it’s also written and signed by hundreds of heavy hearts who are out here tonight in support of somebody.”
  
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Boxingtalk salutes CES' Pat Sullivan
Pat Sullivan has worked for many years as Director of Operations for Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES), New England's leading boxing and MMA promoter. Though he has never thrown a punch in the ring, Sullivan is a champion of life based on how he has responded to tragedy. He established the Joanne Sullivan Memorial Fund following his mother’s passing in 2008, and he calculates that he has raised more than $950,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Research Institute in Boston. That total was current as of November 1st. But later that night, during a fight card at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Burchfield along with CES’ righthand men Michael Parente and Steve Maze, presented a jumbo-sized $10,000 check to Sullivan in support of his efforts.
In addition, Burchfield supported a Pink Out as part of the night’s festivities. Every fighter wore pink gloves; CES staffers wore pink dress shirts and ties; the round card girls wore pink crop tops; Sullivan wore a pink shirt, pink blazer and pink shoes; QR codes were posted in the fight programs and around the arena inviting boxing fans to donate to the Joanne Sullivan Memorial Fund; and a table was set up in the upper concourse to encourage donations, with pink T-shirts being given to everyone contributing.
Burchfield said he considers Sullivan his “fourth son” and encouraged any generous donors out there to get Sullivan over the $1 millio mark. Anyone looking to support the cause can make a donation at https://joannesullivanmemorialfund.org/.
“We definitely want to go over the $1 million mark before this year is over,” said Burchfield, who planned to have another Pink Out event at his mixed martial arts event one week later at the Historic Park Theater in Cranston, Rhode Island. Alongside support from his boxing boss, Sullivan has raised nearly a million dollars through an annual golf event at Framingham Country Club. The three largest sponsorships are Dinner, Hole and Golf Cart, at $5,000, $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.
“Pat, I’m so proud of you,” said Burchfield after presenting the check. “Your mom and dad are smiling right now in Heaven. Thank you so much for everything that you do.”
Maze also encouraged boxing fans in attendance to donate. “There are QR codes all over the place,” he said. “Please, please help. It’s a fight that everybody’s in, whether it was your mother, your father, your grandmother, your grandfather, your husband, your wife. Everybody’s affected by cancer. Every dollar helps.”
As he accepted the generous donation, Sullivan thanked Burchfield, the CES team, Mohegan Sun for their combined efforts. He also talked about his mother. “In 2008 my mother passed away from breast cancer. I was only 23 years old,” said Sullivan. “And I’m not ashamed to say, I’m very proud to say, I am, 17 years later, I was and still am the biggest mama’s boy that anyone’s going to meet.”
He added, “My mother was my best friend, my rock, the person I looked up to. She’s still my hero to this day , so when she passed away it totally crushed me. But we got such great care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, that we went in and met with the head of oncology, and said, ‘What can we do to support what you’re doing here?’ ”
Sullivan and his family met with Dr. Sara Tolaney, an oncologist at the time who is now the head of Dana-Farber’s oncology department and an associate professor of nedicine at Harvard. “At the time, she said she was on to some pretty important research,” said Sullivan, “And we told her we’re going to raise as much money as we can, but the money has to go to the research [not to stock the shelves, or pay administrative fees, etc.], and I’m proud to say that in the 15 years of this research Dr. Tolaney has set the standard of care, not just in Boston, not just in Massachusetts, not just in the United States, but worldwide. People are being affected by the standard of care because of the research that we are funding.”
Dr. Tolaney praised Pat's efforts, saying "Pat is truly extraordinary. He has been hosting an annual golf tournament in memory of his mother, Joanna Sullivan, and pours his heart and soul into every detail of the event. The funds he raises each year provide critical support for our breast oncology research, enabling us to pursue more effective and better-tolerated therapies for patients. His commitment has a tangible and meaningful impact on the progress we’re able to make."
Sullivan’s said he’s proud he’s been able to support such change and “I know that my mother’s name might be on the check when it gets donated, but for everybody here that’s thinking of somebody, praying for somebody, remembering somebody, I want you to know..it’s also written and signed by hundreds of heavy hearts who are out here tonight in support of somebody.”
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Isaac Johnson dies in combat sports event in Chicago |
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According to television station Fox32 in Chicago, mixed martial artist Isaac Johnson, age 31, collapsed near the end of his first "Thai boxing match" at Cicero Stadium on Friday and later died at Loyola Hospital. Johnson had passed a state-required physical before the fight and was competing in what was billed as the Matador Fighter Challenge. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations is investigating; the cause of death has not been released.
Promoter Joe Goytia wrote on social media, "This is a post I hoped to never make. Last night one of the fighters in our event, Isaac Johnson, collapsed towards end of his fight. Medical attention was given by medical staff on hand and he was transported to hospital. I was then informed at around 1:30 AM [Sunday] morning that he didn't make it. I don't have the words to express how I feel right now. All I can say is my deepest condolences to his family, friends and teammates. We will know more as the medical report is released.
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Isaac Johnson dies in combat sports event in Chicago
According to television station Fox32 in Chicago, mixed martial artist Isaac Johnson, age 31, collapsed near the end of his first "Thai boxing match" at Cicero Stadium on Friday and later died at Loyola Hospital. Johnson had passed a state-required physical before the fight and was competing in what was billed as the Matador Fighter Challenge. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations is investigating; the cause of death has not been released.
Promoter Joe Goytia wrote on social media, "This is a post I hoped to never make. Last night one of the fighters in our event, Isaac Johnson, collapsed towards end of his fight. Medical attention was given by medical staff on hand and he was transported to hospital. I was then informed at around 1:30 AM [Sunday] morning that he didn't make it. I don't have the words to express how I feel right now. All I can say is my deepest condolences to his family, friends and teammates. We will know more as the medical report is released.
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Weigh-in report from Tokyo |
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Two Japanese boxers, Tenshin Nasukawa and Takuma Inoue, will face each other for the vacant WBC bantamweight championship on Monday at the Toyota Arena in Tokyo. The fight is organized by Teiken Promotions and will be televised by Prime Video Japan. It will also be broadcast live on the Top Rank Classics channel, available on the Roku Channel, Tubi, and Vizio applications. Nasukawa and Inoue both weighed in at 117.7 pounds. The winner will claim the title vacated by Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 knockouts), who is now campaigning at super bantamweight.
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Weigh-in report from Tokyo
Two Japanese boxers, Tenshin Nasukawa and Takuma Inoue, will face each other for the vacant WBC bantamweight championship on Monday at the Toyota Arena in Tokyo. The fight is organized by Teiken Promotions and will be televised by Prime Video Japan. It will also be broadcast live on the Top Rank Classics channel, available on the Roku Channel, Tubi, and Vizio applications. Nasukawa and Inoue both weighed in at 117.7 pounds. The winner will claim the title vacated by Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 knockouts), who is now campaigning at super bantamweight.
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Hennessy steps up vs. Bytyqi this weekend |
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Francesca Hennessy (6-0), one of the most promising young fighters in British boxing, will see actionon Saturday, November 29, when, at bantamweight, she faces blown-up former atomweight champion Fabiana Bytyqi (22-2-2) at the Valliant Live Arena in Derby, United Kingdom. Hennessy enters motivated not only by fighting at home but by the chance to establish herself as a serious contender within the division. The British fighter has shown rapid improvement with each appearance, combining tempo, controlled aggression, and a tactical approach that has made her a standout prospect.
Bytyqi represents a major challenge: she brings the experience of having been a WBC champion, along with the technical solidity that has long defined her style. Accustomed to performing on big stages, the Czech fighter will aim to spoil the evening for the hometown favorite and prove she remains relevant at the highest level.
The fight carries clear implications: for Hennessy, it would be the first title of her professional career and an immediate rise in the rankings; for Bytyqi, a chance to relaunch herself in a higher division, using her ring IQ and experience to overcome a rising opponent.
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Hennessy steps up vs. Bytyqi this weekend
Francesca Hennessy (6-0), one of the most promising young fighters in British boxing, will see actionon Saturday, November 29, when, at bantamweight, she faces blown-up former atomweight champion Fabiana Bytyqi (22-2-2) at the Valliant Live Arena in Derby, United Kingdom. Hennessy enters motivated not only by fighting at home but by the chance to establish herself as a serious contender within the division. The British fighter has shown rapid improvement with each appearance, combining tempo, controlled aggression, and a tactical approach that has made her a standout prospect.
Bytyqi represents a major challenge: she brings the experience of having been a WBC champion, along with the technical solidity that has long defined her style. Accustomed to performing on big stages, the Czech fighter will aim to spoil the evening for the hometown favorite and prove she remains relevant at the highest level.
The fight carries clear implications: for Hennessy, it would be the first title of her professional career and an immediate rise in the rankings; for Bytyqi, a chance to relaunch herself in a higher division, using her ring IQ and experience to overcome a rising opponent.
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Cancer claims the life of Vanes Martirosyan |
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Sad news out of Los Angeles: former junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan has passed away at the age of 39 after his two-year battle with skin cancer. A 2004 United States Olympian, Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs) retired in 2019 after back-to-back losses against Erislandy Lara and Gennadiy Golovkin. He held wins over Ishe Smith, Kassim Ouma, Joe Greene and Willie Nelson, among others. Boxingtalk sends its condolences to the friends and family of Vanes Martirosyan.
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Cancer claims the life of Vanes Martirosyan
Sad news out of Los Angeles: former junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan has passed away at the age of 39 after his two-year battle with skin cancer. A 2004 United States Olympian, Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs) retired in 2019 after back-to-back losses against Erislandy Lara and Gennadiy Golovkin. He held wins over Ishe Smith, Kassim Ouma, Joe Greene and Willie Nelson, among others. Boxingtalk sends its condolences to the friends and family of Vanes Martirosyan.
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Benavidez KOs Yarde |
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David Benavidez TKO7 Anthony Yarde. ... In the main event of the big show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, David Benavidez successfully defended his title against Britain's Anthony Yarde. After a little bit of a slow start, Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) turned it on with his fast hands to bloody and swell Yarde's face up, which resulted in Benavidez dropping the Brit and stopping him at the 1:59 mark of the seventh round to retain the WBC and interim WBA light heavyweight titles. In the third round, Benavidez uncorked a series of left hands that let Yarde know trouble was brewing. He continued to unload those violent combinations until he completely broke Yarde and closed the show in the seventh round. “I got some news for you guys,” a victorious Benavidez said during his post-fight interview on the DAZN pay-per-view broadcast “May 2 — me versus [WBA/WBO 200-pound champion Gilberto] ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. I’m going up to cruiserweight to challenge for his titles, so I’m excited for that.”
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Benavidez KOs Yarde
David Benavidez TKO7 Anthony Yarde. ... In the main event of the big show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, David Benavidez successfully defended his title against Britain's Anthony Yarde. After a little bit of a slow start, Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) turned it on with his fast hands to bloody and swell Yarde's face up, which resulted in Benavidez dropping the Brit and stopping him at the 1:59 mark of the seventh round to retain the WBC and interim WBA light heavyweight titles. In the third round, Benavidez uncorked a series of left hands that let Yarde know trouble was brewing. He continued to unload those violent combinations until he completely broke Yarde and closed the show in the seventh round. “I got some news for you guys,” a victorious Benavidez said during his post-fight interview on the DAZN pay-per-view broadcast “May 2 — me versus [WBA/WBO 200-pound champion Gilberto] ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. I’m going up to cruiserweight to challenge for his titles, so I’m excited for that.”
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Devin Haney is an undefeated three-division champion |
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Devin Haney W12 Brian Norman... In Saudi Arabia, Devin Haney became a three-division champion and experienced a moment of redemption that precious few get to experience. He knocked down Brian Norman, Jr. in round two and cruised to a unanimous decision victory to become the WBO welterweight champion. The judges scored it 114-113, 117-110 and 116-111, all in Haney's favor. The win marked redemption for the 27-year-old Haney (32-0 with 1 no contest, 15 KOs), who used the quality victory to propel himself from his rather lackluster points win over Jose Ramirez in May. It also erased some of the stained memory of being knocked down three times in an April 2024 loss to Ryan Garcia that was later turned into a no-contest after the latter tested positive for a banned substance. "In 2024, I lost everything, everything came crashing on me," a victorious Haney said live on DAZN Pay-Per-View. "In 2025, I came to get it back, in 2026 I'm coming for everything."
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Devin Haney is an undefeated three-division champion
Devin Haney W12 Brian Norman... In Saudi Arabia, Devin Haney became a three-division champion and experienced a moment of redemption that precious few get to experience. He knocked down Brian Norman, Jr. in round two and cruised to a unanimous decision victory to become the WBO welterweight champion. The judges scored it 114-113, 117-110 and 116-111, all in Haney's favor. The win marked redemption for the 27-year-old Haney (32-0 with 1 no contest, 15 KOs), who used the quality victory to propel himself from his rather lackluster points win over Jose Ramirez in May. It also erased some of the stained memory of being knocked down three times in an April 2024 loss to Ryan Garcia that was later turned into a no-contest after the latter tested positive for a banned substance. "In 2024, I lost everything, everything came crashing on me," a victorious Haney said live on DAZN Pay-Per-View. "In 2025, I came to get it back, in 2026 I'm coming for everything."
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Bam Rodriguez collects third belt at 115 |
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Jesse Rodriguez KO10 Fernando Martinez... Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez was boxing a shutout against Fernando Martinez, winning every single round, until he exploded with a left hook that caught Martinez across the jaw for a tenth-round knockout Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN pay-per-view. By winning the unification bout, Ruiz grabbed Martinez’ WBA super flyweight world championship, adding it to the WBC and WBO titles he entered the ring with. The dynamic 25-year-old Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) is now one title away from reaching undisputed glory at 115 pounds (the IBF version is held by Willibaldo García of Mexico).
With nimble footwork, clever angles, piercing punch selection and placement in an all-around package of sweet science brilliance, Rodriguez showed he is levels above Martinez in a boxing masterclass. And it didn't take long for Rodriguez to know he's the superior fighter. Rodriguez told DAZN’s Claudia Trejos that he knew he had Martinez’ number “after round one.”
As triumphant as the victory was, it was also bittersweet as ‘Bam’ missed the birth of his son this week, while preparing for the fight in Riyadh. “Honestly, I could cry right now because that’s the birth of my son and I missed it to be here,” Rodriguez told Trejos after his win. “It’s hard for me but it paid off. [My son will] understand when he’s a little bit older. I did it not only for him but for my daughter as well. I love my family a lot. This one’s for them.”
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Bam Rodriguez collects third belt at 115
Jesse Rodriguez KO10 Fernando Martinez... Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez was boxing a shutout against Fernando Martinez, winning every single round, until he exploded with a left hook that caught Martinez across the jaw for a tenth-round knockout Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN pay-per-view. By winning the unification bout, Ruiz grabbed Martinez’ WBA super flyweight world championship, adding it to the WBC and WBO titles he entered the ring with. The dynamic 25-year-old Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) is now one title away from reaching undisputed glory at 115 pounds (the IBF version is held by Willibaldo García of Mexico).
With nimble footwork, clever angles, piercing punch selection and placement in an all-around package of sweet science brilliance, Rodriguez showed he is levels above Martinez in a boxing masterclass. And it didn't take long for Rodriguez to know he's the superior fighter. Rodriguez told DAZN’s Claudia Trejos that he knew he had Martinez’ number “after round one.”
As triumphant as the victory was, it was also bittersweet as ‘Bam’ missed the birth of his son this week, while preparing for the fight in Riyadh. “Honestly, I could cry right now because that’s the birth of my son and I missed it to be here,” Rodriguez told Trejos after his win. “It’s hard for me but it paid off. [My son will] understand when he’s a little bit older. I did it not only for him but for my daughter as well. I love my family a lot. This one’s for them.”
