Press Release: Chris Algieri will fight in his hometwon, Huntington, Long Island, New York, at the Paramount Saturday, July 20th. Algieri (16-0) will face Mighty Mike Arnaoutis (24-8-2) in a junior welterweight bout. "Boxing is my passion," said Algieri, a black belt who turned down a mixed martial arts career to pursue  boxing. "I'm here because I want to fight." A graduate of Stony Brook University, Algieri put his medical school studies on hold while he boxes.

Press Release: Washington, DC, welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison will be back in action on June 29th when he takes on Ben Ankrah at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Ankrah (17-15), a native of Accra, Ghana, will be the toughest fight yet for Hernandez-Harrison, (15-0). "I have watched video on Ankrah and he can definitely fight; he’s always active,” Hernandez-Harrison said. ”He's a tough guy, but that's what I want so I can keep improving and learning. I want guys that are going to push me and make me fight my best because ultimately that will make me a better fighter." Hernandez-Harrison has had a busy 2013-- this will be his fifth fight of the year.

Roberto Ortiz TKO10 Jorge Romero... Junior welterweight Roberto Ortiz (29-0) stopped Jorge Romero (24-6) in the tenth in Villahermosa, Mexico over the weekend. Romero, who is physically bigger, did reasonably well in the early rounds, but was caught by straight rights and uppercuts. Romero launched a big attack in the eight, but a big right to the midriff took the wind out of his sails. In the tenth, Ortiz trapped Romero on the ropes and Romero walked into a huge straight right that catapulted him back. He received a count, but another big right decked him. He somehow hauled himself up, but after a few more seconds of punishment, referee Lupe Garcia stopped the bout.

Alejandro Luna TKO8 Sergio Rivera... In Santa Ynez, Calif., lightweights Alejandro Luna and Sergio Rivera faced each other in the main event. Luna, for the first time in his career, fought the entire fight from the southpaw stance.  It proved to be a good strategy in the early rounds as Luna avoided punches from a distance. The middle rounds saw some toe-to-toe exchanges.  In the eighth round, a hard right hook sent Rivera to the canvas. He got up only to take more punishment before the referee stopped the bout.  Luna improves to (14-0) while Rivera's record goes to (14-12).  source for both results: wbc

Press Release: Future Hall of Famer and current IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins will be a guest commentator on this Saturday’s Showtme Championship Boxinglive telecast (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Boxing’s ageless wonder will serve as an expert analyst joining host Brian Kenny, announcers Mauro Ranallo (blow-by-blow) and Al Bernstein (expert analyst) and ringside reporter Jim Gray. The 48-year-old Hopkins will add his insight from the seat usually occupied by Paulie Malignaggi, who will relocate from the ring apron to the inside of the ring on Saturday evening as he defends his WBA welterweight title  against undefeated Adrien Broner in what will be a heated twelve-round main event.

With mandatory contender Karo Murat's visa application still not approved, the IBF has ordered its light heavyweight champion, Bernard Hopkins, to face the next leading available contender for his mandatory defense in his next fight. Next in line is Sergey Kovalev, who defeated Cornelius White over the weekend. Hopkins, of course, is free to vacate the title if he doesn't want to fight Kovalev.--Scott Shaffer

Does Paulie Malignaggi have a chance against Adrien Broner this weekend? Keep it real with me. Will he at least last the distance? I want to bet on him, push me over the edge.

James Kirkland seems well on his way to becoming this generation's Ike Ibeabuchi, a lethal and ferocious boxer whose talent wasted away due to criminal activity. Kirkland, who already lost two years of his prime due to firearm related offenses, is now under arrest in Travis County, Texas for allegedly assaulting a family member. In reporting the arrest, the Austin American-Statesman spoke to attorney Michael Miller, Kirkland's co-manager of record. Miller said he had not spoken to Kirkland in a year, not a good sign that Kirkland has boxing high on his priorities. Still only 29 years old woth an official record of 31-1, Kirkland has not fought in about 15 months, when he was fortunate to get a disqualification win over Carlos Molina in a fight Kirkland was losing.  Kirkland had shoulder surgery after that fight, but didn't seem to eager to accept a title shot against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez after that. --Scott Shaffer

Press Release: Taking interim bouts over the weekend in their respective homelands before separate August 16th fights at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox), heavyweight Artur Szpilka and ex-light heavyweight titlist Gabriel Campillo were both victorious. Fighting in Bydogoszcz, Poland, the 24-year-old Szpilka improved to 15-0 on Saturday night with a 10-round unanimous decision over Brian Minto (37-5). Scores were 100-90, 98-92 and 98-93.  Next up for Szpilka will be a rematch with Chicago's Mike Mollo on August 16th. In their memorable first fight, Szpilka stopped Mollo in a "blood and guts" war on February 1, 2013, at Chicago's UIC Pavilion. On Friday in Sedavi, Spain, Campillo scored a second round stoppage of Ionut Trandafir Ilie (14-16-1), upping his  own record to 21-5-1. Campillo will now prepare for his Chicago debut on August 16th when he challenges Andrzej Fonfara in an IBO 175-pound title bout.

According to the WBC, trainer Porfirio "Rudy" Perez, who trained, inspired and crafted a host of champions passed away last week. According to the WBC, Rudy was a Mexican manager and trainer, always humble but imbued with a heart of warrior. A man who dedicated his life to boxing and to his pupils, who along with his family were the reason of his memorable life. The stars who he guided shine like a galaxy which spells the who's who of boxing: Marco Antonio Barrera, Israel “Magnífico” Vázquez, Hernán “Tyson” Márquez, Eric Ortiz, Mariana “Barbie” Juárez, Pablo César Cano, Jorge Linares, Sergio Thompson, Wilberth “Huracán” Uicab among others. Boxingtalk sends its condolences to the friends and family of Rudy Perez.

