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Report/Photos: Boxing Bob Newman

Saturday evening at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York, The Event Center once again played host to a memorable boxing event. This time however, it was not a fight card, but the annual IBHOF induction weekend banquet.

The dais seated a who’s who of boxing luminaries. Boxing podcaster James “Smitty” Smith played host for the event. He first introduced WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman and had them come up and say a few words.

The two presidents remained at the lectern when Smith then introduced Lisa McClellan, sister of former WBO and WBC world champion Gerald McClellan. Lisa has founded an initiative called “Ring of Brotherhood,” which consists of doctors, sports personalities and media to help spread awareness and assist injured athletes. Continue reading “Stars shine at IBHOF Banquet”

WBO #5, WBC #7 super welterweight Xander Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over former world champion Patrick Teixeira (34-5, 25 KOs) on Saturday night inside the Theater at Madison Square Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. Zayas was busier than Teixeira the whole fight and upped the pressure late. Scores were 100-90, 100-90, 99-91.

WBO #4, WBC #7 featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) scored an eighth round TKO over late sub Brayan De Gracia (29-4-1, 25 KOs). Carrington dropped De Gracia in rounds five and seven before getting a referee’s stoppage in round eight. P4P great Naoya Inoue was in attendance.

Undefeated junior welterweight and U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (13-0, 6 KOs) outworked Tarik Zaina (13-1-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Scores were 79-73, 78-74, 77-75 for Johnson.

Local flyweight Andy Dominguez (10-1, 6 KOs) took an eight round majority decision over Cristopher Rios (10-1, 7 KOs). Scores were 76-76 and 88-74, 77-75 for Dominguez.

Middleweight Jahi Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over Quincy LaVallais (17-5-1, 12 KOs). Scores were 80-72 3x.

Other Results:
Ofacio Falcon W6 Antonio Dunton El (junior lightweight)
Ali Feliz KO1 Lemir Isom-Riley (heavyweight)
Nisa Rodriguez W4 Jordanne Garcia (female middleweight)

Unbeaten light heavyweight Atif “Lord Pretty Calvo” Oberlton (11-0, 9 KOs) scored a sixth round TKO against Harry Cruz (8-5, 4 KOs) on Saturday night at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Oberlton worked over Cruz until the bout was halted by the referee at 2:23 of round six.

Undefeated heavyweight Herich Ruiz (5-0, 4 KOs) scored a sixth round KO against Brandon Carmack (7-5-3, 4 KOs). Ruiz dropped Carmack in rounds one and two before finishing him in the sixth. Time was 1:14.

Golden Boy responds to allegations that Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney have not yet been paid for their April 20 fight.

“As we have always done with all our fighters, Golden Boy paid Ryan and Devin exactly what they are owed under their contracts. As with all PPV events, revenue comes in over time and additional payments will be made when more money is received. If they aren’t aware of this fact, we would hope that their managers are. Or perhaps Ryan and Devin should pay more attention to their contracts than their social media feeds.” – Golden Boy Promotions

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with the “GWOAT” Claressa Shields, who is in the UK to watch her boxing rival, Savannah Marshall, follow her path to MMA as she makes her pro debut in the PFL. Shields talked about a potential showdown in the cage with Marshall and how she was her motivation to try the sport.

Shields is “daring to be great” as she faces WBC heavyweight champ Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on July 27 at Little Ceasars Arena back home in Detroit. She shared her thoughts on Alycia Baumgardner, the lightweight clash between Tank and Frank Martin and addressed Adrien Broner’s loss to Blair Cobbs. She also gave her opinion on Tyson-Paul and whether she would fight Jake in this exclusive interview.

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Atif Oberlton 176.5 vs. Harry Keenan Cruz 175
Herich Ruiz 231 vs. Brandon Carmack 278
Carlos De Leon Castro 129 vs. Christian Reed 135.5
Chavez Barrientes 125 vs. Daniel Olea 125
Corey Marksman 138 vs. Jonathan Perez 140.5
Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz 160 vs. Edward Ulloa Diaz 159.5
Jamar Pemberton 159 vs. Luis Florez 163
Yoelvis Gomez 158 vs. Marcelo Bzowski 158.5
Carlos Lebron 121 vs. Miguel Rebullosa 122.5
Jockson Blanco 147 vs. Dante Concepcion 149.5

Venue: Caribe Royale, Orlando, Florida
Promoter: Boxlab Promotions
TV: DAZN

Blair Cobbs on his victory: “It wasn’t easy. Even after I tracked him on that special shot that hurt him, he got up, he’s resilient, and he kept pressing forward. He even got a couple of good shots in. He got me with that right hand one time. Not too many times he landed, but when he did, he landed very well. But Blair “The Flair” prevails. I stay consistent on pressure with high, low, high, low. I make myself as unpredictable as possible.”

Blair Cobbs on what is next: “I saw something on Instagram. Ryan Garcia was rooting for “AB”. That was hurtful because I thought we were boys. But get your girl out of DMs. It’s my time, it’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs, the most exciting man in boxing and the People’s Champion. Woooooooooooo!”

Unbeaten WBC #10, IBF #11 super welterweight Callum Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) destroyed Carlos Ortiz (14-6, 14 KOs) in two rounds on Friday night at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, CA. Walsh dropped Ortiz once in round one and twice in round two to end it. Time was 1:50.

Unbeaten flyweight Daniel “Chucky” Barrera (7-0-1, 4 KOs) outpointed Christian Robles (8-3, 3 KOs) over eight by scores of 77-75, 79-73, 77-75.