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New champion alert: Abdullah Mason begins lightweight reign |
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Abdullah Mason W12 Sam Noakes... Abdullah Mason used razor-sharp accuracy and a bevy of body shots to methodically dismantle Sam Noakes’ grit to claim the vacant WBO lightweight world title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. At the end of a twelve-round war of attrition, judges scored the bout 117-111 and 115-113 (twice) in favor of Mason for the unanimous decision victory. At age 21, Mason is now the youngest current male world champion. He won the title that became vacant when Keyshawn Davis failed to make weight. From Cleveland, Mason won this battle of unbeatens to climb to 20-0. Noakes made a strong accounting for himself and at 17-1, he still has a bright future ahead of him.
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New champion alert: Abdullah Mason begins lightweight reign
Abdullah Mason W12 Sam Noakes... Abdullah Mason used razor-sharp accuracy and a bevy of body shots to methodically dismantle Sam Noakes’ grit to claim the vacant WBO lightweight world title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. At the end of a twelve-round war of attrition, judges scored the bout 117-111 and 115-113 (twice) in favor of Mason for the unanimous decision victory. At age 21, Mason is now the youngest current male world champion. He won the title that became vacant when Keyshawn Davis failed to make weight. From Cleveland, Mason won this battle of unbeatens to climb to 20-0. Noakes made a strong accounting for himself and at 17-1, he still has a bright future ahead of him.
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Skye Nicholson and Yuliahn Luna agree to fight |
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On December 13th at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California, Skye Nicolson (14-1, 3 KO) and Yuliahn “Cobrita” Luna Ávila (28-4-1, 4 KO) will be competing for the WBC interim super bantamweight title. A former champion, Nicolson (14-1, 3 KO) returns to the ring on a two-fight win streak since losing the WBC featherweight title to Tiara Brown. The Australian, known for her constant movement, sharp precision, and a tactical style that frustrates more aggressive opponents, enters with the mission of reestablishing herself as an elite contender. Her back-foot boxing, angle control, and ability to score without taking unnecessary risks remain her key weapons.
Mexico’s Luna is a seasoned fighter with championship experience and a record that reflects her depth. The former WBC bantamweight titleholder is methodical, strong, patient, and skilled at applying pressure without burning out early. She specializes in body work, a crucial factor when facing a mobile boxer like Nicolson.
The matchup is a clear clash of styles: Nicolson’s technique and volume against Luna’s strength, durability, and experience. For Nicolson, it’s a chance to prove she remains championship material; for Luna, an opportunity to disrupt plans and reenter the world-title picture.
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Skye Nicholson and Yuliahn Luna agree to fight
On December 13th at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California, Skye Nicolson (14-1, 3 KO) and Yuliahn “Cobrita” Luna Ávila (28-4-1, 4 KO) will be competing for the WBC interim super bantamweight title. A former champion, Nicolson (14-1, 3 KO) returns to the ring on a two-fight win streak since losing the WBC featherweight title to Tiara Brown. The Australian, known for her constant movement, sharp precision, and a tactical style that frustrates more aggressive opponents, enters with the mission of reestablishing herself as an elite contender. Her back-foot boxing, angle control, and ability to score without taking unnecessary risks remain her key weapons.
Mexico’s Luna is a seasoned fighter with championship experience and a record that reflects her depth. The former WBC bantamweight titleholder is methodical, strong, patient, and skilled at applying pressure without burning out early. She specializes in body work, a crucial factor when facing a mobile boxer like Nicolson.
The matchup is a clear clash of styles: Nicolson’s technique and volume against Luna’s strength, durability, and experience. For Nicolson, it’s a chance to prove she remains championship material; for Luna, an opportunity to disrupt plans and reenter the world-title picture.
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WBC receives notice of positive PED test for Subriel Matias |
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The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has notified the WBC that an adverse analytical finding for a banned performance enhancing substance was found in the system as a result of a test administered to WBC 140-pound champion Subriel Matias. Matias was scheduled to defend his title on January 10th against Dalton Smith. The WBC confirmed that, in accordance with the protocols established by its Clean Boxing Program, it has commenced a formal investigation process into this matter.Acc ording to the WBC website, "WBC president [Mauricio Sulaiman] has been in contact with Matias and his promoter, Mr. Orengo, both of whom have expressed their absolute availability and full cooperation as the process unfolds. The WBC stresses that no further comments will be made at this time while the investigation and due process are carried out under the CBP guidelines."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
NOV. 6, 2025: The WBC junior welterweight championship bout between the Puerto Rican champion Subriel Matías (pictured) and the top-ranked British challenger Dalton Smith will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, January 10th. It will be promoted by Juan Orengo's Fresh Productions. A press conference to formally announce the event will take place at the venue itself and will be open to the public on Monday, November 10th beginning at 12 noon. Matías and Smith will both be in attendance and the press conference will also be streamed live on Fresh Productions Boxing’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
OCT. 3, 2025: The WBC reports that Puerto Rico's Subriel Matías will defend his WBC junior welterweight title against Britain’s Dalton Smith on January 10th in New York at a venue still to be confirmed. Matías (23-2, 22 KOs) captured the WBC belt on July 12th when he defeated Dominican Alberto Puello by majority decision. It was the first time in his career that the Puerto Rican secured a victory on the scorecards as all his other wins came by way of KO. Smith (18-0, 13 KOs), on the other hand, arrives undefeated and on a rapid rise in the division. The Englishman reached world level in 2024 by knocking out José Zepeda, and in 2025 he added further international experience.
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WBC receives notice of positive PED test for Subriel Matias
The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has notified the WBC that an adverse analytical finding for a banned performance enhancing substance was found in the system as a result of a test administered to WBC 140-pound champion Subriel Matias. Matias was scheduled to defend his title on January 10th against Dalton Smith. The WBC confirmed that, in accordance with the protocols established by its Clean Boxing Program, it has commenced a formal investigation process into this matter.Acc ording to the WBC website, "WBC president [Mauricio Sulaiman] has been in contact with Matias and his promoter, Mr. Orengo, both of whom have expressed their absolute availability and full cooperation as the process unfolds. The WBC stresses that no further comments will be made at this time while the investigation and due process are carried out under the CBP guidelines."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
NOV. 6, 2025: The WBC junior welterweight championship bout between the Puerto Rican champion Subriel Matías (pictured) and the top-ranked British challenger Dalton Smith will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, January 10th. It will be promoted by Juan Orengo's Fresh Productions. A press conference to formally announce the event will take place at the venue itself and will be open to the public on Monday, November 10th beginning at 12 noon. Matías and Smith will both be in attendance and the press conference will also be streamed live on Fresh Productions Boxing’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
OCT. 3, 2025: The WBC reports that Puerto Rico's Subriel Matías will defend his WBC junior welterweight title against Britain’s Dalton Smith on January 10th in New York at a venue still to be confirmed. Matías (23-2, 22 KOs) captured the WBC belt on July 12th when he defeated Dominican Alberto Puello by majority decision. It was the first time in his career that the Puerto Rican secured a victory on the scorecards as all his other wins came by way of KO. Smith (18-0, 13 KOs), on the other hand, arrives undefeated and on a rapid rise in the division. The Englishman reached world level in 2024 by knocking out José Zepeda, and in 2025 he added further international experience.
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Weigh-in report from Saudi Arabia |
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Here are the boxer's weights for Saturday's big Riyadh Season pay-per-view show in Saudi Arabia:
David Benavidez (174.3 pounds) vs. Anthony Yarde (173.9) for Benavidez's WBC and WBA regular light heavyweight titles;
Devin Haney (146.6) vs. Brian Norman Jr. (146.12) for Norman's WBO welterweight title;
Jesse Rodriguez (114.6) vs. Fernando Martinez (113.12) three-belt super flyweight unification;
Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes for vacant WBO lightweight title;
Barker Ssewanyana (115.3) vs. Juan El Guerito de Tepito (116.9) bantamweights;
Umesh Chavan (129.9) vs. Sultan Almohammed (129) junior lightweights;
Pius Mpenda (166.12) vs. Julio Porras (167.9) super middleweights;
Jiaming Li (132.3) vs. Mohammed Alakel (131.6) lightweights; and
Samuel Nmomah (159.6) vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr. (159.6) middleweights.
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Weigh-in report from Saudi Arabia
Here are the boxer's weights for Saturday's big Riyadh Season pay-per-view show in Saudi Arabia:
David Benavidez (174.3 pounds) vs. Anthony Yarde (173.9) for Benavidez's WBC and WBA regular light heavyweight titles;
Devin Haney (146.6) vs. Brian Norman Jr. (146.12) for Norman's WBO welterweight title;
Jesse Rodriguez (114.6) vs. Fernando Martinez (113.12) three-belt super flyweight unification;
Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes for vacant WBO lightweight title;
Barker Ssewanyana (115.3) vs. Juan El Guerito de Tepito (116.9) bantamweights;
Umesh Chavan (129.9) vs. Sultan Almohammed (129) junior lightweights;
Pius Mpenda (166.12) vs. Julio Porras (167.9) super middleweights;
Jiaming Li (132.3) vs. Mohammed Alakel (131.6) lightweights; and
Samuel Nmomah (159.6) vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr. (159.6) middleweights.
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Veron and Erdenebat triumph in Florida |
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Francisco Daniel Veron W10 Roiman Villa... Fighting in his adopted hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Francisco Daniel Veron (17-1-1, 10 KOs) served as the matador to the hard-punching Venezuelan, Roiman Villa (27-4, 25 KOs). The Argentine-born Veron dropped Villa in round nine en route to a ten-round shutout on ProBoxTV’s Friday Night Fights at the War Memorial Auditorium. Showing clear signs of being ready for the division’s upper echelon, Veron frustrated and dominated Villa in every round with non-stop punching and moving. Veron set a blistering pace from the outset of the fight and even fought through a badly bleeding lip from some temporary Villa effectiveness in round four to control the iron-fisted South American the rest of the way with a busy jab and debilitating punches with both hands. The scores were an academic 100-89.
Tsendy Erdenebat W10 Abraham Montoya... Mongolian junior lightweight Tsendy Erdenebat (13-0, 6 KOs), now fighting out of Paramount, California, won an entertaining ten-round unanimous decision over ironman Abraham Montoya (23-6-1, 14 KOs) of Baja California, Mexico. A two-time Mongolian Olympian, Erdenebat came out firing in the opening two rounds, landing several big punches seemingly at will on the awkward, but impervious-to-pain Montoya. A proven veteran with several noteworthy victories, Montoya turned up the pressure starting in the third round, landing strong lefts and rights to the head and body of a puzzled Erdenebat. What followed was an entertaining battle between Erdenebat, the faster, sharper puncher, loading up on highlight-reel haymakers to the chin of the relentless Montoya, while Montoya scored with many of his own clubbing shots, and never let up on the nonstop pressure. Showing his conditioning, Erdenebat turned up the volume in round ten and was finally able to back Montoya up. Fighting like your drunk uncle playing video boxing at Christmas, Montoya kept the fight close and entertaining, while Erdenebat showed world-class mettle in making the adjustments to pull out a tough fight. The scores were 96-94 and 99-91 (twice). Both men surely gained fans in this fun affair.
UNDERCARD
Cleveland light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (13-0-1, 9 KOs) won a carefully fought eight-round unanimous decision over Alabama’s Money Powell IV (13-3, 8 KOs). With both fighters having strong amateur pedigrees, the two skilled technicians fought a tactical battle that made the rounds tough to score. In the end, Benjamin occasionally landing eye-catching right hands made the difference. The scores were 77-75 (twice) and 79-73.
In a ProBoxTV Future Stars Series featherweight fight, Cheverly, Maryland’s “The Franchise” Francois Scarboro Jr (12-0, 9 KOs) scored an explosive one-punch, first-round knockout over Las Piedras, Puerto Rico slugger Onyx “Gallito” Sanchez (8-1-1, 8 KOs). The taller Sanchez landed an uppercut early but went down hard from Scarboro Jr’s first big punch, an overhand right to the temple against the ropes. Sanchez somehow was able to rise after looking completely knocked out on the way down, but Referee Tyrone Parker Jr. judged him unable to continue at the 2:00 mark of the opening round “I feel great,” said a happy Scarboro Jr, post-fight. “The game plan was to come out and box, unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to do that. I read a lot of comments of people talking trash and saying my athletic ability gets me over sometimes, so I wanted to prove I could box all eight rounds. But I guess we’re never going to see that because we’re going to 10 rounds next. The best is yet to come. I’d fight every month if I could.”
In the broadcast’s opening bout, Hawaiian junior middleweight KJ “K9” Waialae (3-0, 2 KOs) outclassed Rashad Bowens (1-2, 1 KO) of Virginia Beach, battering him mercilessly to the head and, especially, the body. Waialae outlanded the brave but outgunned Bowens 23-5 to the body, which eventually convinced Referee Samuel Burgos to wave it off for a TKO victory at 2:02 of round three.
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Veron and Erdenebat triumph in Florida
Francisco Daniel Veron W10 Roiman Villa... Fighting in his adopted hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Francisco Daniel Veron (17-1-1, 10 KOs) served as the matador to the hard-punching Venezuelan, Roiman Villa (27-4, 25 KOs). The Argentine-born Veron dropped Villa in round nine en route to a ten-round shutout on ProBoxTV’s Friday Night Fights at the War Memorial Auditorium. Showing clear signs of being ready for the division’s upper echelon, Veron frustrated and dominated Villa in every round with non-stop punching and moving. Veron set a blistering pace from the outset of the fight and even fought through a badly bleeding lip from some temporary Villa effectiveness in round four to control the iron-fisted South American the rest of the way with a busy jab and debilitating punches with both hands. The scores were an academic 100-89.
Tsendy Erdenebat W10 Abraham Montoya... Mongolian junior lightweight Tsendy Erdenebat (13-0, 6 KOs), now fighting out of Paramount, California, won an entertaining ten-round unanimous decision over ironman Abraham Montoya (23-6-1, 14 KOs) of Baja California, Mexico. A two-time Mongolian Olympian, Erdenebat came out firing in the opening two rounds, landing several big punches seemingly at will on the awkward, but impervious-to-pain Montoya. A proven veteran with several noteworthy victories, Montoya turned up the pressure starting in the third round, landing strong lefts and rights to the head and body of a puzzled Erdenebat. What followed was an entertaining battle between Erdenebat, the faster, sharper puncher, loading up on highlight-reel haymakers to the chin of the relentless Montoya, while Montoya scored with many of his own clubbing shots, and never let up on the nonstop pressure. Showing his conditioning, Erdenebat turned up the volume in round ten and was finally able to back Montoya up. Fighting like your drunk uncle playing video boxing at Christmas, Montoya kept the fight close and entertaining, while Erdenebat showed world-class mettle in making the adjustments to pull out a tough fight. The scores were 96-94 and 99-91 (twice). Both men surely gained fans in this fun affair.
UNDERCARD
Cleveland light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (13-0-1, 9 KOs) won a carefully fought eight-round unanimous decision over Alabama’s Money Powell IV (13-3, 8 KOs). With both fighters having strong amateur pedigrees, the two skilled technicians fought a tactical battle that made the rounds tough to score. In the end, Benjamin occasionally landing eye-catching right hands made the difference. The scores were 77-75 (twice) and 79-73.
In a ProBoxTV Future Stars Series featherweight fight, Cheverly, Maryland’s “The Franchise” Francois Scarboro Jr (12-0, 9 KOs) scored an explosive one-punch, first-round knockout over Las Piedras, Puerto Rico slugger Onyx “Gallito” Sanchez (8-1-1, 8 KOs). The taller Sanchez landed an uppercut early but went down hard from Scarboro Jr’s first big punch, an overhand right to the temple against the ropes. Sanchez somehow was able to rise after looking completely knocked out on the way down, but Referee Tyrone Parker Jr. judged him unable to continue at the 2:00 mark of the opening round “I feel great,” said a happy Scarboro Jr, post-fight. “The game plan was to come out and box, unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to do that. I read a lot of comments of people talking trash and saying my athletic ability gets me over sometimes, so I wanted to prove I could box all eight rounds. But I guess we’re never going to see that because we’re going to 10 rounds next. The best is yet to come. I’d fight every month if I could.”