Mikey Garcia KO4 Juan Manuel Lopez... In Dallas, Texas, Mikey Garcia knocked out a very shaky Juan Manuel Lopez in three rounds. Lopez, who hadn't had a major bout in nearly a year, seems to have lost his sense of balance just before turning 30 years old, and Garcia very quickly exploited Lopez's shortcoming. Garcia wobbled Lopez several times and easily landed counter punches when Lopez could not get pack in proper defensive position quickly enough after missing his own punches. Garcia floored Lopez in the second and scored a highlight reel knockout against an off-balance Lopez in the fourth. Lopez wound up flat un his back with his head under the ropes. The bad news for Garcia is that he lost his WBO featherweight title on the scales by coming in two pounds overweight and had to give up a reported six figures to Lpoez to save the bout. However, with Top Rank's promotional muscle behind him, Garcia will no doubt be back in a major fight very soon either at 126 or 130 pounds. For Lopez, the future is not so optimistic. 

Patrick Nielsen TKO4 Crispulo J. Andino... Middleweight Patrick Nielsen improved to 19-0 on Saturday night in Aarhus, Denmark by knocking out Crispulo Javier Andino (16-6-1) in the fourth round. In his first fight with ex-junior lightweight titlist Joey Gamache training him, Nielsen worked behind his jab and went to the body. In the fourth, a left to the body sent the Argentinian down. He beat the count – only to go down again after another flurry of punches. “I am pleased with my performance,” Nielsen said. “The training with Joey has been very good. It all came together nicely today and I am happy that I stopped Andino.”   source: sauerland event

Bryant Jennings TKO6 Andrey Fedosov... In the Bethlehem, PA, main event, heavyweight contender Bryant "By-By" Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) won with a bruising sixth-round TKO of Russian Andrey Fedosov (24-3, 19 KOs). Over time, Jennings, of Philadelphia, wore his opponent down and eventually closed his left eye.  After six full rounds, referee Steve Smoger halted the fight based on the ringside doctor's recommendation, saying that Fedosov's swollen eye was significantly impairing his vision. Fedosov remained on his stool and did not come out for round seven. The official time of the stoppage was 3:00 of round six. 

Juan Carlos Payano KO7 Jundy Maraon... Two-time Dominican Olympian Juan Carlos Payano, a veteran of over 500 amateur fights, scored the first significant win of his professional career in New Jersey on Friday by stretching Jundy Maraon of The Philippines in the seventh round. From the first round on, Payano battled through a cut over his eye, caused by  what replays showed was a headbutt (but which the referee said was from a cut).  But Payano ended the bantamweight bout early in the seventh round with a brutal left-handed knockout that left Maraon down for minutes. Two hard lefts from Payano handed Maraon (15-1-1) his first pro loss. Payano improves to 13-1 and showed fearsome power. source: espn2

Levgen Golovin TKO2 Riddick Bowe... Thailand hosted a very sad event for boxing fans, as a middle-aged, overweight, washed-up and possibly brain-damaged Riddick Bowe was allowed to compete in a muy thai event. (It sounds cruel to say Bowe is brain damaged, but that was his own legal defense in order to avoid jail time a few years ago).  Predictably, Bowe lost badly. The 45-year-old former world heavyweight champion was beaten via second-round technical knockout by Levgen Golovin of Russia. Thankfully, Bowe was done in by kicks to the shin rather than punches to the head. There were five reported knockdowns and Bowe ended the bout grabbing his shins in pain. Bowe's championship reign was from 1992-1993, eons ago in boxing years. From 1997-2008, Bowe had just three bouts, and from 2008 until today, he had none at all. It is doubtful he could even get a license to box here in America, although commissions can be unbelivably lax in licensing decisions. Bowe reportedly was paid 150,000 for today's debacle. source: associated press

Press Release: Due to Karo Murat having difficulties obtaining a visa from the United States Department of State, and his subsequent inability to enter the United States, the July 13th card featuring Murat against IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York has been cancelled. "This is an extremely disappointing development as we were anticipating Bernard making history once again on July 13 at Barclays Center," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. "Since the administrative process that would have to be undertaken in order for Murat's visa petition to be reconsidered takes longer than six months, we're exploring several options with respect to Bernard's next fight." Hopkins added, "I'm extremely disappointed about the fight being cancelled," said Hopkins.  "I was already in the gym, sparring and preparing for the fight, but things happen. I know Richard Schaefer and the staff at Golden Boy Promotions are already working on something bigger and better."

Press Release: Willie Nelson (20-1-1, 12 KOs) is looking forward to his HBO debut fight on June 29th against Argentina's Luciano Leonel Cuello (32-2, 16 KOs) at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The ten-round fight between Nelson and Cuello will be the HBO opener (9:45 p.m. ET/PT start) on a  triple-header headlined by WBA/IBO middleweight titlist Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (26-0, 23 KOs) defending against Matthew "Mack The Knife" Macklin (29-4, 20 KOs). Also on HBO will be Thomas "Tommy Gun" Oosthuizen (21-0-1, 13 KOs) facing Brandon "Flawless" Gonzales (17-0, 10 KOs) in a ten-round super middleweight bout.

Here are the weights from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for tomorrow night's NBC Sports Network Fight Night card:

Bryant Jennings 227.5 - Andrey Fedosov 224.5 
Sergey Kovalev 174.8 - Cornelius White 173.1
Ronald Cruz 147.9 - Ray Narh 147.9                                     

Here are the weights from West Orange, New Jersey, for tomorrow night's ESPN2 Friday Night Fights card:

Jundy Maraon 116.5 - Juan Carlos Payano 116.9
Yenifel Vicente 123 - Jorge Diaz 122
Antoine Douglas 159.5 - Ibaheim King 160.5
Lavarn Harvell 176.5 - Paul Vasquez 176.5
Anthony Gangemi 147.5 - Anthony Prescott 148
Ricky Edwards 135.5 - Larry Yanez 136.5
Tyrell Wright 205 - Moises Marshall 220
Samuel Teah 139 - Terrell James TBA
Shakur Jackson 147.5 - Michael Pickett 152.5

Press Release: Denis Grachev is the underdog, but he’s training to win his July 13th fight with Edwin Rodriguez in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Grachev (13-1, 8 KOs) is holed up at Abel Sanchez’s High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear, California, where the stable includes WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, who fights in the US later this month. Grachev earned his place in the final against Rodriguez (23-0, 15 KOs) with a rugged 10-round split-decision defeat of former two-division champion Zsolt Erdei in March. The man nicknamed “The Son of Drago” has found it it inspiring to train with Golovkin and WBO 154-pound beltholder Zaurbek Baysangurov. Prior to the Erdei fight I was only here for ten days, however this time I’m up here for six weeks which will put me in the best form ever.”