In the broadcast’s opening bout, Hawaiian junior middleweight KJ “K9” Waialae (3-0, 2 KOs) outclassed Rashad Bowens (1-2, 1 KO) of Virginia Beach, battering him mercilessly to the head and, especially, the body. Waialae outlanded the brave but outgunned Bowens 23-5 to the body, which eventually convinced Referee Samuel Burgos to wave it off for a TKO victory at 2:02 of round three.
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Harlem Eubank gets rebound win |
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Harlem Eubank W10 Josh Wagner... Harlem Eubank took home a rebound win in his hometown of Brighton, England on Friday. In a welterweight ten rounder, Eubank defeated Canada's Josh Wagner via wide unanimous decision to improve his pro record to 22-1. Eubank was coming off a loss to Jack Caterall in July. Wagner falls to 19-2. The official scores were 99-91 and 100-90 (twice).
UNDERCARD RESULTS
Niall Brown W8 Pierre Rosadini (80-72);
Saqib Mehmood W4 Jayro Duran (40-36);
Codie Smith W8 Franco Andres Cajal (78-74);
Kieran Molloy W8 Zeuz Varguez Sobernais (78-74);
Yuvraj Karia W4 Brandon Gallardo Vargas (40-36);
Lucas Roehrig W8 Brice Clavier (78-72);
Younes Baati W4 Ezequiel Gregores (38-37);
Harvey Dykes W6 Viktar Chvarkou (59-55).
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Harlem Eubank gets rebound win
Harlem Eubank W10 Josh Wagner... Harlem Eubank took home a rebound win in his hometown of Brighton, England on Friday. In a welterweight ten rounder, Eubank defeated Canada's Josh Wagner via wide unanimous decision to improve his pro record to 22-1. Eubank was coming off a loss to Jack Caterall in July. Wagner falls to 19-2. The official scores were 99-91 and 100-90 (twice).
UNDERCARD RESULTS
Niall Brown W8 Pierre Rosadini (80-72);
Saqib Mehmood W4 Jayro Duran (40-36);
Codie Smith W8 Franco Andres Cajal (78-74);
Kieran Molloy W8 Zeuz Varguez Sobernais (78-74);
Yuvraj Karia W4 Brandon Gallardo Vargas (40-36);
Lucas Roehrig W8 Brice Clavier (78-72);
Younes Baati W4 Ezequiel Gregores (38-37);
Harvey Dykes W6 Viktar Chvarkou (59-55).
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Anderson Silva to face Tyron Woodley on Joshua vs. Paul undercard |
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Anderson “The Spider” Silva is officially back. Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix announced that Silva will face fellow MMA great Tyron Woodley in a six-round cruiserweight bout on the main card of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, streaming live globally on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 19th from the Kaseya Center in Miami. The fight replaces Silva’s originally scheduled matchup with Chris Weidman, who withdrew due to injury. The weight l;imiot has been stipulated down to 195 pounds from the usual cruiserweight limit of 200. The matchup brings two of MMA’s most influential figures into the boxing ring — with Silva (3-2, 2 KOs in boxing and 34-11, 22 KOs in MMA) returning after high-profile wins over Julio César Chávez Jr. and Tito Ortiz, and Woodley (0-2 in boxing and 19-7-1, 7 KOs MMA) stepping in for his first fight since facing Jake Paul.
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Anderson Silva to face Tyron Woodley on Joshua vs. Paul undercard
Anderson “The Spider” Silva is officially back. Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix announced that Silva will face fellow MMA great Tyron Woodley in a six-round cruiserweight bout on the main card of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, streaming live globally on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 19th from the Kaseya Center in Miami. The fight replaces Silva’s originally scheduled matchup with Chris Weidman, who withdrew due to injury. The weight l;imiot has been stipulated down to 195 pounds from the usual cruiserweight limit of 200. The matchup brings two of MMA’s most influential figures into the boxing ring — with Silva (3-2, 2 KOs in boxing and 34-11, 22 KOs in MMA) returning after high-profile wins over Julio César Chávez Jr. and Tito Ortiz, and Woodley (0-2 in boxing and 19-7-1, 7 KOs MMA) stepping in for his first fight since facing Jake Paul.
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Garcia says he's got a 2026 title shot vs. Barrios |
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Ryan Garcia has taken to social media to state that he will be challenging Mario Barrios for the WBA welterweight title on February 21, 2026. "Ima make you believe," tweeted Garcia, whose last two fights were a 2025 loss to Rolly Romero for the WBA version of the welterweight title, and a 2024 no decision vs. Devin Haney in which Garcia tested positive for ostarine, a banned performance-enhancing substance. Haney-Garcia was supposed to be a junior welterweight title challenge for Garcia, but, in addition to testing positive for ostarine, he failed to make the 140-pound weight limit.
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Garcia says he's got a 2026 title shot vs. Barrios
Ryan Garcia has taken to social media to state that he will be challenging Mario Barrios for the WBA welterweight title on February 21, 2026. "Ima make you believe," tweeted Garcia, whose last two fights were a 2025 loss to Rolly Romero for the WBA version of the welterweight title, and a 2024 no decision vs. Devin Haney in which Garcia tested positive for ostarine, a banned performance-enhancing substance. Haney-Garcia was supposed to be a junior welterweight title challenge for Garcia, but, in addition to testing positive for ostarine, he failed to make the 140-pound weight limit.
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ProxBox TV reminder for Friday evening |
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Tonight (November 21st) at 7 pm, ProBox TV is coming out swinging at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, with The Contender Series, a ten-round “do or die” main event between Argentine Olympian Francisco Veron and Colombian slugger Roiman Villa. Mongolia's Tsendy Erdenebat takes on upset-minded Abraham Montoya in the exciting ten-round co-feature. It all kicks off with ProBox TV’s Future Stars Series, featuring up-and-coming fighters showcasing their skills: undefeated Dante Benjamin goes to war with Money Powell IV and power-punching Francois Scarboro Jr takes on Puerto Rican slugger Onyx Sanchez-Medina. The ProBox TV proving grounds, where runners, holders and low-volume punchers are not welcome... watch it all free this Friday night on Amazon, Fubo, Tubi, or Pluto TV.
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ProxBox TV reminder for Friday evening
Tonight (November 21st) at 7 pm, ProBox TV is coming out swinging at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, with The Contender Series, a ten-round “do or die” main event between Argentine Olympian Francisco Veron and Colombian slugger Roiman Villa. Mongolia's Tsendy Erdenebat takes on upset-minded Abraham Montoya in the exciting ten-round co-feature. It all kicks off with ProBox TV’s Future Stars Series, featuring up-and-coming fighters showcasing their skills: undefeated Dante Benjamin goes to war with Money Powell IV and power-punching Francois Scarboro Jr takes on Puerto Rican slugger Onyx Sanchez-Medina. The ProBox TV proving grounds, where runners, holders and low-volume punchers are not welcome... watch it all free this Friday night on Amazon, Fubo, Tubi, or Pluto TV.
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Saturday: Bam Rodriguez shoots for belt #3 at super flyweight |
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Fernando “Pumita” Martínez and Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez (pictured) are set to square off this Saturday at the ABN Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a high-stakes unification bout for the WBA, WBO and WBC super flyweight titles. Martínez, the Argentine pressure fighter who currently holds the WBA crown, will put his two belts on the line against the reigning WBC and WBO champion. (Willibaldo Garcia Perez holds the IBF title). Martinez, a 34 year-old Argentine captured his titles in 2024 with a breakthrough win over Kazuto Ioka on Japanese soil, and reaffirmed his reign by winning a rematch this past May. Known for his relentless aggression and willingness to trade, Martínez has carved out his path with grit, volume and an iron will.
Across the ring stands the two-division champ Rodríguez, one of the sport’s brightest stars who has run through elite names with startling dominance. The unbeaten Texan already owns victories over Pedro Guevara, Juan Francisco Estrada, Sunny Edwards, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai—a résumé that would be impressive for any veteran, let alone a fighter only 25 years old. The fighters made their official arrivals in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. On Friday they’ll step on the scale, needing to hit the 115-pound limit before settling things inside the ropes. Martínez enters at 18–0 with 9 knockouts, while Rodríguez stands at 22–0 with 15 knockouts.
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Saturday: Bam Rodriguez shoots for belt #3 at super flyweight
Fernando “Pumita” Martínez and Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez (pictured) are set to square off this Saturday at the ABN Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a high-stakes unification bout for the WBA, WBO and WBC super flyweight titles. Martínez, the Argentine pressure fighter who currently holds the WBA crown, will put his two belts on the line against the reigning WBC and WBO champion. (Willibaldo Garcia Perez holds the IBF title). Martinez, a 34 year-old Argentine captured his titles in 2024 with a breakthrough win over Kazuto Ioka on Japanese soil, and reaffirmed his reign by winning a rematch this past May. Known for his relentless aggression and willingness to trade, Martínez has carved out his path with grit, volume and an iron will.
Across the ring stands the two-division champ Rodríguez, one of the sport’s brightest stars who has run through elite names with startling dominance. The unbeaten Texan already owns victories over Pedro Guevara, Juan Francisco Estrada, Sunny Edwards, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai—a résumé that would be impressive for any veteran, let alone a fighter only 25 years old. The fighters made their official arrivals in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. On Friday they’ll step on the scale, needing to hit the 115-pound limit before settling things inside the ropes. Martínez enters at 18–0 with 9 knockouts, while Rodríguez stands at 22–0 with 15 knockouts.
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A few words with Erislandy Lara |
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WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara highlighted a Las Vegas media workout on Thursday ahead of his world title unification clash against IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly that serves as the co-feature of a jam-packed PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video on Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Here is what Lara had to say Thursday from Radiant Brand Complex in Las Vegas:
“Let people keep thinking that Janibek is the most dangerous guy in the division. We’ll see on December 6th if that holds.
“This is the fight that will solidify my legacy. I know what I need to do and I’m confident in my ability to come out victorious. Everyone watching is going to see the best possible version of myself. Training is going great and I’m ready to go.
“Fans are going to see a Lara that’s going in there to throw punches to hurt Janibek. I’m coming to hurt my opponent. If I get the opportunity, I’m gonna end the night early. If it goes the distance, you’ll see me win a beautiful fight.
“This fight means everything to me. It’s a unification fight, so if I win this fight I’ll show everyone that I’m the best fighter at 160 pounds.”
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A few words with Erislandy Lara
WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara highlighted a Las Vegas media workout on Thursday ahead of his world title unification clash against IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly that serves as the co-feature of a jam-packed PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video on Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Here is what Lara had to say Thursday from Radiant Brand Complex in Las Vegas:
“Let people keep thinking that Janibek is the most dangerous guy in the division. We’ll see on December 6th if that holds.
“This is the fight that will solidify my legacy. I know what I need to do and I’m confident in my ability to come out victorious. Everyone watching is going to see the best possible version of myself. Training is going great and I’m ready to go.
“Fans are going to see a Lara that’s going in there to throw punches to hurt Janibek. I’m coming to hurt my opponent. If I get the opportunity, I’m gonna end the night early. If it goes the distance, you’ll see me win a beautiful fight.
“This fight means everything to me. It’s a unification fight, so if I win this fight I’ll show everyone that I’m the best fighter at 160 pounds.”
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WBA to fill atomweight vacancy today |
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With unified world atomweight champion Tina Rupprecht announcing her retirement last month, Spain’s Isabel Rivero (11-3-1, 1 KO) will square off against Mexico’s Silvia “La Guerrerita” Torres (22-4-3, 7 KOs) for the WBA 102-pound title in Valladolid, Spain. The bout will mark the first time a women’s world championship at this weight class will be contested on Spanish soil. Rivero heads into the matchup fresh off a unanimous decision win over Johana Zuñiga, a fight in which she showcased sharp distance management and solid command of the tempo. Prior to that, she went the distance with Germany’s Sarah Bormann—currently a reigning 105-pound champion—and despite dropping a split decision, Rivero earned respect for her poise and competitiveness. That international experience now serves as a confidence booster as she walks into another world title opportunity, this time at home. Torres, meanwhile, is coming off a loss. However, in 2019, she fought Evelyn Bermudez to a draw with a 108-pound title at stake.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBC reports that undisputed four-belt atomweight world champion Tina Rupprecht of Germany has announced her retirement from boxing due to personal reasons. If the report is correct, Rupprecht (pictured) walks away in her prime, at age 33 with a 15-1-1 record and world titles in two weight classes. She last fought in April, a win over Sumire Yamanaka. Boxingtalk salutes Tina Rupprecht and wishes her a healthy and rewarding retirement. Meanwhile, the WBC was very quick to e-mail its women's 102-pound championship to Camila Zamorano (12-0), a seventeen year old. Zamorano won the interim title in June after defeating Japanese fighter Mika Iwakawa.
APRIL 6, 2025.. Germany's Tina Rupprecht was crowned unified atomweight champion in her home country. The 32 year-old Rupprecht handed previously undefeated Sumire Yamanaka of Japan her first loss. Rupprecht's triumph came via decision after an exciting fight at the MBS Arena in Potsdam in front of 2,500 spectators. Rupprecht, who is barely five feet tall and is nicknamed “Tiny Tina,” was quick on her feet and the more active boxer overall. Her Japanese opponent launched a few counterattacks but in the end, Rupprecht prevailed thanks to her greater variability. Rupprecht entered the fight as WBO, WBA, and WBC champion, while Yamanaka came in with IBF recognition.
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WBA to fill atomweight vacancy today
With unified world atomweight champion Tina Rupprecht announcing her retirement last month, Spain’s Isabel Rivero (11-3-1, 1 KO) will square off against Mexico’s Silvia “La Guerrerita” Torres (22-4-3, 7 KOs) for the WBA 102-pound title in Valladolid, Spain. The bout will mark the first time a women’s world championship at this weight class will be contested on Spanish soil. Rivero heads into the matchup fresh off a unanimous decision win over Johana Zuñiga, a fight in which she showcased sharp distance management and solid command of the tempo. Prior to that, she went the distance with Germany’s Sarah Bormann—currently a reigning 105-pound champion—and despite dropping a split decision, Rivero earned respect for her poise and competitiveness. That international experience now serves as a confidence booster as she walks into another world title opportunity, this time at home. Torres, meanwhile, is coming off a loss. However, in 2019, she fought Evelyn Bermudez to a draw with a 108-pound title at stake.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBC reports that undisputed four-belt atomweight world champion Tina Rupprecht of Germany has announced her retirement from boxing due to personal reasons. If the report is correct, Rupprecht (pictured) walks away in her prime, at age 33 with a 15-1-1 record and world titles in two weight classes. She last fought in April, a win over Sumire Yamanaka. Boxingtalk salutes Tina Rupprecht and wishes her a healthy and rewarding retirement. Meanwhile, the WBC was very quick to e-mail its women's 102-pound championship to Camila Zamorano (12-0), a seventeen year old. Zamorano won the interim title in June after defeating Japanese fighter Mika Iwakawa.
APRIL 6, 2025.. Germany's Tina Rupprecht was crowned unified atomweight champion in her home country. The 32 year-old Rupprecht handed previously undefeated Sumire Yamanaka of Japan her first loss. Rupprecht's triumph came via decision after an exciting fight at the MBS Arena in Potsdam in front of 2,500 spectators. Rupprecht, who is barely five feet tall and is nicknamed “Tiny Tina,” was quick on her feet and the more active boxer overall. Her Japanese opponent launched a few counterattacks but in the end, Rupprecht prevailed thanks to her greater variability. Rupprecht entered the fight as WBO, WBA, and WBC champion, while Yamanaka came in with IBF recognition.
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Weigh-in report from Fort Lauderdale |
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Here are the boxers' weights for Friday's ProBoxTV event at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida:
Francisco Daniel Veron 153.6 pounds vs. Roiman Villa 152.8;
Tsendbaatar Erdenebat 133 vs. Abraham Montoya 134;
Dante Benjamin 173.6 vs. Money Powell IV 175.6;
Francois Scarboro Jr. 129.6 vs. Onyx Sanchez-Medina 130;
KJ Waialae 154.2 vs. Rashad Bowens 153.8;
Claudio Marrero 135 vs. Jayson Velez 134.8;
Carlos Velez Colondres 154.6 vs. Inu Matelau 155.6;
Dayan Depestre 174.6 vs. Bernard Thomas 173; and
Daniel Raymond Ramirez 170 vs. Devario Hauser 176.
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Weigh-in report from Fort Lauderdale
Here are the boxers' weights for Friday's ProBoxTV event at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida:
Francisco Daniel Veron 153.6 pounds vs. Roiman Villa 152.8;
Tsendbaatar Erdenebat 133 vs. Abraham Montoya 134;
Dante Benjamin 173.6 vs. Money Powell IV 175.6;
Francois Scarboro Jr. 129.6 vs. Onyx Sanchez-Medina 130;
KJ Waialae 154.2 vs. Rashad Bowens 153.8;
Claudio Marrero 135 vs. Jayson Velez 134.8;
Carlos Velez Colondres 154.6 vs. Inu Matelau 155.6;
Dayan Depestre 174.6 vs. Bernard Thomas 173; and
Daniel Raymond Ramirez 170 vs. Devario Hauser 176.
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Kabayel homecoming sells out German venue |
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Promoter Frank Warren reports a sellout in Germany for Agit Kabayel's homecoming and WBC interim title defense vs. Poland's Damien Knyba. Warren wrote: "Our entry into the Germany market with Agit Kabayel on January 10th at the Rudolf-Weber Arena in Oberhausen can already be considered as a resounding success. All the tickets have been snapped up for Agit’s heavyweight test against the undefeated Pole Damian Knyba and we are not talking about a small venue here.This is the start of very big things for Queensberry in a new territory with a rich boxing history." PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE NOV. 7, 2025: Queensberry Promotions states that the pre-sale for the homecoming fight of heavyweight star Agit Kabayel has been a resounding success, illustrating the appetite for major heavyweight boxing in the region. The fight between Kabayel, the WBC interim titlist, and undefeated Damian Knyba of Poland, is scheduled for Saturday, January 10th and will take place at the Rudolf-Weber Arena in Oberhausen. The ticket pre-sale launched on Wednesday for the entry of Queensberry into the German market. Tickets for this heavyweight showdown are now on general sale and the event is expected to sell-out quickly. Kabayel and his opponent Knyba met at the opening press conference close to Dusseldorf on Wednesday, sparking an enormous interest from the German media. “The reaction to our announcement of bringing big-time heavyweight boxing back to Germany has been incredible,” said Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren. “Agit Kabayel is a genuine star of boxing and now he will get the recognition he deserves in his homeland, where the sport has traditionally always been a major draw. Germany will represent an important market for Queensberry from the beginning of 2016
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Kabayel homecoming sells out German venue
Promoter Frank Warren reports a sellout in Germany for Agit Kabayel's homecoming and WBC interim title defense vs. Poland's Damien Knyba. Warren wrote: "Our entry into the Germany market with Agit Kabayel on January 10th at the Rudolf-Weber Arena in Oberhausen can already be considered as a resounding success. All the tickets have been snapped up for Agit’s heavyweight test against the undefeated Pole Damian Knyba and we are not talking about a small venue here.This is the start of very big things for Queensberry in a new territory with a rich boxing history." PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE NOV. 7, 2025: Queensberry Promotions states that the pre-sale for the homecoming fight of heavyweight star Agit Kabayel has been a resounding success, illustrating the appetite for major heavyweight boxing in the region. The fight between Kabayel, the WBC interim titlist, and undefeated Damian Knyba of Poland, is scheduled for Saturday, January 10th and will take place at the Rudolf-Weber Arena in Oberhausen. The ticket pre-sale launched on Wednesday for the entry of Queensberry into the German market. Tickets for this heavyweight showdown are now on general sale and the event is expected to sell-out quickly. Kabayel and his opponent Knyba met at the opening press conference close to Dusseldorf on Wednesday, sparking an enormous interest from the German media. “The reaction to our announcement of bringing big-time heavyweight boxing back to Germany has been incredible,” said Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren. “Agit Kabayel is a genuine star of boxing and now he will get the recognition he deserves in his homeland, where the sport has traditionally always been a major draw. Germany will represent an important market for Queensberry from the beginning of 2016
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Pitbull vs Roach documentary debuts on Saturday |
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Prime Video announced Gloves Off: Pitbull vs Roach, the latest installment of its all-access docuseries. Debuting Saturday, November 22nd on Prime Video, this edition explores the journey of two warriors whose willingness to accept major challenges have earned them worldwide respect in The Fight Game. Former 140-pound champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach go toe-to-toe for the WBC interim 140-pound title on Saturday, December 6th on a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. As the 2025 boxing season enters its final month, this fight is pivotal for both men. Mexico City native "Pitbull" Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs) became WBA champion in March 2024.. Recently, Cruz rebounded from his reign-ending loss to Jose Valenzuela by defeating Angel Fierro before earning a unanimous decision over Omar Salcido in July.
Washington D.C.'s Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) captured his WBA 130-pound championship in November 2023 by dethroning Hector Luis Garcia. He defended his belt in June 2024, dominating previously unbeaten Feargal McCrory for an eighth-round TKO. Earlier this year, he moved up in weight to challenge undefeated WBA 135-pound champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis, earning a controversial majority draw in New York City.
Narrated by Barry Pepper, the series takes fans beyond the ring, blending footage of fighters' lives, families, and training, as excitement builds for this prime-time showcase in a city with a long history of hosting memorable prizefights.
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Pitbull vs Roach documentary debuts on Saturday
Prime Video announced Gloves Off: Pitbull vs Roach, the latest installment of its all-access docuseries. Debuting Saturday, November 22nd on Prime Video, this edition explores the journey of two warriors whose willingness to accept major challenges have earned them worldwide respect in The Fight Game. Former 140-pound champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach go toe-to-toe for the WBC interim 140-pound title on Saturday, December 6th on a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. As the 2025 boxing season enters its final month, this fight is pivotal for both men. Mexico City native "Pitbull" Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs) became WBA champion in March 2024.. Recently, Cruz rebounded from his reign-ending loss to Jose Valenzuela by defeating Angel Fierro before earning a unanimous decision over Omar Salcido in July.
Washington D.C.'s Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) captured his WBA 130-pound championship in November 2023 by dethroning Hector Luis Garcia. He defended his belt in June 2024, dominating previously unbeaten Feargal McCrory for an eighth-round TKO. Earlier this year, he moved up in weight to challenge undefeated WBA 135-pound champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis, earning a controversial majority draw in New York City.
Narrated by Barry Pepper, the series takes fans beyond the ring, blending footage of fighters' lives, families, and training, as excitement builds for this prime-time showcase in a city with a long history of hosting memorable prizefights.
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Q & A with ex-champ Raja Amasheh |
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Raja Amasheh retired in 2018 as WBO 115-pound champion with a record of 22-1-1. She now works for the WBC and that organization's Jill Diamond provided the following interview with the ex-champ.
Q: You were born a fighter. Why?
A: I was born a fighter because my life has always been about perseverance and resilience. As the third of five children in a modest family from Jordan, I learned early on what it means to grow with Down-to-earth roots. When my family moved to Germany while I was still a baby, Berlin became the city I grew up in—a vibrant and inspiring place, but also one where I had to navigate complex realities. As a German with an immigrant background, and a brown woman, the challenges I faced were constant and deeply formative. Whether it was overcoming stereotypes, pushing through barriers, or proving my worth in the face of struggles, I have always needed to stand tall and move forward. Fighting became second nature to me—not out of bitterness but out of necessity and, ultimately, strength. Perhaps that’s why stepping into the boxing ring seemed so natural. My entire life has been about embracing challenges, learning from every obstacle, and turning adversity into opportunity. So, when I laced up my gloves, I was not just fighting an opponent—I’m honoring every struggle, every lesson, and every triumph that led me here.
Q: Why did you actually get into the ring?
I fell in love with martial arts after my very first kickboxing session. The level of body control, timing, and precision required was unlike anything I had ever experienced. While academics had always come naturally to me, martial arts posed the ultimate challenge—one that demanded discipline, resilience, and constant self-improvement.
When I transitioned to boxing, I discovered my true passion. It felt like finding a piece of myself I didn’t know was missing. I became determined—some might even say stubborn. Every time someone told me, “You’re too slow,” “You’re too short,” or any other limitation they tried to place on me, I saw it as a challenge to prove them wrong. Those words didn’t discourage me; they fueled me. They pushed me to work harder, to grow stronger, to aim higher. Over time, boxing became more than just a sport; it became a part of who I am. It taught me to embrace challenges, to thrive in adversity, and to always strive for more. It’s a journey that has taken me further than I could have ever imagined—achieving far beyond what I once thought was possible.
Q: Know you’ve always been gracious. You took the greatest risks but whom on your team do share this with?
A: I would say Dominik Junge, my long-time trainer and close friend, has been with me through every high and low, every risk taken, every victory and defeat. He’s been my rock—a constant source of support and strength. Without Dominik, none of this would have been possible. In fact, there were times when he believed in me even more than I believed in myself.
Q: What do you miss about boxing?
A: I don’t have many regrets—I’ve had it all, and I’ve cherished every moment. Everything in life has its time. Now, my focus has shifted, and I’m more involved on a systemic level. Serving as the WBC Ratings Chairwoman and being part of the Female Commission, as well as taking on supervisory roles, holds great meaning for me. It feels like a natural progression, one that allows me to stay connected to the sport I love while continuing to push boundaries and make an impact, albeit from a different perspective.
Q: Why did you chose to stay involved?
A: The sport means the world to me, but even more so, the people I have the privilege of working with. Every interaction is a chance for me to learn, grow, and share my experiences. The WBC has given me so much throughout my journey, and now it feels like it’s my turn to give back. This is my opportunity to support and uplift the next generation of boxers, helping them reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.
Q: Outside of the sport what’s important to you?
A: My family, my friends, and the pursuit of learning are at the core of who I am. I consider myself a true learner—I have a deep passion for growing and gaining new knowledge, even when the process is challenging. It’s not always easy, but I thrive on those moments of struggle because they lead to growth and transformation.
Q: The best and the worst part of women’s boxing now?
A: The most exciting thing is how rapidly women’s boxing is growing—it’s truly thriving. We have incredible, talented women in the sport and increasing attention from fans and the media. However, it’s crucial that we don’t simply replicate the “men’s” boxing business model. Women’s boxing is unique, defined by its own style, personality, and grace. It’s this individuality that sets us apart, and we must protect and celebrate what makes us truly special.
Q: Congratulations on being elected to the Women's Boxing Hall of Fame. Give me your acceptance speech in a sentence.
A: Thank you for seeing my team and me!
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Q & A with ex-champ Raja Amasheh
Raja Amasheh retired in 2018 as WBO 115-pound champion with a record of 22-1-1. She now works for the WBC and that organization's Jill Diamond provided the following interview with the ex-champ.
Q: You were born a fighter. Why?
A: I was born a fighter because my life has always been about perseverance and resilience. As the third of five children in a modest family from Jordan, I learned early on what it means to grow with Down-to-earth roots. When my family moved to Germany while I was still a baby, Berlin became the city I grew up in—a vibrant and inspiring place, but also one where I had to navigate complex realities. As a German with an immigrant background, and a brown woman, the challenges I faced were constant and deeply formative. Whether it was overcoming stereotypes, pushing through barriers, or proving my worth in the face of struggles, I have always needed to stand tall and move forward. Fighting became second nature to me—not out of bitterness but out of necessity and, ultimately, strength. Perhaps that’s why stepping into the boxing ring seemed so natural. My entire life has been about embracing challenges, learning from every obstacle, and turning adversity into opportunity. So, when I laced up my gloves, I was not just fighting an opponent—I’m honoring every struggle, every lesson, and every triumph that led me here.
Q: Why did you actually get into the ring?
I fell in love with martial arts after my very first kickboxing session. The level of body control, timing, and precision required was unlike anything I had ever experienced. While academics had always come naturally to me, martial arts posed the ultimate challenge—one that demanded discipline, resilience, and constant self-improvement.
When I transitioned to boxing, I discovered my true passion. It felt like finding a piece of myself I didn’t know was missing. I became determined—some might even say stubborn. Every time someone told me, “You’re too slow,” “You’re too short,” or any other limitation they tried to place on me, I saw it as a challenge to prove them wrong. Those words didn’t discourage me; they fueled me. They pushed me to work harder, to grow stronger, to aim higher. Over time, boxing became more than just a sport; it became a part of who I am. It taught me to embrace challenges, to thrive in adversity, and to always strive for more. It’s a journey that has taken me further than I could have ever imagined—achieving far beyond what I once thought was possible.
Q: Know you’ve always been gracious. You took the greatest risks but whom on your team do share this with?
A: I would say Dominik Junge, my long-time trainer and close friend, has been with me through every high and low, every risk taken, every victory and defeat. He’s been my rock—a constant source of support and strength. Without Dominik, none of this would have been possible. In fact, there were times when he believed in me even more than I believed in myself.
Q: What do you miss about boxing?
A: I don’t have many regrets—I’ve had it all, and I’ve cherished every moment. Everything in life has its time. Now, my focus has shifted, and I’m more involved on a systemic level. Serving as the WBC Ratings Chairwoman and being part of the Female Commission, as well as taking on supervisory roles, holds great meaning for me. It feels like a natural progression, one that allows me to stay connected to the sport I love while continuing to push boundaries and make an impact, albeit from a different perspective.
Q: Why did you chose to stay involved?
A: The sport means the world to me, but even more so, the people I have the privilege of working with. Every interaction is a chance for me to learn, grow, and share my experiences. The WBC has given me so much throughout my journey, and now it feels like it’s my turn to give back. This is my opportunity to support and uplift the next generation of boxers, helping them reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.
Q: Outside of the sport what’s important to you?
A: My family, my friends, and the pursuit of learning are at the core of who I am. I consider myself a true learner—I have a deep passion for growing and gaining new knowledge, even when the process is challenging. It’s not always easy, but I thrive on those moments of struggle because they lead to growth and transformation.
Q: The best and the worst part of women’s boxing now?
A: The most exciting thing is how rapidly women’s boxing is growing—it’s truly thriving. We have incredible, talented women in the sport and increasing attention from fans and the media. However, it’s crucial that we don’t simply replicate the “men’s” boxing business model. Women’s boxing is unique, defined by its own style, personality, and grace. It’s this individuality that sets us apart, and we must protect and celebrate what makes us truly special.
Q: Congratulations on being elected to the Women's Boxing Hall of Fame. Give me your acceptance speech in a sentence.
A: Thank you for seeing my team and me!
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Dubois withdraws from IBF elimination process |
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Boxingtalk has learned that heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois (pictured) has withdrawn his name from consideration for an IBF final eliminator against Frank Sanchez of CUba. The news broke just a couple of hours before the IBF was to conduct a purse bid for the promotional rights to a bout between the two big men. Dubois, a former IBF titlist who lost his belt in a unification bout with the true world champion, Oleksandr Usyk, was invited into the IBF elimination process after Efe Ajagba backed out of a fight vs. Sanchez. With Dubois now out of the IBF picture, the next elimination bout subject to negotiation will likely be Sanchez vs. Jared Anderson of the United States.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE:
NOV. 13, 2025: The IBF has postponed a Frank Sanchez vs. Daniel Dubois purse for one week. It was scheduled for today (November 13th) but has been postponed to November 20th. If the bout occurs, it will be a heavyweight elimination bout. The e-mail stated, "the IBF is continuing in its efforts to schedule a heavyweight elimination bout."