Press Reelase: Famed rapper and new boxing promoter, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson announced that his company, SMS Promotions, will present a pro boxing event on July 5th, to be aired live on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT. Headlining will be a ten-round clash between light heavyweight Eleider "Storm" Alvarez (12-0, 8 KOs) and Allan Green (32-4, 22 KOs). The rising Alvarez (12-0, 8 KOs) is a 2008 Colombian Olympian who lives in Montreal. Alvarez, however is stepping up in class to face Green (32-4-0, 22 KOs), fighting out of Tulsa (OK), who fought in the Super Six tournament. The ten-round co-feature showcases ex-IBF featherweight titlist Billy "The Kid" Dib (35-2, 21 KOs) against Hartford's "Machine Gun" Mike Oliver (25-3, 8 KOs). A native of Australia, Dib is coming off a split decision loss that saw his title pass to Russian Evgeny Gradovich.

Press Release: European light heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer (40-2, 31 KOs) will have a hometwon defense in Schwerin, Germany on August 24th. His opponent will be Stefano Abatangelo (17-2-1, 6 KOs) from Italy. The 31-year-old challenger is full of confidence. On May 31st, Abatangelo, from Montanaro, close to the major Northern Italian city of Turin, dethroned Italian champion Emanuele Barletta via seventh-round technical knockout.  “Abatangelo is on a good winning streak. He did not lose once in his last twelve outings. He will do everything he can to take the EBU title back home to Italy,” said Team Sauerland Director of Sports Hagen Doering. Besides the European title, the 34 year-old Braehmer is also the WBO mandatory challenger to Nathan Cleverly. Braehmer's trainer is also from Schwerin. Tickets will be available shortly at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.

Press Release: This Friday in West Orange, New Jersey, light heavyweight Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell puts his undefeated record on the line against Paul Vasquez in a six rounder. Harvell, 25 years old from Atlantic City, New Jersey is getting back in the ring for the first time in eleven months since knocking out Mojeed Okedara in one round. "This training camp has gone well.  My punches are strong and I have doing strength and condition”, said Harvell (12-0 with 7 KOs). “I don’t know much about Vasquez but we prepare for anything.” Like many in New Jersey and the Jersey Shore area, Harvell was affected by Hurricane Sandy. “The layoff was caused because my gym (The Atlantic City PAL) being damaged by Hurricane Sandy but everything is good now and we are ready to go.” Vasquez of Martinez, California is 9-3-1 with 3 KOs and has fought most of his career as a cruiserweight. In his last bout, he was on the wrong end of a majority decision against Elvir Muriqi on March 15t. The main event will decide the WBA interim bantamweight belt as Jundy Maroan takes on Juan Carlos Payano. To buy tickets, call 888.612.4191.

Press Release: Tomasz Adamek's opponent for the August 3rd NBC Sports Network Fight Night card has been confirmed. Adamek (48-2, 29 KOs), will take on Tony Grano (20-3-1, 16 KOs) in Grano's home state in a ten-round heavyweight bout. The number of Tomasz's legion of loyal Polish boxing fans may well rival the popular Grano's hometown crowd at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva said, "This match up is against two guys that are right in front of each other and can punch, either can go at any time. This promises to be an exciting brawl." Adamek is happy to be back in the ring, "After fighting four fights in 2012, I was able to take a rest. Now I feel I will be able to get back in the ring refreshed."

It is amazing how hardly anybody is giving Saul "Canelo" Alvarez the benefit of the doubt against Floyd Mayweather. First, it is obvious that Mayweather was forced to take this fight by Showtime. Second, Mayweather is going to be in the ring with a huge, young and strong  puncher in his prime that knows how to throw combinations and has decent hand speed. Third, Mayweather is beatable. Just watch the first fight with Jose Luis Castillo [a win for Mayweather that most felt was undeserved].  In my eyes, Mayweather is not an undefeated fighter. We might see Mayweather once again pot-shotting and slapping his way into a boring decision win but I sincerely expect that it is going to be a tough fight.

Press Release: WBO featherweight titlist Mikey Garcia (31-0, 26 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., and ex-two division titlist Juan Manuel Lopez (33-2, 30 KOs), of Puerto Rico, will meet their fans and sign autographs  in the Center Court at the La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth Mall (4200 South Freeway, Fort Worth, TX. 76115), today (June 12th) from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. CT. Garcia and Lopez are in the last three days of training for their upcoming world championship rumble in Dallas. Remaining tickets can be purchased at the American Airlines Center box office (Monday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT), online at Ticketmaster.com, by calling T800-745-3000, or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet. The show will take place Saturday June 15th and will be televised live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, on HBO Boxing After Dark.

Press Release: Dominican bantamweight Juan Carlos Payano (13-0, 7 KOs) and his coach, German Caicedo, report that the slick southpaw is on weight at 118 pounds for this weekend's ESPN2 Friday Night Fights showdown against Philippine Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon (15-0-1, 12 KOs). "We got down to weight ahead of schedule," Caicedo said.  "Payano will work to stay on weight for Thursday's official weigh in and be strong Friday night for his fight." Payano faces Maraon in a WBA title eliminator, positioning the winner for a world title shot against Koki Kameda. In the co-feature, Caicedo-trained featherweight Yenifiel Vicente (24-1-2, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Diaz (17-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round match.  Payano and Vicente leave tomorrow for New Jersey along with their head coaches, Caicedo and "Irish" Micky Ward, and assistant Claudio Lamont.