NOV. 4, 2025: In August, a purse bid was held for a fight between Frank Sanchez and Efe Ajagba, but the bids were not high enough to entice the boxers to accept, particularly Ajagba. The IBF moved on to a fromer champion, ordering Sanchez to begin negotiations with Daniel Dubois on October 7th. Dubois' last fight was a KO loss in a unification fight vs. the true world champion Oleksandr Usyk. Normally, the IBF does not invite a boxer coming off a knockout loss to take part in an eliminator, but apparently an exception was made for Dubois. In any event, no agreement was reached between Sanchez and Dubois so the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for November 13th. It remains to be seen whether Dubois will be interested in a fight vs. the Cuban Sanchez. After a 2024 loss to Agit Kabayel, Sanchez had one very low-level fight in 2025, beating a man with a losing record in February.
AUG 26, 2025: Sampson Boxing won a purse bid today and now has the right to promote an IBF heavyweight elimination bout between Cuba's Frank Sanchez and Nigeria's Efe Ajagba. Sampson's winning bid was $302,000, which will be split 60% for Ajagba and 40% for Sanchez, assuming both men accept the fight. A decision from the boxers to accept or decline is due in fifteen days. Top Rank, Ajagba's promoter, put up a losing bid for $210,000. Under IBF rules, Sampson must schedule the bout to take place within 28 and 90 days and not more than 90 days from today, which is Monday, November 24th. This will be a rematch of a ten-round fight in 2021 that Sanchez won by unanimous decision. The winner becomes the IBF mandatory contender for undefeated world champion Oleksandr Usyk, but the path to an actual title shot is unclear because Usyk owns all four major heavyweight titles which puts him in a position to pick and choose his fights. Sanchez (25-1 with 18 KOs) last fought in February, when he bounced back from his first career loss with a third-round knockout of Ramon Olivas Echeverria (18-25 with 12 KOs). Echeverria was once on the losing end of a fixed fight. Sanchez was fighting for the first time since his seventh-round knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in May of 2024. Though the win was hardly a challenge for Sanchez, it got him back into position for the IBF eliminator. Ajagba (20-1-1) last fought in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia against 299-pound Martin Bakole. After ten rounds, Bakole was fortunate to come away with a draw against Efe Ajagba (pictured). After ten rounds, the judges adjudicated the bout 96-94 for Ajagba, 95-95 and 95-95, making it a majority draw. It wasn't a robbery, but Ajagba was more active, had superior ring generalship and seemed to land more punches. Bakole landed a few harder punches, and that was enough to convince two judges to award a stalemate. AUG. 19, 2025: A purse bid for an IBF heavyweight eliminator is back on the books after a few previous postponements.. The promotional rights to a potential Frank Sanchez vs. Efe Ajagba rematch is scheduled to be auctioned off on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 12 noon. Sanchez defeated Ajagba by unanimous decision in 2021, but with heavyweight contenders Filip Hrgovic and Derek Chisora jockeying for bigger fights, Sanchez and Ajagba are the two highest ranked fighters in the IBF ratings to enter the elimination process. Undefeated world champion Oleksandr Usyk owns all four major heavyweight titles, including the IBF version. AUG. 11, 2025: The IBF announced that the Efe Ajagba vs. Frank Sanchez purse bid has been postponed until further notice. AUG. 4, 2025: When Filip Hrgovic pulled out of the IBF heavyweight elimination process, on July 24th, the IBF ordered #3 ranked Efe Ajagba and #4 ranked Frank Sanchez to begin negotiations for an eliminator for the vacant #1 position. Derek Chisora sits at #2. Carl Moretti of Top Rank, representing Ajagba, confirmed that Ajagba would like to proceed straight to a purse bid, which is permitted under IBF rules. The IBF initially scheduled a purse for Tuesday, August 5th but that has now been pushed back one week until August 12th. Oleksandr Usyk owns all four major heavyweight titles, including the IBF version. MAY 19, 2024: In a WBC heavyweight eliminator held on the big Riyadh, Saudi Arabia show, Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) made a huge career move forward, stopping the favored and previously undefeated Frank Sanchez (24-1, 17 KOs) in round seven. Kabayel defeated Sanchez with a strong body attack. The normally mobile Sanchez fought with a brace on his right knee. Kabayel is Kurdish but lives in Germany. OCT. 10, 2021: Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez (19-0, 13 KOs) scored one knockdown on his way to a comfortable, ten-round unanimous decision win over Efe Ajagba. Sanchez used his superior boxing skills to keep the hard-hitting Ajagba (15-1, 12 KOs) off-balance for the entire fight. The “Cuban Flash” displayed his power as well, flooring Ajagba with a hard right in the seventh. A follow-up left hook which landed a tick after Ajagba’s knee hit the canvas Ajagba made it to his feet and survived the round but never seriously threatened on his way to the first defeat of his career. Sanchez said afterwards, "I knew I was going to win all the rounds because I’m much better than him technically. I knew that if I connected, he would fall and he did fall. My game plan was always to frustrate him and go in for the attack."
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Dubois withdraws from IBF elimination process
Boxingtalk has learned that heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois (pictured) has withdrawn his name from consideration for an IBF final eliminator against Frank Sanchez of CUba. The news broke just a couple of hours before the IBF was to conduct a purse bid for the promotional rights to a bout between the two big men. Dubois, a former IBF titlist who lost his belt in a unification bout with the true world champion, Oleksandr Usyk, was invited into the IBF elimination process after Efe Ajagba backed out of a fight vs. Sanchez. With Dubois now out of the IBF picture, the next elimination bout subject to negotiation will likely be Sanchez vs. Jared Anderson of the United States.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE:
NOV. 13, 2025: The IBF has postponed a Frank Sanchez vs. Daniel Dubois purse for one week. It was scheduled for today (November 13th) but has been postponed to November 20th. If the bout occurs, it will be a heavyweight elimination bout. The e-mail stated, "the IBF is continuing in its efforts to schedule a heavyweight elimination bout."
NOV. 4, 2025: In August, a purse bid was held for a fight between Frank Sanchez and Efe Ajagba, but the bids were not high enough to entice the boxers to accept, particularly Ajagba. The IBF moved on to a fromer champion, ordering Sanchez to begin negotiations with Daniel Dubois on October 7th. Dubois' last fight was a KO loss in a unification fight vs. the true world champion Oleksandr Usyk. Normally, the IBF does not invite a boxer coming off a knockout loss to take part in an eliminator, but apparently an exception was made for Dubois. In any event, no agreement was reached between Sanchez and Dubois so the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for November 13th. It remains to be seen whether Dubois will be interested in a fight vs. the Cuban Sanchez. After a 2024 loss to Agit Kabayel, Sanchez had one very low-level fight in 2025, beating a man with a losing record in February.
AUG 26, 2025: Sampson Boxing won a purse bid today and now has the right to promote an IBF heavyweight elimination bout between Cuba's Frank Sanchez and Nigeria's Efe Ajagba. Sampson's winning bid was $302,000, which will be split 60% for Ajagba and 40% for Sanchez, assuming both men accept the fight. A decision from the boxers to accept or decline is due in fifteen days. Top Rank, Ajagba's promoter, put up a losing bid for $210,000. Under IBF rules, Sampson must schedule the bout to take place within 28 and 90 days and not more than 90 days from today, which is Monday, November 24th. This will be a rematch of a ten-round fight in 2021 that Sanchez won by unanimous decision. The winner becomes the IBF mandatory contender for undefeated world champion Oleksandr Usyk, but the path to an actual title shot is unclear because Usyk owns all four major heavyweight titles which puts him in a position to pick and choose his fights. Sanchez (25-1 with 18 KOs) last fought in February, when he bounced back from his first career loss with a third-round knockout of Ramon Olivas Echeverria (18-25 with 12 KOs). Echeverria was once on the losing end of a fixed fight. Sanchez was fighting for the first time since his seventh-round knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in May of 2024. Though the win was hardly a challenge for Sanchez, it got him back into position for the IBF eliminator. Ajagba (20-1-1) last fought in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia against 299-pound Martin Bakole. After ten rounds, Bakole was fortunate to come away with a draw against Efe Ajagba (pictured). After ten rounds, the judges adjudicated the bout 96-94 for Ajagba, 95-95 and 95-95, making it a majority draw. It wasn't a robbery, but Ajagba was more active, had superior ring generalship and seemed to land more punches. Bakole landed a few harder punches, and that was enough to convince two judges to award a stalemate. AUG. 19, 2025: A purse bid for an IBF heavyweight eliminator is back on the books after a few previous postponements.. The promotional rights to a potential Frank Sanchez vs. Efe Ajagba rematch is scheduled to be auctioned off on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 12 noon. Sanchez defeated Ajagba by unanimous decision in 2021, but with heavyweight contenders Filip Hrgovic and Derek Chisora jockeying for bigger fights, Sanchez and Ajagba are the two highest ranked fighters in the IBF ratings to enter the elimination process. Undefeated world champion Oleksandr Usyk owns all four major heavyweight titles, including the IBF version. AUG. 11, 2025: The IBF announced that the Efe Ajagba vs. Frank Sanchez purse bid has been postponed until further notice. AUG. 4, 2025: When Filip Hrgovic pulled out of the IBF heavyweight elimination process, on July 24th, the IBF ordered #3 ranked Efe Ajagba and #4 ranked Frank Sanchez to begin negotiations for an eliminator for the vacant #1 position. Derek Chisora sits at #2. Carl Moretti of Top Rank, representing Ajagba, confirmed that Ajagba would like to proceed straight to a purse bid, which is permitted under IBF rules. The IBF initially scheduled a purse for Tuesday, August 5th but that has now been pushed back one week until August 12th. Oleksandr Usyk owns all four major heavyweight titles, including the IBF version. MAY 19, 2024: In a WBC heavyweight eliminator held on the big Riyadh, Saudi Arabia show, Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) made a huge career move forward, stopping the favored and previously undefeated Frank Sanchez (24-1, 17 KOs) in round seven. Kabayel defeated Sanchez with a strong body attack. The normally mobile Sanchez fought with a brace on his right knee. Kabayel is Kurdish but lives in Germany. OCT. 10, 2021: Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez (19-0, 13 KOs) scored one knockdown on his way to a comfortable, ten-round unanimous decision win over Efe Ajagba. Sanchez used his superior boxing skills to keep the hard-hitting Ajagba (15-1, 12 KOs) off-balance for the entire fight. The “Cuban Flash” displayed his power as well, flooring Ajagba with a hard right in the seventh. A follow-up left hook which landed a tick after Ajagba’s knee hit the canvas Ajagba made it to his feet and survived the round but never seriously threatened on his way to the first defeat of his career. Sanchez said afterwards, "I knew I was going to win all the rounds because I’m much better than him technically. I knew that if I connected, he would fall and he did fall. My game plan was always to frustrate him and go in for the attack."
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Saturday: Benavidez faces Yarde in 175-pound thriller |
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David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is set to face Britain’s Anthony “The Beast from the East” Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) on Saturday, November 22nd, at Riyadh’s ANB Arena. The bout will headline the Riyadh Season card “Ring IV – Night of Champions,” a stacked event bringing multiple world title fights under one roof. Benavidez (pictured) is the WBC light heavyweight champion and also holds the WBA regular title, beneath the WBA super championship of Dmitry Bivol, generally considered the division's true world champion. Now age 28, Benavdez made the jump to light heavyweight after twice reigning as the WBC super middleweight champion. He turned back top contenders like Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. In his 175-pound debut, he outgunned Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and then David Morrell, proving that his trademark pressure and high-octane punch output translate seamlessly to a heavier division. Now holding the WBA world title, he looks to cement himself as the man to beat — and potentially pave the road toward a blockbuster fight with former champion Artur Beterbiev or Bivol.
Yarde, age 34, enters the fight with the bitter experience of two previous failed world title attempts — a dramatic knockout loss to Sergey Kovalev in 2019 and a war with Beterbiev in 2023 that ended in the eighth round. With 24 knockouts in 27 wins, the Londoner remains one of the most dangerous mid-range punchers in the division. His mission will be to stamp his authority early and capitalize on any lapse from the champion as he seeks a monumental upset on neutral ground.
Coming in, Benavidez rides the momentum of a commanding unanimous decision over Morrell in February 2025 in Las Vegas, his second outing at light heavyweight. Before that, he had closed his super middleweight chapter in dominant fashion — a TKO over Andrade in November 2023 and a points win over Caleb Plant in March of the same year.
Yarde, meanwhile, is fresh off a unanimous decision over Lyndon Arthur this past April, though his last major world title appearance remains the hard-fought 2023 battle with Beterbiev — a brutal contest that showcased his firepower but also exposed defensive vulnerabilities against elite opposition.
Benavidez vs. Yarde promises fireworks: the champion aims to drown Yarde under relentless pressure and volume, while the challenger will look for that one fight-changing shot that could flip the script. The winner stands to reshape the immediate future of the light heavyweight landscape — and possibly set the stage for a historic unification.
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Saturday: Benavidez faces Yarde in 175-pound thriller
David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is set to face Britain’s Anthony “The Beast from the East” Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) on Saturday, November 22nd, at Riyadh’s ANB Arena. The bout will headline the Riyadh Season card “Ring IV – Night of Champions,” a stacked event bringing multiple world title fights under one roof. Benavidez (pictured) is the WBC light heavyweight champion and also holds the WBA regular title, beneath the WBA super championship of Dmitry Bivol, generally considered the division's true world champion. Now age 28, Benavdez made the jump to light heavyweight after twice reigning as the WBC super middleweight champion. He turned back top contenders like Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. In his 175-pound debut, he outgunned Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and then David Morrell, proving that his trademark pressure and high-octane punch output translate seamlessly to a heavier division. Now holding the WBA world title, he looks to cement himself as the man to beat — and potentially pave the road toward a blockbuster fight with former champion Artur Beterbiev or Bivol.
Yarde, age 34, enters the fight with the bitter experience of two previous failed world title attempts — a dramatic knockout loss to Sergey Kovalev in 2019 and a war with Beterbiev in 2023 that ended in the eighth round. With 24 knockouts in 27 wins, the Londoner remains one of the most dangerous mid-range punchers in the division. His mission will be to stamp his authority early and capitalize on any lapse from the champion as he seeks a monumental upset on neutral ground.
Coming in, Benavidez rides the momentum of a commanding unanimous decision over Morrell in February 2025 in Las Vegas, his second outing at light heavyweight. Before that, he had closed his super middleweight chapter in dominant fashion — a TKO over Andrade in November 2023 and a points win over Caleb Plant in March of the same year.
Yarde, meanwhile, is fresh off a unanimous decision over Lyndon Arthur this past April, though his last major world title appearance remains the hard-fought 2023 battle with Beterbiev — a brutal contest that showcased his firepower but also exposed defensive vulnerabilities against elite opposition.
Benavidez vs. Yarde promises fireworks: the champion aims to drown Yarde under relentless pressure and volume, while the challenger will look for that one fight-changing shot that could flip the script. The winner stands to reshape the immediate future of the light heavyweight landscape — and possibly set the stage for a historic unification.
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Frank Martin training camp report |
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Frank “The Ghost” Martin returns to the ring on December 6th and will begin his campaign at 140 pounds. He will be opposed by former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy on a three-fight PBC on Prime Video free livestream from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. “At 140 I’m going to be stronger, faster and basically back where I’m supposed to be at,” said Martin, who had a successful run at 135 pounds before losing a title fight to Gervonta Davis in June 2024. “I stack up with anyone in the division. I’m just going to show it all on fight night and again and again every time I get into the ring. The loss didn’t make me lose my confidence. I just gotta get back there and punch on someone to let people see where I’m supposed to be.”
Martin (18-1, 12 KOs) will enter this next chapter of his career with a new head trainer leading his corner, as he’s teamed up with accomplished ex-champ Buddy McGirt. Martin felt a quick connection to McGirt when the two originally connected in Miami, and have continued to build momentum throughout this training camp in Dallas. “Buddy and I clicked right away,” said Martin, who credits another former champion, Maurice Hooker, with providing elite level sparring for this fight. “Everything has been so good so far. The key thing that Buddy and I have been working on is me being comfortable being me in the ring. We’re working on a lot of little things that are gonna help me get far, and we’re seeing the results in sparring.
“I’ve been letting my hands go, not throwing just one or two shots, but four and five punch combinations. My hands have been flying and I’m sitting on those shots. They’re crisp combinations. This is our first fight together, but I feel like a lot is going to show.”
The 30 year-old Martin’s run in the lightweight division saw him take down contenders Michel Rivera, Artem Harutyunyan and Romero Duno to earn the world title showdown against Davis. While he came up short in his title chalenge, Martin plans to take everything he learned from that experience into this next phase.
“I learned so much from the Gervonta Davis fight,” said Martin. “For starters, be you. Be comfortable. When they say the bright lights can affect you, I’d say it’s more than just the lights. It’s everything. There were a lot of other little things going on, and it all can play with your mental. At that level, you just have to be prepared for everything. I’m going to take everything I learned and I know I’ll be better for it.”
On December 6th, Martin will again face a former two-division world champion in Cuba’s Barthelemy. While he’s had an eye on Barthelemy throughout his career, Martin believes that he can put an end to Barthelemy’s career and stop the crafty veteran. “I’ve always seen Barthelemy as an awkward fighter,” said Martin. “He’s long, he’s tough and he’s tricky. He’s been a world champion in multiple divisions, so I know he’s not a walkthrough. I have to go out there and put on a demonstration.
“I’m going to show him that it’s over with for him. Now that they’ve matched me up with him, I’m gonna show him that Father Time has caught up to him. I’m seeing a stoppage win for me in this one. I’m not going to force anything. I just want the stoppage to come to me and come from the work that I put in.”
If Martin is able to handle business on December 6th, he plans to watch the evening’s main event, which will see 140-pound star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach duel for the WBC interim belt. Martin hopes to face the winner of that fight as soon as possible. “This is a great card on December 6th, but my favorite fight is definitely that main event with Pitbull vs. Roach,” said Martin. “I’m looking at the winner of that fight, so I’m going to be watching them real close.”
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Frank Martin training camp report
Frank “The Ghost” Martin returns to the ring on December 6th and will begin his campaign at 140 pounds. He will be opposed by former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy on a three-fight PBC on Prime Video free livestream from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. “At 140 I’m going to be stronger, faster and basically back where I’m supposed to be at,” said Martin, who had a successful run at 135 pounds before losing a title fight to Gervonta Davis in June 2024. “I stack up with anyone in the division. I’m just going to show it all on fight night and again and again every time I get into the ring. The loss didn’t make me lose my confidence. I just gotta get back there and punch on someone to let people see where I’m supposed to be.”
Martin (18-1, 12 KOs) will enter this next chapter of his career with a new head trainer leading his corner, as he’s teamed up with accomplished ex-champ Buddy McGirt. Martin felt a quick connection to McGirt when the two originally connected in Miami, and have continued to build momentum throughout this training camp in Dallas. “Buddy and I clicked right away,” said Martin, who credits another former champion, Maurice Hooker, with providing elite level sparring for this fight. “Everything has been so good so far. The key thing that Buddy and I have been working on is me being comfortable being me in the ring. We’re working on a lot of little things that are gonna help me get far, and we’re seeing the results in sparring.
“I’ve been letting my hands go, not throwing just one or two shots, but four and five punch combinations. My hands have been flying and I’m sitting on those shots. They’re crisp combinations. This is our first fight together, but I feel like a lot is going to show.”
The 30 year-old Martin’s run in the lightweight division saw him take down contenders Michel Rivera, Artem Harutyunyan and Romero Duno to earn the world title showdown against Davis. While he came up short in his title chalenge, Martin plans to take everything he learned from that experience into this next phase.
“I learned so much from the Gervonta Davis fight,” said Martin. “For starters, be you. Be comfortable. When they say the bright lights can affect you, I’d say it’s more than just the lights. It’s everything. There were a lot of other little things going on, and it all can play with your mental. At that level, you just have to be prepared for everything. I’m going to take everything I learned and I know I’ll be better for it.”
On December 6th, Martin will again face a former two-division world champion in Cuba’s Barthelemy. While he’s had an eye on Barthelemy throughout his career, Martin believes that he can put an end to Barthelemy’s career and stop the crafty veteran. “I’ve always seen Barthelemy as an awkward fighter,” said Martin. “He’s long, he’s tough and he’s tricky. He’s been a world champion in multiple divisions, so I know he’s not a walkthrough. I have to go out there and put on a demonstration.
“I’m going to show him that it’s over with for him. Now that they’ve matched me up with him, I’m gonna show him that Father Time has caught up to him. I’m seeing a stoppage win for me in this one. I’m not going to force anything. I just want the stoppage to come to me and come from the work that I put in.”
If Martin is able to handle business on December 6th, he plans to watch the evening’s main event, which will see 140-pound star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach duel for the WBC interim belt. Martin hopes to face the winner of that fight as soon as possible. “This is a great card on December 6th, but my favorite fight is definitely that main event with Pitbull vs. Roach,” said Martin. “I’m looking at the winner of that fight, so I’m going to be watching them real close.”
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Chavez Jr. books ring return for early 2026 |
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Julio César Chávez Jr. has confirmed his return to the ring in Mexico, where he will face Argentine fighter Ángel Julián Sacco on January 24, 2026, in San Luis Potosí. The announcement was made by the state governor, Ricardo Gallardo Cardona, who described the event as “international-level” and encouraged fans to save the date. The fight marks a new chapter for “Junior,” who resumes his boxing career after dealing with legal issues in the United States (see below). His father, the legendary Julio César Chávez, stated that his son is ready to get back on track and that this bout will be the first step in a new cycle that could include two or three more fights before pursuing another world title opportunity. Chavez Jr., a former middleweight title holder, enters the ring coming off a loss to Jake Paul in the cruiserweight division earlier this year. He holds a record of 54-7-1. His opponent, Ángel Julián Sacco, arrives with a 10-1-1 record and 4 KOs.
In July, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Chavez Jr., and processed him for expedited removal from the United States. The New York Times ran a story in which Mexican president Claudia Scheinbaum confirmed that the younger Chavez was indeed a wanted man in Mexico. The story credited Scheinbaum with saying that Mexican prosecutors had begun investigating the boxer in 2019 and had issued an arrest warrant in March 2023. She said Mexico had been unable to detain Mr. Chávez because “he lived most of the time in the United States.” Here is the official United States government press release from July 3, 2025: Chavez is a Mexican citizen who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives. In August 2023, he entered the country legally with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024. Chavez is also believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. ICE arrested Chavez in Studio City, California on July 2nd.
On April 2, 2024, Chavez filed application for Lawful Permanent Resident status. Chavez’s application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. On December 17, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez is an egregious public safety threat. However, an entry in a DHS law enforcement system under the Biden administration indicated Chavez was not an immigration enforcement priority. On January 4, 2025, the Biden administration allowed Chavez to reenter the country and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry. Following multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident, he was determined to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27, 2025.
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”
[Chavez's] rap sheet is below:
On January 22, 2012, California Highway Patrol arrested Chavez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and Driving Without a License.
On June 23, 2012, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Chavez for the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced him to 13 days in jail and 36 months’ probation.
On January 14, 2023, a District Judge issued an arrest warrant for Chavez, for the offense of organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges, and explosives without the corresponding permit.
On January 7, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Chavez and charged him with Illegal Possession of Any Assault Weapon and Manufacture or Import Short Barreled Rifle. The court convicted Chavez of these charges.
On his first day in office, President Donald J. Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Sinaloa Cartel targeted and viciously murdered U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Nicholas Quets, and has kidnapped, tortured and killed many other Americans. The Sinaloa Cartel has also played a major role in the trafficking of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border. President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow vicious cartels to operate on American soil.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE JUNE 29, 2025... In Anaheim, California, Jake Paul got in ten rounds of good work but was never seriously challenged by Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. Paul won nearly every round but failed to hurt Chavez, a former champion from 2011-2012 who hasn't taken boxing seriously for years. Paul tired over the last two rounds, allowing Chavez to save some face after a generally dismal performance. Still, Paul won a deserved lopsided unanimous decision by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is likely to enter the world rankings of at least one of the major sanctioning bodies. Compubox credited Paul with a 141-60 edge in punches landed. For the first three rounds, Chavez's offense was virtually nonexistent. With the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. screamimng from ringside in frustration, his son finally landed a punch just before the end of round three. Things heated up a bit in the fourth as Chavez began to come forward a little more, but Paul still won the round. Chavez simply would not let his hands go with any regularity, and the couple of times that he did when he was in punching range, Paul wisely tied Chavez up.The packed, pro-Mexican crowd tried to will Chavez forward over the second half of the fight, but Chavez lacked the energy to throw extended combinations. It should be remembered that Chavez is 39 years old and as a former middleweight champion now fighting at cruiserweight, he is 40 pounds over his best weight. The momentum turned in round nine as Paul tired and Chavez landed several good blows. The tenth round featured the best exchanges of the contest, as a tired Paul fought back against a surging, suddenly aggressive Chavez. The late rally was not enough to overcome the first eight rounds.
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Chavez Jr. books ring return for early 2026
Julio César Chávez Jr. has confirmed his return to the ring in Mexico, where he will face Argentine fighter Ángel Julián Sacco on January 24, 2026, in San Luis Potosí. The announcement was made by the state governor, Ricardo Gallardo Cardona, who described the event as “international-level” and encouraged fans to save the date. The fight marks a new chapter for “Junior,” who resumes his boxing career after dealing with legal issues in the United States (see below). His father, the legendary Julio César Chávez, stated that his son is ready to get back on track and that this bout will be the first step in a new cycle that could include two or three more fights before pursuing another world title opportunity. Chavez Jr., a former middleweight title holder, enters the ring coming off a loss to Jake Paul in the cruiserweight division earlier this year. He holds a record of 54-7-1. His opponent, Ángel Julián Sacco, arrives with a 10-1-1 record and 4 KOs.
In July, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Chavez Jr., and processed him for expedited removal from the United States. The New York Times ran a story in which Mexican president Claudia Scheinbaum confirmed that the younger Chavez was indeed a wanted man in Mexico. The story credited Scheinbaum with saying that Mexican prosecutors had begun investigating the boxer in 2019 and had issued an arrest warrant in March 2023. She said Mexico had been unable to detain Mr. Chávez because “he lived most of the time in the United States.” Here is the official United States government press release from July 3, 2025: Chavez is a Mexican citizen who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives. In August 2023, he entered the country legally with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024. Chavez is also believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. ICE arrested Chavez in Studio City, California on July 2nd.
On April 2, 2024, Chavez filed application for Lawful Permanent Resident status. Chavez’s application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. On December 17, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez is an egregious public safety threat. However, an entry in a DHS law enforcement system under the Biden administration indicated Chavez was not an immigration enforcement priority. On January 4, 2025, the Biden administration allowed Chavez to reenter the country and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry. Following multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident, he was determined to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27, 2025.
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”
[Chavez's] rap sheet is below:
On January 22, 2012, California Highway Patrol arrested Chavez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and Driving Without a License.
On June 23, 2012, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Chavez for the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced him to 13 days in jail and 36 months’ probation.
On January 14, 2023, a District Judge issued an arrest warrant for Chavez, for the offense of organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges, and explosives without the corresponding permit.
On January 7, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Chavez and charged him with Illegal Possession of Any Assault Weapon and Manufacture or Import Short Barreled Rifle. The court convicted Chavez of these charges.
On his first day in office, President Donald J. Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Sinaloa Cartel targeted and viciously murdered U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Nicholas Quets, and has kidnapped, tortured and killed many other Americans. The Sinaloa Cartel has also played a major role in the trafficking of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border. President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow vicious cartels to operate on American soil.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE JUNE 29, 2025... In Anaheim, California, Jake Paul got in ten rounds of good work but was never seriously challenged by Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. Paul won nearly every round but failed to hurt Chavez, a former champion from 2011-2012 who hasn't taken boxing seriously for years. Paul tired over the last two rounds, allowing Chavez to save some face after a generally dismal performance. Still, Paul won a deserved lopsided unanimous decision by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is likely to enter the world rankings of at least one of the major sanctioning bodies. Compubox credited Paul with a 141-60 edge in punches landed. For the first three rounds, Chavez's offense was virtually nonexistent. With the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. screamimng from ringside in frustration, his son finally landed a punch just before the end of round three. Things heated up a bit in the fourth as Chavez began to come forward a little more, but Paul still won the round. Chavez simply would not let his hands go with any regularity, and the couple of times that he did when he was in punching range, Paul wisely tied Chavez up.The packed, pro-Mexican crowd tried to will Chavez forward over the second half of the fight, but Chavez lacked the energy to throw extended combinations. It should be remembered that Chavez is 39 years old and as a former middleweight champion now fighting at cruiserweight, he is 40 pounds over his best weight. The momentum turned in round nine as Paul tired and Chavez landed several good blows. The tenth round featured the best exchanges of the contest, as a tired Paul fought back against a surging, suddenly aggressive Chavez. The late rally was not enough to overcome the first eight rounds.
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Orlando undercard revealed |
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A boxing show is set for Saturday, December 13th at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, airing live on Boxlab’s YouTube channel. The main event is an unforgivable interim title bout: Cuba's Kevin “Alfa” Brown (8-0, 3 KOs) faces Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 KOs) for the WBA interim junior middleweight title. According to Wikipedia, "On April 6, 2017, Seldin tested positive for anabolic steroid use for a second time showing an increased level of testosterone and anabolic steroid Stanozolol also known as Winstrol, which forced his June 15 fight to be canceled. His testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E) was 21.02 to 1, which far exceeded the allowable threshold of 4 to 1 under World Anti-Doping Agency standards."
In the co-feature, Ariel “Golden Hulk” Perez (8-0, 4 KOs) squares off against Deion Pruitt (9-0, 7 KOs) over eight light heavyweight rounds in a battle of undefeateds. “Deion’s undefeated for a reason, but so am I. I respect his power, but I’m not here to play it safe, I’m here to win,” said Perez. “I’m going to show the world why they call me the Golden Hulk.” Pruitt confident himself stated, “This is the kind of fight that brings out the best in me. Ariel’s tough, but he’s never faced anyone like me. I’m coming to dominate and leave no doubt about who the next big thing at light heavyweight is.”
Also, on the main portion of the card, WBA 115-pound champion Jasmine Artiga (14-0, 7 KOs) from Tampa, FL, will defend her belt against Stephanie Silva (10-1) from Rome. “Every fight is personal, but defending my title in front of the world is something I’ve dreamed about since day one," said Artiga. "I respect Silva, but she’s stepping into my ring. I’ve worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and I’m not giving up this belt. Not now, not ever.” Silva, not a loss for words stated, "This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’m coming to the U.S. with one goal—to bring that world title back to Italy. Jasmine is a strong champion, but I’m here to shock the world. I didn’t come this far to fall short.”
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Jordan Orozco (14-0, 13 KOs) vs. Karlo Rodriguez (9-0-1, 6 KOs) – bantamweights, ten rounds;
Yoenis “El Bandolero” Tellez (10-1, 7 KOs) vs. Kendo Castaneda (21-10, 9 KOs) – junior middleweights, eight rounds;
Amos “2 Smooth” Cowart (13-2-1, 10 KOs) vs. Isidro Curiel (11-6-1, 6 KOs) – junior welterweights, six rounds;
Roberto Rivera Gomez (8-0, 3 KOs) vs. Alexander Taylor – featherweights, six rounds;
Jusiyah Shirly (8-1, 7 KOs) vs. TBA - junior welterweights, six rounds;
Damazion “Mazi” Vanhouter (9-0, 6 KOs) vs. Jose Mario Tamez (4-4, 1 KO) – heavyweights, six rounds;
Jeremy “Magic Hands” Adorno vs. TBA – junior lightweights, six rounds;
Tony Aguilar (13-2-1, 4 KOs) vs. Jorge Villegas (14-7, 13 KOs) – lightweights, six rounds;
Dominican Olympic Bronze Medalist Junior Alcantara Reyes (Pro Debut) vs. TBA - bantamweights, four rounds; and
Yize Jiang (5-1, 4 KOs) vs. Siupeli Anau (3-1, 2 KOs) – heavyweights, six rounds.