Press Release: Born and raised in Framingham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, light welterweight Danny O'Connor (20-1, 7 KOs) is a proud Bostonian. On June 29th, the 28-year-old Irish-American boxer will fight veteran Hector Munoz (21-10-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round fight on the non-televised portion of an HBO triple-header at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.  O'Connor will shed his traditional Clan O'Connor outfit for one specially designed by Rival Boxing Gear to honor victims of the recent Boston Marathon bombing.

Press Release: Two junior welterweight match-ups highlight the non-televised undercard at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Friday. Two undefeated lefties collide in the top prelim when Treysean Wiggins (3-0) of Newburgh, NY, goes against Jerome Rodriguez (3-0-1) of nearby Allentown, PA, in a six-round contest.  Wiggins, 23, has knocked out all three of his pro opponents since turning pro three years ago. He ended a 30-month layoff March 10th when he KO'd Duane Hall in the second round. Rodriguez, 26, has boxed four times in the 12 months since he turned pro, with his most recent fight on March 15th when he earned a six-round decision over Rafael Montalvo. The other six-round junior welterweight match pits Hasan Young (2-1-1) of Philadelphia, PA against Ariel Duran (7-4-1) of Queens, NY.

Press Release: Promoters Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Lou DiBella have acquired the rights to "Tapia", a documentary based on the life of th elate world champion Johnny Tapia. DiBella’s new production company, BK Blu Productions, and 50 Cent’s G-Unit Film and Television have joined to present the film, also produced by filmmaker Eddie Alcazar and Andrea Monier. The world premiere of the documentary will take place at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Saturday, June 15th at the Regal Cinemas L.A. See the official trailer here. Tapia chronicles the personal and professional life of the boxer, beginning with his poor childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film explores the glory of his punishing ring prowess and five world titles in three weight classes, forever mired by personal demons: his mother's brutal kidnapping and murder when he was 8 years old, and his drug addiction, mental illness and near-death experiences. Using first person narration from Tapia himself, archival footage, and personal photos, director Eddie Alcazar paints an intimate picture of the fighter and the man.

What do you think  of a prime Bernard Hopkins and a prime James Toney meeting at 175 pounds? I remember the two greats had a verbal slugfest here at Boxingtalk (I think this was around 2005) but they never got it on. Toney was champion at cruiserweight while Hopkins was on his last few fights at middleweight. What do you think? I really cannot tell coz both are such throwback fighters.  Last, you discussed Andre Ward vs. Joe Calzhage in your recent mail. How about Toney and Joe? I have a feeling that Joe wins on points. But what's your take on this? I hope Bread also gives his slice on these fights.  Thanks, and looking forward to your reply! - Joey of Manila

Humberto Soto TKO9 Hiroshi Nakamori... Mexico's Humberto Soto closed the left eye of Japan's Hiroshi Nakamori, leading to a ninth-round referee's stoppage of their junior welterweight bout. Soto, a former WBC beltholder in multiple weight classes, is now 61-8-2, while Nakamori drops his third straight to fall to 33-6-1. Sadly, the WBC seems to be pushing a match-up between Soto and the beyond-shot legend, Erik Morales. source: wbc 

Jose Pedraza TKO7 Sergio Villanueva... On Saturday in Montreal, Puerto Rico's Jose "Sniper" Pedraza (13-0, 9 KOs) defeated Mexico's Sergio Villanueva (25-3-2, 13 KO's ) via seventh-round technical knockout. The 24 year-old ambidextrous fighter sent Villanueva to the canvas in the fifth roud.  As the body attack continued, the bout was halted in the seventh round after Pedraza dropped Villanueva twice, prompting the intervention of his corner after Villanueva beat the count. Pedraza represented Puerto Rico in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. source: gary shaw press release

Robert Woge W12 Dariusz Sek... In Berlin, 175-pound Robert Woge bested Polish southpaw Dariusz Sek over twelve rounds. The 29-year-old German knocked down Sek in the opening round. Still, the fight went the distance with the judges scoring it 114-113, 118-110 and 117:110 in Woge's favor. Woge is now 12-1 while Sek drops to 19-1-1. source: sauerland press release 
 
Roman Belaev TKO9 Nasser Athumani... At 1:30 AM in a virtually empty arena in Differdange, Luxembourg, Russian welterweight Roman Belaev scored a knockout of Kenyan Nasser Athumani in round nine. After eight copetitive rounds, Athumani had some balance problems, but insisted on continuing and was allowed to do so by referee and doctor. However, in the following round he was caught by a powerful shot from Belaev while turning away and the fight was over at 1:03 of the round. At the time of the stoppage judge Domique Schmit had the bout 77-75, Hans Joachim Klage 79-73 and Artur Ellensohn 80-72, all in favor of Belaev who improved his record to 12-0. Athumani drops to 23-10-3. source: wbf

Press Release: Former world light heavyweight champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver, who shocked the world with his one-punch knockout of the great Roy Jones, Jr. is poised to prove doubters wrong and make his return to the ring. “This has been a long tough year for me being away from the sport of boxing. Iʼve learned a lot about myself and others”, said Tarver who has been out of the ring for a year after testing positive for a banned substance against Lateef Kayode, causing the bout to be changed to a no contest.

Hey Bread, great call predicting Adonis Stevenson to KO Chad Dawson – you won me a few ££ there thanks, it was definitely worth a punt. I’d like you’re insight on Mikey Garcia vs. Juan Manuel Lopez next week? I think Garcia wins but do you think he’s seen the blue print and can stop him? Also read this morning about a cross roads fight between Shane Mosley and Victor "quiter" Ortiz – I don’t think its great advertisement for boxing but I’m getting a feeling something strange will happen in that fight. All the best from the UK, James

In the opening bout of Showtime's telecast, Jermell Charlo (21-0, 10 KOs), of Houston, registered a close, unanimous twelve-round decision win over Demetrius Hopkins (33-3-1, 13 KOs) of Philadelphia. The tactical match was scored 115-13 on all three judges’ scorecards... Earlier on Showtine Extreme, Johan Perez (17-1-1, 12 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela, handed Yoshihiro Kamegai (22-1-1, 19 KOs) of Sapporo, Japan, the first loss of his career in a ten-round  welterweight bout. The judges scored it 100-90, 98-92 and 97-93... In a heavyweight scrap, former USC football player Gerald Washington (8-0, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles won an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Sherman Williams (35-13-2, 19 KOs). Washington won by 79-72 on all three judges’ cards... 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (6-1, 3 KOs) of South El Monte, Calif. won by technical knockout over Rigoberto Casillas (8-11-1, 6 KOs) of San Diego, who did not come out for the fourth and final round in the featherweight contest. source for all results: showtime press relase

Marcos Maidana TKO6 Josesito Lopez: Marcos Maidana outslugged Josesito Lopez over six action packed rounds in front of the largest crowd to ever attend a boxing even at the Home Depot Center in Casron, California. Maidana won the first two rounds, Lopez took control in three and four, but when Maidana scored the first knockdown of the bout in round six, it didn't take long for him to finish Lopez off. Official time of stoppage was 1:18.source: showtime

Erislandy Lara TKO10 Alfredo Angulo: Erislandy Lara's straight left hands were the difference. The Cuban standout controlled the first three rounds, but was dropped for the first time of his career with a crisp Angulo left hook. Lara survived the round and rebounded well. Angulo, who was scoring bruising body shots throughout scored another knockdown in the ninth, but again Lara managed to survive the round. In round ten, Lara hit Angulo with a three punch combination that immediately caused a horrific hemotoma over Angulo's left eye. Raul Caiz Jr had no choice but to stop the fight when Angulo turned his back on Lara and walked away. Source: Showtime

Adonis Stevenson TKO1 Chad Dawson:  It took slightly more than a minute for Canadian super middleweight destroyer Adonis Stevenson to capture the world light heavyweight championship. A thunderous left hand separated Dawson from his senses. He beat the count, but on very unsteady legs, leaving the referee no choice but to stop the fight. Official time of stoppage was 1:16 though the final punch of the fight was thrown only :59 seconds in. It should be noted that Boxingtalk's Stephen Edwards made a bold, but dead on prediction for this bout. 

Yuriokis Gamboa W12 Darlys Perez: Yuriokis Gamboa earned a hard fought unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Darlys Perez tonight. Gamboa scored a knockdown in the closing seconds of the first round and controlled most of the first half of the fight, but Perez eventually  began to time Gamboa making for an interesting scrap. It appeared that Perez should have been credited with a knockdown in round eleven, but the referee ruled it a slip. Despite Perez winning the last three rounds, it was not enough. Official scores were 116-111 x2, 115-112. Boxingtalk scored it 115-112. source for both results: hbo

Marco Huck W12 Ola Afolabi... In Berlin, Marco Huck made his twelfth defense of the WBO cruiserweight title with a majority decision win over his rival Ola Afolabi. Huck, now 36-2-1 overall and 2-0-1 vs. Afolabi, won by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 114-114, with ringside reports saying Huck won cleanly. Afolabi's career mark falls to 19-3-4. source: associated press

Andrey Klimov W10 John Molina, Jr.... On ESPN2's Friday Night Fights, Andrey Klimov of Russia defeated John Molina, Jr. via majority decision in Molina's home state of California. Klimov won the lightweight bout by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95. Klimov improves to 16-0 while Molina drops to 25-3. source: espn.com

Les Sherrington TKO2 Jorge Gomez Perez... In Toowoomba, Australia, middleweight Les Sherrington (32-6) stayed hot with a second-round technical knockout win over Paraguay national champion Jorge Gomez Perez (23-12-1). Sherrington floored Gomez, who regained his feet but referee Alan Moore waved an immediate end to the bout. It was Sherrington's sixth consecutive victory since joining forces with linking with trainer Brendon Smith early last year. Smith is best known for his work with Michael Katsidis.

Jack Asis TKO3 Jose Saez... On the same show, Jack "The Assassin" Asis (29-18-4) continued a career reversal under Smith, getting his eighth straight wins with a third-round victory over Jose Saez of Argentina. The referee stopped the lightweight fight in the third round following a heavy right hand blow to the head of Saez (22-16-6). source for both results: toowoomba chronicle

Nick Brinson W10 Jorge Melendez... In Verona, New York, ate substitute and hometown favorite  Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (15-1-2, 6 KOs), of Rochester, N.Y., scored one knockdown en route to registering an upset, ten-round unanimous decision over Jorge "Destroyer" Melendez (26-3-1, 25 KOs).  Brinson, who took the fight on one week’s notice, dominated from the opening round and won by the lopsided scores of 99-90, 98-91 and 96-92. Both fighters went down in an exciting fourth round. 

Jeffrey Fontanez W8 Jose A. Rodriguez... In the co-feature, Puerto Rico's Jeffrey Fontanez (12-0, 9 KOs) scored an eight-round split decision win over Mexico's Jose A. Rodriguez (18-11, 11 KOs) in a lightweight bout.  Fontanez, going a full eight rounds for the first time, won by the scores of 77-74, 78-73 and 75-76. source for both results: showtime

Press Release: The Mikey Garcia vs. Juan Manuel Lopez WBO featherweight title fight will take place on Saturday, June 15th with HBO broadcasting live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The telecast will open with a lightweight bout between Terence Crawford and Alejandro Sanbria, Jr. This will be the first time HBO has televised a boxing event from the American Airlines Center. Garcia and Lopez, along with the bout's promoter, Bob Arum, spoke to the media on a conference call earlier this week and here is what they had to say:

I love your mail bag, and have one simple question. Why does everyone act like the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight could have happened? Mayweather would never do business with Top Rank [who promotes Pacquiao]. At the end of the day, certain businesses don’t do business with certain businesses. Mayweather to my knowledge has never done business with the [Top Rank's president] Bob Arum [since Mayweather bought his way out of a contract with Top Rank], so why would we think things would change for this fight (May Vs Pac)? I don’t think Mayweather ever intended to fight Pacman as long as he was under Top Rank. People need to stop the finger pointing and saying one was scared BS as this is clearly one man not wanting to do business with the other. What do you think? -- Lance

Press Relase: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer announced yesterday that he expects The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., to be sold out for the fight card headlined by Marcos Maidana vs. Josesito Lopez this Saturday, June 8th on Showtime Championship Boxing. “The venue has 8,279 seats and there are only about 800 seats left on sale so we definitely will have a sell-out,” Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said.  “That shows that cumulatively this card is the single best card we have had here in Carson.”