"We’re thrilled to unveil one of the most exciting undercards we've ever put together for Night of Champions XIII," said Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions. "From Jasmine Artiga defending her world title, to the clash of undefeated rising stars like Ariel Perez and Deion Pruitt, this card is stacked with talent, power, and high-stakes matchups. Fans tuning in on December 13 can expect nonstop action and future world champions on full display at the Caribe Royale Resort."
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Orlando undercard revealed
A boxing show is set for Saturday, December 13th at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, airing live on Boxlab’s YouTube channel. The main event is an unforgivable interim title bout: Cuba's Kevin “Alfa” Brown (8-0, 3 KOs) faces Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 KOs) for the WBA interim junior middleweight title. According to Wikipedia, "On April 6, 2017, Seldin tested positive for anabolic steroid use for a second time showing an increased level of testosterone and anabolic steroid Stanozolol also known as Winstrol, which forced his June 15 fight to be canceled. His testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E) was 21.02 to 1, which far exceeded the allowable threshold of 4 to 1 under World Anti-Doping Agency standards."
In the co-feature, Ariel “Golden Hulk” Perez (8-0, 4 KOs) squares off against Deion Pruitt (9-0, 7 KOs) over eight light heavyweight rounds in a battle of undefeateds. “Deion’s undefeated for a reason, but so am I. I respect his power, but I’m not here to play it safe, I’m here to win,” said Perez. “I’m going to show the world why they call me the Golden Hulk.” Pruitt confident himself stated, “This is the kind of fight that brings out the best in me. Ariel’s tough, but he’s never faced anyone like me. I’m coming to dominate and leave no doubt about who the next big thing at light heavyweight is.”
Also, on the main portion of the card, WBA 115-pound champion Jasmine Artiga (14-0, 7 KOs) from Tampa, FL, will defend her belt against Stephanie Silva (10-1) from Rome. “Every fight is personal, but defending my title in front of the world is something I’ve dreamed about since day one," said Artiga. "I respect Silva, but she’s stepping into my ring. I’ve worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and I’m not giving up this belt. Not now, not ever.” Silva, not a loss for words stated, "This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’m coming to the U.S. with one goal—to bring that world title back to Italy. Jasmine is a strong champion, but I’m here to shock the world. I didn’t come this far to fall short.”
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Jordan Orozco (14-0, 13 KOs) vs. Karlo Rodriguez (9-0-1, 6 KOs) – bantamweights, ten rounds;
Yoenis “El Bandolero” Tellez (10-1, 7 KOs) vs. Kendo Castaneda (21-10, 9 KOs) – junior middleweights, eight rounds;
Amos “2 Smooth” Cowart (13-2-1, 10 KOs) vs. Isidro Curiel (11-6-1, 6 KOs) – junior welterweights, six rounds;
Roberto Rivera Gomez (8-0, 3 KOs) vs. Alexander Taylor – featherweights, six rounds;
Jusiyah Shirly (8-1, 7 KOs) vs. TBA - junior welterweights, six rounds;
Damazion “Mazi” Vanhouter (9-0, 6 KOs) vs. Jose Mario Tamez (4-4, 1 KO) – heavyweights, six rounds;
Jeremy “Magic Hands” Adorno vs. TBA – junior lightweights, six rounds;
Tony Aguilar (13-2-1, 4 KOs) vs. Jorge Villegas (14-7, 13 KOs) – lightweights, six rounds;
Dominican Olympic Bronze Medalist Junior Alcantara Reyes (Pro Debut) vs. TBA - bantamweights, four rounds; and
Yize Jiang (5-1, 4 KOs) vs. Siupeli Anau (3-1, 2 KOs) – heavyweights, six rounds.
"We’re thrilled to unveil one of the most exciting undercards we've ever put together for Night of Champions XIII," said Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions. "From Jasmine Artiga defending her world title, to the clash of undefeated rising stars like Ariel Perez and Deion Pruitt, this card is stacked with talent, power, and high-stakes matchups. Fans tuning in on December 13 can expect nonstop action and future world champions on full display at the Caribe Royale Resort."
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Harlem Eubank faces Josh Wagner on Friday |
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A reminder to British boxing fans that on Friday night at 9pm, live of 5, Harlem Eubank and Josh Wagner will do battle in Brighton, England. Eubank (21-1) returns to action following his a contentious loss to Jack Catterall in July. Both Eubank and Caterall were cut in that bout, with the fight beoing stopped after seven rounds of action with Caterall ruled unable to continue. Caterall won by technical decision. Wagner, from Canada, is 19-1 and won his only fight of 2025 after a 2024 stoppage loss to David Papot.
In other news about this card, Niall Brown will now face Pierre Rosadini after injury to Brown's original opponent Darren Johnstone... The Matty Harris vs. Franklin Ignatius heavyweight fight will no longer be taking place on this card, after Harris withdrew from the contest due to illness.
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Harlem Eubank faces Josh Wagner on Friday
A reminder to British boxing fans that on Friday night at 9pm, live of 5, Harlem Eubank and Josh Wagner will do battle in Brighton, England. Eubank (21-1) returns to action following his a contentious loss to Jack Catterall in July. Both Eubank and Caterall were cut in that bout, with the fight beoing stopped after seven rounds of action with Caterall ruled unable to continue. Caterall won by technical decision. Wagner, from Canada, is 19-1 and won his only fight of 2025 after a 2024 stoppage loss to David Papot.
In other news about this card, Niall Brown will now face Pierre Rosadini after injury to Brown's original opponent Darren Johnstone... The Matty Harris vs. Franklin Ignatius heavyweight fight will no longer be taking place on this card, after Harris withdrew from the contest due to illness.
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Montoya faces Erdenebat in attractive, last-minute co-feature |
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Junior lightweight Tsendy “Chinggis Khaan” Erdenebat (14-0, 6 KOs including the World Series of Boxing) will now face veteran Abraham “Fily” Montoya (23-6-1, 14 KOs) of Baja California, Mexico, in the new co-feature on ProBoxTV’s Friday Night Fights event at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this Friday, November 21st. With an injury to Luis Lopez forcing the cancellation of his originally scheduled co-feature against undefeated Ruben Eduardo Aguilar, Erdenebat and Montoya have agreed to a potentially explosive rumble on one week’s notice. Headlined by a ten-round “do or die” junior middleweight matchup between former Olympian Francisco Daniel “Bebu” Veron (15-1-1, 10 KOs) of Fort Lauderdale and Venezuelan slugger Roiman “Flaco de Oro” Villa (27-3, 25 KOs), the live broadcast on ProBoxTV starts at 7:00 pm ET. Tickets to attend in person are available from the ProBoxTV website or directly from Seat Geek.
Now living in Paramount, California, but originally hailing from Tsetserleg, Mongolia, Erdenebat competed for Mongolia in the 2021 and 2016 Olympics and won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games before turning professional in 2018. Erdenebat is a ProBoxTV veteran competitor, having already passed several important tests in the proving grounds of the Future Stars and The Contender Series. He scored a dominant eight-round decision over (then 14-2) Mohamed Soumaoro in February 2024 and then returned to stop (then 17-6-1) Alberto Mercado in May of the same year. Erdenebat made his third appearance on ProBoxTV while capturing a ten-round victory over (then 15-1) Frency Fortunato Saya.
Then in February of this year, the 29-year-old southpaw scored a TKO victory over Mexico’s (then 15-1-2) Pedro Bernal in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, marking his first time fighting on home soil and fulfilling a homecoming dream. In July 2025, Erdenebat made his fourth appearance on ProBoxTV, a unanimous ten-round decision win over (then 14-3-3) Humberto Galindo.
Montoya, age 31, is an eleven-year pro with a knack for pulling upsets and pushing favorties to their limits in exciting fights. A punching machine who always keeps a high guard, Montoya comes forward with controlled aggression, utilizing an effective jab while looking to land the left hook inside. In March 2018, he bested Luis Alberto Lopez (12-0 at the time) by split decision. In February 2021, he fired off 1000 total punches en route to defeating formerly undefeated Alejandro Guerrero by majority decision. In his most recent fight, Montoya defeated former 130-pound champion JoJo Diaz by split decision on ProBoxTV in November of last year.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
The night’s televised undercard will include an eight-round light heavyweight bout between Cleveland’s Dante Benjamin (12-0-1, 9 KOs) and Alabama’s Money Powell IV (13-2, 8 KOs). In an eight-round junior lightweight battle, Maryland’s Francois Scarboro Jr (11-0, 8 KOs) will take on Puerto Rican slugger Onyx Sanchez-Medina (8-0-1, 8 KOs).
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Montoya faces Erdenebat in attractive, last-minute co-feature
Junior lightweight Tsendy “Chinggis Khaan” Erdenebat (14-0, 6 KOs including the World Series of Boxing) will now face veteran Abraham “Fily” Montoya (23-6-1, 14 KOs) of Baja California, Mexico, in the new co-feature on ProBoxTV’s Friday Night Fights event at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this Friday, November 21st. With an injury to Luis Lopez forcing the cancellation of his originally scheduled co-feature against undefeated Ruben Eduardo Aguilar, Erdenebat and Montoya have agreed to a potentially explosive rumble on one week’s notice. Headlined by a ten-round “do or die” junior middleweight matchup between former Olympian Francisco Daniel “Bebu” Veron (15-1-1, 10 KOs) of Fort Lauderdale and Venezuelan slugger Roiman “Flaco de Oro” Villa (27-3, 25 KOs), the live broadcast on ProBoxTV starts at 7:00 pm ET. Tickets to attend in person are available from the ProBoxTV website or directly from Seat Geek.
Now living in Paramount, California, but originally hailing from Tsetserleg, Mongolia, Erdenebat competed for Mongolia in the 2021 and 2016 Olympics and won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games before turning professional in 2018. Erdenebat is a ProBoxTV veteran competitor, having already passed several important tests in the proving grounds of the Future Stars and The Contender Series. He scored a dominant eight-round decision over (then 14-2) Mohamed Soumaoro in February 2024 and then returned to stop (then 17-6-1) Alberto Mercado in May of the same year. Erdenebat made his third appearance on ProBoxTV while capturing a ten-round victory over (then 15-1) Frency Fortunato Saya.
Then in February of this year, the 29-year-old southpaw scored a TKO victory over Mexico’s (then 15-1-2) Pedro Bernal in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, marking his first time fighting on home soil and fulfilling a homecoming dream. In July 2025, Erdenebat made his fourth appearance on ProBoxTV, a unanimous ten-round decision win over (then 14-3-3) Humberto Galindo.
Montoya, age 31, is an eleven-year pro with a knack for pulling upsets and pushing favorties to their limits in exciting fights. A punching machine who always keeps a high guard, Montoya comes forward with controlled aggression, utilizing an effective jab while looking to land the left hook inside. In March 2018, he bested Luis Alberto Lopez (12-0 at the time) by split decision. In February 2021, he fired off 1000 total punches en route to defeating formerly undefeated Alejandro Guerrero by majority decision. In his most recent fight, Montoya defeated former 130-pound champion JoJo Diaz by split decision on ProBoxTV in November of last year.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
The night’s televised undercard will include an eight-round light heavyweight bout between Cleveland’s Dante Benjamin (12-0-1, 9 KOs) and Alabama’s Money Powell IV (13-2, 8 KOs). In an eight-round junior lightweight battle, Maryland’s Francois Scarboro Jr (11-0, 8 KOs) will take on Puerto Rican slugger Onyx Sanchez-Medina (8-0-1, 8 KOs).
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Roach: "I'll be in the kill zone on Dec. 6th" |
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Reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach (pictured) and former 140-pound champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz previewed their showdown for the WBC interim 140-pound title during a virtual press conference on Tuesday before they headline a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video taking place Saturday, December 6th at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Cruz and Roach will square off as each seeks to add another signature victory to their resume and separate themselves from the rest of the stacked junior welterweight division. The four-fight pay-per-view broadcast will also see WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara take on unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly in the high-stakes co-feature. Plus, two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. challenges WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster and Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. duels Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title opening the pay-per-view at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what Cruz and Roach had to say Tuesday:
LAMONT ROACH
“We’ve brought in guys that are tough and straight up relentless. We’ve been looking good against them in sparring. The fight is different than sparring, but it’s just about getting myself into that mentality and into the kill zone. I’ll be stepping into it for sure on December 6th.
“I’m here to show that my last fight wasn’t just one good night in the office. That’s what I’m gonna do every single time. I want to put on a show for the fans and prove that I’m of the caliber to headline events like this.
“Fans can expect a hell of a show. There’s a great undercard leading up to a banger of a main event. I promise it won’t be anything less than a spectacular fight.
“Every time I get in the ring my goal is to show everyone that I’m gonna go down in history as one of the best fighters of all time.
“We’re gonna see what opportunities open up in the ring. There are going to be a lot of aspects of my game that you’re gonna see. That’s gonna be the beauty of the night.
“I feel great to be headlining on pay-per-view for the second time. After this performance I look forward to doing many more.
“I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do. I’ve proved that to myself my entire career.
“My goal has always been the same and that’s to fight the best fighters. I was always going to reach this level, it was just a matter of time.
“There’s definitely a chance I stay at 140 pounds. It depends what presents itself. Ultimately I want to go back to 135 and be a champion there, because I feel I was shorted out of a title in that division. I won’t hesitate to take a world title opportunity at 140 though.
“I don’t pay attention to the fans in the arena at all. Once I get into the ring there are minimal distractions for me. All I hear are the two corners and the ref. I’ve been in this situation before and I know how to handle it.”
ISAAC “PITBULL” CRUZ
“We’re really looking forward to going out there on December 6 and giving the fans in San Antonio and all over the world the great show that they deserve.
“We’ve had a tough training camp from the get-go because we know Roach is a great opponent. But we’ve stayed determined with victory as our only goal in mind. We’re coming to win, no matter what.
“My activity this year will be a big advantage. I’ve just had to make adjustments. I didn’t have to gear up for training camp. We’ve been able to prepare exactly how we want to going into December 6th.
“I’m going to fight my heart out in the ring. I’m going to go after it round after round no matter how hard it gets. It’s all about giving the fans what they deserve.
“Gervonta Davis, Roach and I are three completely different fighters. I hope Roach comes ready to fight, because it will be very different from what he saw in March against Gervonta. Lamont says he’s gonna knock me out, so I’m gonna come after him with whatever it takes.
“The fans are everything to me. If you make the time investment to watch me fight, it’s incredibly valuable to me. Not every fighter gets it and I know that it helps me to hear them during the fight.
“I’ve gotten stronger and stronger in recent years. And during that time I’ve gotten more and more confident. Those are the biggest ways that I’ve improved.
“The legacy talk is not my main focus. My main focus is on winning December 6th. Of course, at some point, Canelo will be passing the torch, and when it comes I’ll be ready mentally and physically. In the end, it will be up to the fans to decide who they want to be the next face of Mexican boxing. If they decide it’s me, I’ll be proud to carry that legacy forward.
“My power has always been there and I’ve showcased it in every fight that I’ve had. Let’s see if Roach can go in there and withstand my power on December 6.