Press Release: On Friday June 14th, featherweight Jorge “King” Diaz takes on Yenifel Vicente in West Orange, NJ. The ten-round bout will be part of ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights broadcast. Diaz, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, has a record of 17-1 with 10 KOs and sees this as an opportunity to move up in the 126-pound weight class. “The training has been up to par. I see [Vicente] as a tough opponent who likes to come forward and doesn’t mind exchanging fire”, said Diaz, who is looking to win the critics after a 2011 defeat to Teon Kennedy in Atlantic City. Vicente boasts a record of 24-1-2 with 16 knockouts. Tickets are available by calling 888.612.4191.

Press Release: Middleweights Jorge "Destroyer" Melendez (26-2-1, 25 KOs), of Puerto Rico and Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (14-1-2, 6 KOs), of Rochester, NY, made weight on their first attempts for their ten-round main event on Friday, June 7th, on ShoBox: The New Generation on Showtime (10 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the West Coast). Melendez weighed in at 158, while Brinson came in at 157 3/4 fir the bout, which will take place at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. A new co-feature was added, featuring Jeffrey Fontanez (11-0, 9 KOs), of Puerto Rico against Jose A. Rodriguez (18-10, 11 KOs), of Detroit. Both men weighed in at 132 pounds. The Fontanez-Rodriguez eight-round bout was elevated to the telecast after a scheduled match between Jonathan Vidal and Mario Munoz was cancelled by the New York State Athletic Commission when Munoz could not make the weight.

Press Release: Jimmy Lennon, Jr., the universally respected ring announcer, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this Sunday, June 9th, in Canastota, New York. Lennon, son of the late legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Sr., started as a back-up to his father at the Olympic Auditorium and Forum in Los Angeles before coming to Showtime in 1991. In a 30-year career, he has introduced fights in more than 32 countries with his signature line, "It's Showtime!", and he is closing in on his 900th world championship fight. Along with Lennon, other luminaries being inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame include  famed fighters Arturo Gatti, who died in 2009, and former light heavyweight champions Virgil Hill and Henry Maske, referee Mills Lane and affable British writer Colin Hart.

Press Release: World middleweight champion Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez touched down in New York yesterday and will spend the week here, attending meetings wih HBO before heading to Canastota for this weekend's annual International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.  "I am honored to be invited again to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and I am looking forward to participating in the weekend's festivities and meeting all of the boxing fans that will be in attendance," said Martinez.  Accompanying Martinez to Canastota will be his promoter Lou DiBella and Sampson Lewkowicz and Nathan Lewkowicz. In addition to meeting with HBO and attending to other business, Martinez plans on dropping by Matthew Macklin's training camp to wish his former foe good luck in his upcoming fight against Gennady Golovkin on June 29that Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Press Release: IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (pictured) held a media roundtable in New York City to discuss his July 13th title defense against Karo Murat, who participated via Skype from his training camp in Germany.  Below are quotes from Hopkins, Murat, Golden Boy Promotions' David Itskowitch, Barclays Centers' Brett Yormark and Showtime's Stephen Espinoza. The bout will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and will be televised live on Showtime.

The rematch between Seth Mitchell (pictured) and Jonathon Banks takes place June 22, 2013 in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclay Center prior to Paul Malignaggi against Adrien Broner. They reached this point via different paths. It wasn’t until the age of 24 that Mitchell walked into his first boxing gym thinking he had always flourished in other sports so this experience would lead him down a similar path. Mitchell grew up in Virginia Beach where he dominated older athletes in neighborhood pick-up games before ever paying organized sports. Making a later move to Maryland with his family is where his football dominance led him to Michigan State University. After leading his team in most defensive categories, a sudden halt shattered any chance of being an NFL linebacker. An injury that damaged cartilage in his knee prevented him from returning to the field but gave him the opportunity to discover the ring.

Press Release: On Friday, June 14th, ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights comes to the South Mountain Arena in West Orange, New Jersey. One of the undercard bouts will pit middleweight Antoine “Action” Douglas taking on Ibahiem King, 11-8, in a bout scheduled for six rounds. In the twelve round main event, it will be a twelve round bantamweight battle of undefeated fighters as Jundy Maraon (15-0-1) of the Philippines takes on Juan Carlos Payano (13-0) of the Dominican Republic.

According to the UFC, the state of Connecticut has legalized the sport of mixed martial arts, making it the 49th out of 50 states in the USA to do so. New York is the only hold-out state, much to the chagrin of the UFC, which has spent millions on lobbying and public relations efforsts in New York. Still, the UFC professes optimism: "Connecticut becomes the 49th State to legalize MMA… NY is the last holdout and we'll get there too!," tweeted Marc Ratner today. Ratner is the UFC's vice president of regulatory affairs and a former director of the Nevada Athletic Commission. --Scott Shaffer

Press Release: On August 3rd NBC Sports Network will feature Curtis "Showtime" Stevens and "Fast" Eddie Chambers in the Fight Night series produced by Main Events. Stevens and Chambers are doing something unusual in the sport of boxing as of late: Coming down in weight.   Both have fought in divisions where they were always the small guy.  Now, each has chosen to move down into weight classes where they will be the big dog in the ring. Heavyweight Tomasz "Goral" Adamek has also been added to the card.  He opponent will be announced next week.  The telecast will begin at 10:30 PM ET.

Press Release: WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25 KOs) and challenger Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs) have already entered fight mode three days before they square off inside the ring. At today's final press conference, they got involved into a verbal altercation. The 28-year-old Huck accused his opponent of provoking him on purpose. “He is just trying to rattle my cage and is hoping that it will cause me to make mistakes,” said Huck. “But he is fighting a losing battle. I am the champion and I will still be the champion after the fight. I will give him my answers inside the ring.” And the German was not done yet. “I proved before that I can beat him [their two prior fights werea Huck win and a draw]. But he cannot beat me. I know that I am better than he is. I also have a better fan base behind me, who will be celebrating another victory with me after I am done with that guy.” Afolabi, who resides in Los Angeles, seems to have taken on some of the Hollywood-attitude surrounding him. After being asked if he really is as confident as he makes himself out to be or if he is just an actor, he replied: “I am an actor! Marco wants to give his fans a great show and so do I. All these theatrics ahead of the fight only increase the attention. We definitely enjoyed ourselves. It got a bit heated, but that is the way it’s supposed to be.” However, Afolabi could not resist another attempt to unnerve the champion. “If you are a Huck fan you might say that he won our last fight. If you are an Afolabi fan, you might give it to me. However, after Marco Huck’s last fight against Firat Arslan, Stevie Wonder looked at me and said: Arslan definitely won no doubt about it.”

Press Release: Sherman "Tank" Williams has taken his act across the country to Carson, California for Saturday's eight-round heavyweight fight against former professional football player Gerald Washington (7-0, 5 KOs), at Home Depot Center. Williams-Washington is on the undercard of the Golden Boy event headlined by Marco Maidana vs. Joselito Lopez. A year ago, the Bahamian Williams (35-12-2, 19 KOs) traveled halfway around the world to Macau, China to defeat Chauncy Welliver (53-5-5, 20 KOs). the 40 year-old Williams' last fight was a loss by decision last November to Robert Helenius (17-0) in Finland. Williams said, "I'm coming to fight, like I always do.  I'm going to do my thing, fighting on guts and determination. I'm not sure if he boxed a lot before his football career, but he's an athlete like me, and I respect him for that.  He's big (6' 5" and 240+ pounds) but I've fought a lot of big guys during my career."

Press Release: Middleweight Les “Lock N Load” Sherrington today came face-to-face with his opponent for Friday night’s clash in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Sherrington (31-6) met Jorge Gomez Perez, the Paraguayan super middleweight champion. Perez 23-11-1) showed no lack of confidence, sporting an Australian sports  jersey belonging to an arch-rival team at the media conference. “I know Les is a strong fighter, but I have been preparing for this for 5 months” said Perez. “I won the Paraguay title 3 weeks ago but I have not stopped thinking about this fight, I know I will do well.”

Press Release: Crispulo Javier Andino (16-5-1, 7 KOs) is convinced he will knock Patrick Nielsen (18-0, 8 KOs) down and out in their middleweight clash on June 15th. The pair is set to collide in Aarhus, Denmark. With less than two weeks to go until the biggest fight of his career, the 24-year-old Argentinean has a message for Nielsen. “My punches are like the bite of a Cobra. If I catch him, Nielsen will get hurt. Let´s see how many punches he can take.” Andino has been called “Cobra” ever since his first day as an amateur. “It's because of the way my body is built,” he said. “I am a tall southpaw. I like to use my range and punch from the outside. But once I get inside, I consider myself a puncher.” Tickets for show are available at billetnet.dk. Also in action will be local fighters such Dennis Ceylan, Reda Zam Zam and Torben Keller as well as rising stars like Patrick Nielsen's brother Micki and Sweden's Erik Skoglund.

Press Release: For boxing enthusiasts, it doesn’t get better than the International  Boxing Hall Of Fame weekend that begins this Friday and runs through Sunday in the small town of Canastota in upstate New York. ShoBox: The New Generation will broadcast a doubleheader live on Showtime this Friday, June 7th (10 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the West Coast) from the Turning Stone Casino in nearby Verona, NY. Many former and future Hall of Famers may partake in the fights, including one who will be inducted during Sunday’s ceremonies, longtime Showtime ring announcer, Jimmy Lennon Jr., who will work the fights on Friday and will be interviewed ringside on the telecast.

Daquan Arnett TKO5 Miguel Zuniga... In Sunrise, Florida over the weekend, junior middleweight Daquan Arnett improved to 11-0 with an entertaining knockout of Miguel Zuniga, now 10-2. In the fifth round of their bout, the two boxers were trading blows on the inside when Zuniga took a step back and called on Arnett to come forward. Arnett honored the request, and let's just say Zuniga got more than he asked for. video: dailypicksandflicks.com/2013/06/04/come-at-me-bro-fail-miguel-zuniga-vs-daquan-arnett-video/

Press Release: Kicking off a big month of June for Goossen Tutor boxers, John Molina, Jr. starts things off on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. In Shelton, Washington, Molina, 25-2, with 20 KOs, faces Russia's Andrey Klimov, 15-0 with 8 KOs in a lightweight bout. On the same show, Farah Ennis, 21-1 with 12 KOs gets an opportunity in the very hot super middleweight division against once highly-regarded Anthony Hanshaw, 23-2-2 with 14 KOs, who is trying to put his career back together... On Saturday, June 8th, Carson, California's Home Depot Center hosts Showtime Championship Boxing when Goossen's Josesito Lopez, 30-5 with 18 KOs takes on Argentina's Marcos Maidana, 33-3, 30 KOs at middleweight... On Friday, June 14th, NBC Sports Network will televise Cornelius "Da Beast" White, 21-1, 16 KOs, who travels to Pennsylvania to face Russian light heavyweights contender Sergey Kovalev, 20-0-1 with 18 KOs... On Saturday, June 29th, Goossen has Brandon Gonzales, 17-0 with 10 KOs, traveling to Connecticut for an HBO-telvised outing against South Africa super middleweight Thomas Oosthuizen, 21-0-1 with 13 KOs.