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Roach: "I'll be in the kill zone on Dec. 6th"
Reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach (pictured) and former 140-pound champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz previewed their showdown for the WBC interim 140-pound title during a virtual press conference on Tuesday before they headline a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video taking place Saturday, December 6th at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Cruz and Roach will square off as each seeks to add another signature victory to their resume and separate themselves from the rest of the stacked junior welterweight division. The four-fight pay-per-view broadcast will also see WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara take on unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly in the high-stakes co-feature. Plus, two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. challenges WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster and Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. duels Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title opening the pay-per-view at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what Cruz and Roach had to say Tuesday:
LAMONT ROACH
“We’ve brought in guys that are tough and straight up relentless. We’ve been looking good against them in sparring. The fight is different than sparring, but it’s just about getting myself into that mentality and into the kill zone. I’ll be stepping into it for sure on December 6th.
“I’m here to show that my last fight wasn’t just one good night in the office. That’s what I’m gonna do every single time. I want to put on a show for the fans and prove that I’m of the caliber to headline events like this.
“Fans can expect a hell of a show. There’s a great undercard leading up to a banger of a main event. I promise it won’t be anything less than a spectacular fight.
“Every time I get in the ring my goal is to show everyone that I’m gonna go down in history as one of the best fighters of all time.
“We’re gonna see what opportunities open up in the ring. There are going to be a lot of aspects of my game that you’re gonna see. That’s gonna be the beauty of the night.
“I feel great to be headlining on pay-per-view for the second time. After this performance I look forward to doing many more.
“I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do. I’ve proved that to myself my entire career.
“My goal has always been the same and that’s to fight the best fighters. I was always going to reach this level, it was just a matter of time.
“There’s definitely a chance I stay at 140 pounds. It depends what presents itself. Ultimately I want to go back to 135 and be a champion there, because I feel I was shorted out of a title in that division. I won’t hesitate to take a world title opportunity at 140 though.
“I don’t pay attention to the fans in the arena at all. Once I get into the ring there are minimal distractions for me. All I hear are the two corners and the ref. I’ve been in this situation before and I know how to handle it.”
ISAAC “PITBULL” CRUZ
“We’re really looking forward to going out there on December 6 and giving the fans in San Antonio and all over the world the great show that they deserve.
“We’ve had a tough training camp from the get-go because we know Roach is a great opponent. But we’ve stayed determined with victory as our only goal in mind. We’re coming to win, no matter what.
“My activity this year will be a big advantage. I’ve just had to make adjustments. I didn’t have to gear up for training camp. We’ve been able to prepare exactly how we want to going into December 6th.
“I’m going to fight my heart out in the ring. I’m going to go after it round after round no matter how hard it gets. It’s all about giving the fans what they deserve.
“Gervonta Davis, Roach and I are three completely different fighters. I hope Roach comes ready to fight, because it will be very different from what he saw in March against Gervonta. Lamont says he’s gonna knock me out, so I’m gonna come after him with whatever it takes.
“The fans are everything to me. If you make the time investment to watch me fight, it’s incredibly valuable to me. Not every fighter gets it and I know that it helps me to hear them during the fight.
“I’ve gotten stronger and stronger in recent years. And during that time I’ve gotten more and more confident. Those are the biggest ways that I’ve improved.
“The legacy talk is not my main focus. My main focus is on winning December 6th. Of course, at some point, Canelo will be passing the torch, and when it comes I’ll be ready mentally and physically. In the end, it will be up to the fans to decide who they want to be the next face of Mexican boxing. If they decide it’s me, I’ll be proud to carry that legacy forward.
“My power has always been there and I’ve showcased it in every fight that I’ve had. Let’s see if Roach can go in there and withstand my power on December 6.
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Jake Paul calls someone "Daddy's little boy" |
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Now that Jake Paul is signed to fight ex-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on December 19th, he took a swipe at an unnamed opponent who apparently declined the option to face Paul in the window when Paul was looking for a replacement for the disgraced Gervonta "Tank" Davis. Was Paul taunting Ryan Garcia, Tommie Fury or someone else when he tweeted, "Respect due to all the fighters that said yes. We had to put all options on the table and make a decision. Guess who didn’t say yes even for $15M. Bitch made you and your father are, who controls everything you do. You are not a man. You are a boy. Daddy’s little boy"?
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Jake Paul calls someone "Daddy's little boy"
Now that Jake Paul is signed to fight ex-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on December 19th, he took a swipe at an unnamed opponent who apparently declined the option to face Paul in the window when Paul was looking for a replacement for the disgraced Gervonta "Tank" Davis. Was Paul taunting Ryan Garcia, Tommie Fury or someone else when he tweeted, "Respect due to all the fighters that said yes. We had to put all options on the table and make a decision. Guess who didn’t say yes even for $15M. Bitch made you and your father are, who controls everything you do. You are not a man. You are a boy. Daddy’s little boy"?
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Golden Boy reveals its first show of 2026 |
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Golden Boy Promotions will kick off its 2026 fight calendar on Friday, January 16th at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Californiawith a slate of rematches. Headlining the card, welterweights Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KOs) and Raul “El Cugár” Curiel (16-0-1, 13 KOs) will settle the score after their heated first meeting ended in a draw. The twelve-round showdown between the two contenders will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN. On the undercard, Coachella Valley’s Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (20-1-1, 16 KOs) and Tijuana’s Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chávez (14-0-1, 8 KOs) will meet in a rematch that could define the next phase of their careers. The super bantamweight clash is scheduled for ten rounds.
“January 16th isn’t a new fight, it’s Round 13,” said Rocha. “Curiel and I left something unfinished, and this time I’m not stopping until there’s no doubt left in anyone’s mind. He’s going to feel everything I’ve carried since that night. At Acrisure Arena, I’m ending this story — permanently.”
“I am very excited to continue to build my legacy, be able to fight and continue this boxing saga,” said Curiel. “I am filled with emotions knowing that I will represent Mexico and my hometown of Tampico.”
“We’re kicking off our 2026 fight calendar with the kind of high-impact, high-stakes rematches fans demanded we run back,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “January 16th will bring classic Golden Boy excitement and showcase the Coachella Valley’s next generation of stars we’ve been shaping from the ground up.” Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
“I feel blessed to be making an appearance in this new arena,” said Flores. “I am ready to showcase in this rematch that we are on different levels.”
“Everyone knows I won our last fight,” said Jorge Chavez. “Manuel knows this, the fans know this, his team knows this and more importantly I know this. Now it’s my job to take this out of the judges’ hands and to show Manuel once and for all who the real winner is between us.”
Fresh off a majority draw in a Southern California showdown in December 2024, Rocha remains one of the welterweight division’s most exciting and resilient fighters. His headlining duel with Curiel at Toyota Arena delivered nonstop action and further cemented Rocha’s reputation for grit and entertainment. Rocha entered that bout after a July 2024 victory over Santiago Dominguez. That win marked a strong rebound from his October 2023 loss to Giovani Santillan.
Before that setback, Rocha had built momentum with a win over Luis Alberto Veron in July 2022. That triumph followed a run that included three consecutive knockout victories, highlighted by a dominant performance against Blair Cobbs. Rocha met his first defeat in October 2020 against Rashidi Ellis. He began his professional career with Golden Boy in early 2016, making a statement with a knockout debut against Jordan Rosario. That launch came on the heels of an exceptional amateur run in which Rocha became a six-time national champion and, at just 14 years old, the youngest fighter ever to win Junior Olympics gold in 2012. Now at 28, the southpaw keeps advancing through the division, powered by determination, resilience and a reputation for delivering action.
In his latest outing, Curiel made a powerful statement in a WBA title eliminator on the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. undercard, overwhelming previously unbeaten Victor Rodriguez at the Honda Center. A precise right uppercut in the fourth round changed the fight dramatically, leading to a stoppage win and marking an impressive debut under trainer Robert Garcia. That performance followed Curiel’s breakthrough moment in December 2024, when he battled Rocha to a thrilling twelve-round majority draw. The action-packed fight elevated his profile and helped cement his standing among the welterweights, while maintaining an undefeated professional record of 16 wins, one draw, and 14 knockouts.
Curiel turned professional in February 2017 under manager Frank Espinoza and Golden Boy, rising through the ranks on the strength of his power and steady dominance. Before turning professional, Curiel built an outstanding amateur resume representing Tamaulipas, Mexico. Beginning at just 15 years old, he quickly emerged as a force on the international stage, capturing gold at the 2012 AIBA World Championships, the 2013 Olympic Cup Championships, and Washington D.C. ‘s 2013 Golden Gloves Tournament. His strong run in the 2015 World Series of Boxing earned him a place on Mexico’s 2016 Olympic team, where he competed in the light welterweight division at the Rio de Janeiro Games. With his sights now set on a world title, “El Cugar” remains a serious threat in the welterweight division.
In his most recent performance, Flores battled to a majority draw in a headline showdown against San Diego’s Jorge Chavez at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The ten-round clash between two of Golden Boy’s brightest rising stars delivered nonstop action and lived up to the hype. Representing Coachella, CA, Flores has become a standout in the super bantamweight division. After debuting in June 2017, he quickly made a name for himself with an aggressive style and explosive power. Despite a setback in June 2023 with a unanimous decision loss to Walter Santibanes, Flores has bounced back spectacularly, winning five consecutive fights by knockout. Training under Joel and Antonio Diaz at Diaz Training Camp alongside world-class talent like Israil Madrimov, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and Bektemir Melikuziev, Flores continues to refine his skills. With his current momentum and determination, he is on track for bigger opportunities in the super bantamweight division.
Facing Flores in one of the toughest challenges of his career in enemy territory, Chavez remained composed and confident, mixing technical skill with power, and leaving fans and fighters alike eager for an immediate rematch. Many observers felt he had done enough to claim victory. Hailing from Tijuana and based in San Diego, Jorge Chavez has rapidly established himself as one of Golden Boy Promotions’ top rising stars. He turned professional in November 2021 and, after making a strong impression in his early fights, signed with Golden Boy in November 2023. In April 2025, Chavez thrilled fans with a dynamic performance against hard-hitting Brandon Douglas on the Gabriela Fundora vs. Marilyn Badillo undercard at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA. The eight-round contest reminded fans why ‘El Niño Dorado’ has become a must-watch every time he fights. Boasting a 60-7 amateur record, Chavez overcame the challenges of being an immigrant fighter with fewer opportunities to develop an extensive amateur background than many of his peers. Known for his sharp technical skills and power, he trains under Hector Lopez in Santa Ana alongside top talents like Alexis Rocha.
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Golden Boy reveals its first show of 2026
Golden Boy Promotions will kick off its 2026 fight calendar on Friday, January 16th at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Californiawith a slate of rematches. Headlining the card, welterweights Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KOs) and Raul “El Cugár” Curiel (16-0-1, 13 KOs) will settle the score after their heated first meeting ended in a draw. The twelve-round showdown between the two contenders will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN. On the undercard, Coachella Valley’s Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (20-1-1, 16 KOs) and Tijuana’s Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chávez (14-0-1, 8 KOs) will meet in a rematch that could define the next phase of their careers. The super bantamweight clash is scheduled for ten rounds.
“January 16th isn’t a new fight, it’s Round 13,” said Rocha. “Curiel and I left something unfinished, and this time I’m not stopping until there’s no doubt left in anyone’s mind. He’s going to feel everything I’ve carried since that night. At Acrisure Arena, I’m ending this story — permanently.”
“I am very excited to continue to build my legacy, be able to fight and continue this boxing saga,” said Curiel. “I am filled with emotions knowing that I will represent Mexico and my hometown of Tampico.”
“We’re kicking off our 2026 fight calendar with the kind of high-impact, high-stakes rematches fans demanded we run back,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “January 16th will bring classic Golden Boy excitement and showcase the Coachella Valley’s next generation of stars we’ve been shaping from the ground up.” Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
“I feel blessed to be making an appearance in this new arena,” said Flores. “I am ready to showcase in this rematch that we are on different levels.”
“Everyone knows I won our last fight,” said Jorge Chavez. “Manuel knows this, the fans know this, his team knows this and more importantly I know this. Now it’s my job to take this out of the judges’ hands and to show Manuel once and for all who the real winner is between us.”
Fresh off a majority draw in a Southern California showdown in December 2024, Rocha remains one of the welterweight division’s most exciting and resilient fighters. His headlining duel with Curiel at Toyota Arena delivered nonstop action and further cemented Rocha’s reputation for grit and entertainment. Rocha entered that bout after a July 2024 victory over Santiago Dominguez. That win marked a strong rebound from his October 2023 loss to Giovani Santillan.
Before that setback, Rocha had built momentum with a win over Luis Alberto Veron in July 2022. That triumph followed a run that included three consecutive knockout victories, highlighted by a dominant performance against Blair Cobbs. Rocha met his first defeat in October 2020 against Rashidi Ellis. He began his professional career with Golden Boy in early 2016, making a statement with a knockout debut against Jordan Rosario. That launch came on the heels of an exceptional amateur run in which Rocha became a six-time national champion and, at just 14 years old, the youngest fighter ever to win Junior Olympics gold in 2012. Now at 28, the southpaw keeps advancing through the division, powered by determination, resilience and a reputation for delivering action.
In his latest outing, Curiel made a powerful statement in a WBA title eliminator on the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. undercard, overwhelming previously unbeaten Victor Rodriguez at the Honda Center. A precise right uppercut in the fourth round changed the fight dramatically, leading to a stoppage win and marking an impressive debut under trainer Robert Garcia. That performance followed Curiel’s breakthrough moment in December 2024, when he battled Rocha to a thrilling twelve-round majority draw. The action-packed fight elevated his profile and helped cement his standing among the welterweights, while maintaining an undefeated professional record of 16 wins, one draw, and 14 knockouts.
Curiel turned professional in February 2017 under manager Frank Espinoza and Golden Boy, rising through the ranks on the strength of his power and steady dominance. Before turning professional, Curiel built an outstanding amateur resume representing Tamaulipas, Mexico. Beginning at just 15 years old, he quickly emerged as a force on the international stage, capturing gold at the 2012 AIBA World Championships, the 2013 Olympic Cup Championships, and Washington D.C. ‘s 2013 Golden Gloves Tournament. His strong run in the 2015 World Series of Boxing earned him a place on Mexico’s 2016 Olympic team, where he competed in the light welterweight division at the Rio de Janeiro Games. With his sights now set on a world title, “El Cugar” remains a serious threat in the welterweight division.
In his most recent performance, Flores battled to a majority draw in a headline showdown against San Diego’s Jorge Chavez at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The ten-round clash between two of Golden Boy’s brightest rising stars delivered nonstop action and lived up to the hype. Representing Coachella, CA, Flores has become a standout in the super bantamweight division. After debuting in June 2017, he quickly made a name for himself with an aggressive style and explosive power. Despite a setback in June 2023 with a unanimous decision loss to Walter Santibanes, Flores has bounced back spectacularly, winning five consecutive fights by knockout. Training under Joel and Antonio Diaz at Diaz Training Camp alongside world-class talent like Israil Madrimov, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and Bektemir Melikuziev, Flores continues to refine his skills. With his current momentum and determination, he is on track for bigger opportunities in the super bantamweight division.
Facing Flores in one of the toughest challenges of his career in enemy territory, Chavez remained composed and confident, mixing technical skill with power, and leaving fans and fighters alike eager for an immediate rematch. Many observers felt he had done enough to claim victory. Hailing from Tijuana and based in San Diego, Jorge Chavez has rapidly established himself as one of Golden Boy Promotions’ top rising stars. He turned professional in November 2021 and, after making a strong impression in his early fights, signed with Golden Boy in November 2023. In April 2025, Chavez thrilled fans with a dynamic performance against hard-hitting Brandon Douglas on the Gabriela Fundora vs. Marilyn Badillo undercard at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA. The eight-round contest reminded fans why ‘El Niño Dorado’ has become a must-watch every time he fights. Boasting a 60-7 amateur record, Chavez overcame the challenges of being an immigrant fighter with fewer opportunities to develop an extensive amateur background than many of his peers. Known for his sharp technical skills and power, he trains under Hector Lopez in Santa Ana alongside top talents like Alexis Rocha.
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