I am kind of surprised at something that I keep hearing, basically the "idea" that because Floyd Mayweather signed to fight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, it automatically absolves him from the fact that he ducked/sabotaged a potential Manny Pacquiao fight.  Even you, yourself state- "This will also reinforce the idea Mayweather was sincere in asking Pacquiao to take a drug test and that it was, in fact, Pacquiao’s fault that the fight never happened." I ask you, "how so?"  How could that be the excuse, when even in 2010 and 2011, Pac was fine with the drug test??  Does anyone care to mention that when Pac was fine with the drug test, he was then only offered $40 mil for the fight?  Furthermore, why do people keep bringing up the fact that Pac turned down $40 mil, but not the fact that by going 50-50 or even 55-45 in Floyd's favor, Floyd sabotaged tons of money for himself? Floyd constantly says "I offered him $40mil, his highest payday and he turned it down", 
but why doesn't Floyd say "I offered him $40 mil so I could make the rest of the $300 mil the fight was gonna make"?

Press Release: Top Rank  announced today the signing of light heavyweight "Irish" Seanie Monaghan.  One of the top boxing gate attractions in his native New York, Monaghan (18-0, 11 KOs), of Long Beach, NY, scored an an eighth-round TKO of Romaro Johnson in June 2012, and followed up with a unanimous decision over Rayco Sanders in Setpmber. Known for his aggressive style and good punching power, the 31 year-old Monaghan's last fight was a first-round knockout of Dion Stanley on April 13th.  "It's an honor to sign with Top Rank.  I have really improved and I know Top Rank will work hard to get me the big fights," said Monaghan. Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who runs Top Rank, said, "we expect to showcase his talents on the televised undercard of the Juan Manuel Márquez vs. Timothy Bradley pay-per-event on October 12th at the Thomas and Mack in Las Vegas."

Press Release: Added to this weekend’s Berlin card is light heavyweight Robert Woge (11-0, 10 KOs) taking on Dariusz Sek (19-0-1, 7 KOs). It will be the chief support to the WBO cruiserweight defense of Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25 KOs) against Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs). The fight against Sek, an unbeaten 26 year-old southpaw from Poland will be a special one for Woge, who already won a big fight in the same venue, Max Schmeling Hall. February 2nd saw the 29-year-old Woge win a tough battle against Hakim Zoulikha. “That was pretty exciting back in February. Zoulikha caught me with a shot to my left ear in round one, which resulted in an injury to the eardrum. I battled through the pain and finished him off in round eleven”, said Woge. “The fans ringside were pushing me and I kept going. It was a huge relief when I knocked him out.“ Tickets for June 8th show are available at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.

Press Release: Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum (pictured) and Todd duBoef,  CEO and president of Top Rank, respectively, have announced the signing and professional debut of 2012 Japanese Olympic Gold Medalist Ryouta Murata.  A press conference will take place in Los Angeles on Monday, June 10th. Murata captured the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics held in London.  It was the first gold medal won by a Japanese boxer since Takao Sakurai in 1964, and also is the first-ever Japanese boxing medal in a weight class other than bantamweight or flyweight. The six-foot orthodox fighter will campaign as a middleweight as a professional.

I'm a big fan and long-time follower of your mail bags.  I also subscribe to your channel on YouTube.  I find your boxing brain incredible.  I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind. 1. Why did everyone say Manny Pacquaio surpassed Floyd Mayweather when he was on his hot streak?  He never out-sold Floyd when it came to the pay-per-views and he never made more money.  I was always curious about this and I recall you saying he was the number 1 fighter as well. 2.  Do you feel that Showtime has surpassed HBO as far as boxing goes?  Personally I think they have but I would like to here your words on this.

Over the past several weeks, there’s been a growing groundswell of writers and media hailing the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios bout, scheduled for November 23rd in Macau, China, as a 50/50, pick 'em fight.  I just don’t see it that way.  I realize I’m in the minority, so here is the minority report so to speak.

Ameth Diaz KO7 Martin Gethin... On a very quiet boxing weekend, Ameth Diaz (32-11) was too strong, too crafty and a class above Martin Gethin (24-4) in a lightweight eliminator held in England. The fight ended in the seventh round with Gethin being counted out on one knee. Diaz, from Panama, earned a return go at Mexico's Miguel Vazquez for the IBF 135-pound title. Vazquez defeated Diaz by decision in January 2012. source: birmingham mail

Derrick Wilson W10 Braulio Santos... In Sunrise, Florida on Friday, Floridian featherweight Derrick Wilson won a hard-fought unanimous decision against previously unbeaten Braulio Santos. Wilson (10-4-2) withstood early punishment, including low blows, to rally over the second half of the ten-round  bout.  Wilson dropped Santos (10-1) with a right in the ninth round. With the win, Wilson snapped a two-fight losing streak. He attributed his turn-around to not having to take this fight on short notice.  source: miami herald

Press Release: A Showtime Championship Boxing tripleheader will take place on Saturday, June 8th at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. One of the featured bouts will be a twelve-round junior middleweight showdown between all-action warrior Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo and Cuban slickster Erislandy Lara [pictured]. A few days ago, Angula and Lara held a conference call to discuss their upcoming bout and the implications for the winner. Here is what Angulo, Lara and Golden Boy's Eric Gomez had to say:

Press Release: When Russian light heavyweight Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev, (20-0-1, 18 KOs) squares off against Houston's Cornelius White (21-1, 16 KOs) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, he will have ex-champion John David Jackson in his corner. Over the last year, Kovalev has been working with Jackson, who is building a reputation as a standout as a boxing trainer.

Press Release: June 8th will see a trilogy bout at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin when WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25 KOs) takes on Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs) for the third time. The two previous title bouts between them were extremely close and full of action, with Huck winning the first, and the second ending in a draw. Huck, in his last days of training camp with trainer Ulli Wegner, gives insights into his fitness and what he thinks of his opponent.