Report/Photos: Boxing Bob Newman

Power punching king of the smallest division in boxing – WBO Mini Flyweight champion Oscar Collazo defended his title against Nicaraguan Gerardo Zapata in the main event of Oscar de La Hoya’s Golden Boy show at the Turning Stone Casino on DAZN. After a moderately interesting first round, Zapata landed a beautiful right to the chin of Collazo, staggering him wildly around the ring. Try as he might, Zapata could not finish his foe as the bell saved the champ. Collazo regains his composure and seemed to take the third with a steady, measured offense. For the next several rounds, Collazo seem to gest outwork Zapata, although he did take his share of blows in the process. In the 8th round, Zapata either couldn’t get off the ropes or chose to rest there as Collazo did good work, although not hurting Zapata in the process. This pattern continued for the next three rounds with Zapata. Largely fighting off the ropes and spurts and Collazo doing enough work to win the round but never seriously going for the stoppage. The 12th and final round saw both combatants take turns initiating the action and then dancing around. In the end it was all academic as Collazo won a comfortable 119-109 x 2 and 117-110 unanimous decision to retain his title for the third time. He moves to 10-0, 7 KOs, while Zapata falls to 14-2-1, 5 KOs.

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Eric Tudor, older brother of opening bout winner Sasha, made short work of Roddricus Livsey, stopping him with multiple body shots at 2:19 of the first round. Tudor jabbed and threw body shots at will, while Livsey missed badly with the few shots that he attempted. Tudor improves to 11-1, 7 KOs, while Livsey drops to 12-3-1, 9 KOs. Continue reading “Collazo retains WBO minimumweight title”

Report/Photos: Naoki Fukuda

P4P best Naoya Inoue was at the 99th Boxing Writers of America Association Awards Dinner in New York City to receive the “Sugar Ray Robinson Award” which signifies the “Fighter of the Year.”

More photos

Welterweight Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (17-1-1, 10 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over four-division former world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner (35-5-1, 24 KOs) to claim the WBC People’s Championship on Friday night at the Hard Rock LIVE in Hollywood, Florida. Cobbs dropped Broner in round two. The punch knocked a tooth out of Broner’s mouth. Cobbs pulled ahead until late when Broner closed strong. Scores were 97-91, 96-93, 96-93.

Formerly #1 rated and now WBA #8 heavyweight Michael “The Bounty” Hunter (22-1-2, 15 KOs) scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over a surprisingly passive WBA #7 Cassius Chaney (23-2, 16 KOs). Hunter easily outworked Chaney, who seemed totally befuddled by Hunter’s awkward style. After ten terrible rounds, judges had it 100-90 3x.

Former world cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) won via a quick KO against Alan Campa (19-10, 13 KOs) at 1:00 of round one. Continue reading “Cobbs defeats Broner, Hunter tops Chaney”

Xander Zayas 153.4 vs. Patrick Teixeira 153.4
(NABF and NABO junior middleweight titles)

Bruce Carrington 125.4 vs. Brayan De Gracia 125
Tiger Johnson 141.2 vs. Tarik Zaina 142.6
Andy Dominguez 111.8 vs. Cristopher Rios 111.8
Jahi Tucker 160.2 vs. Quincy LaVallais 161.4
Ofacio Falcon 129.8 vs. Antonio Dunton El Jr. 130.4
Ali Feliz 220 vs. Lemir Isom-Riley 253.6
Nisa Rodriguez 160.6 vs. Jordanne Garcia 165.2

Venue: The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Three fights featuring top contenders, former champions and more will highlight the FREE PBC on Prime Video undercard action on June 15 leading into the PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video. These three preliminary matchups will be available via free access to all fans, regardless of Prime membership or purchase of the PPV card.

The free show will be topped by rising middleweight Elijah García taking on Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis in a 10-round attraction and also features former world champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo facing Eduardo Ramirez in a 10-round super featherweight clash. Opening up the stream is welterweight Roiman Villa battling Mexico’s Ricardo Salas in a 10-round fight. Continue reading “Tank/Monstro lead-in fights announced”

The heavyweight fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson and the rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are rescheduled for Friday, November 15, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mike Tyson: “Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me and to MVP, Netflix, and AT&T Stadium for working diligently to find the best reschedule date for all parties. While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out. On Friday, November 15, watch this in-person at AT&T Stadium or live on Netflix.”

By Boxing Bob Newman

The rains came and went as the official opening of the 2024 IBHOF induction weekend kicked off on the museum grounds in Canastota, NY. Inductees Jackie Kallen, Fred Sternburg, Erik Morales, Ivan Calderon, Michael Moorer, Ana Maria Torres, Jane Couch and Ricky Hatton, along with others, were on hand to greet fans and say a few words. 2024 Inductee Hatton was given the honor of ringing the opening bell to kick off what looks to be “A magical weekend,” in the words of IBHOF director, Ed Brophy.

In a clash between local middleweight favorites, Patrice “Vicious” Volny (19-1, 13 KOs) scored a ninth round TKO over two-time middleweight title challenger Steven “Bang Bang” Butler (34-5-1, 28 KOs) on Thursday night at the Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada. Volny outworked Butler and got a referee’s stoppage after a series of shots in round nine. Butler complained about the stoppage, which occurred at 2:40. Volny wins the WBC Francophone title, which could result in a WBC top 15 rating.

IBO super middleweight world champion Osleys “El Tornado” Iglesias (11-0, 10 KOs) scored a spectacular first round KO against Evgeny Shvedenko (16-2-1, 7 KOs). A crushing right hook left Shvedenko flailing on the canvas. Time was 2:48. Bring on Canelo!

Unbeaten Olympian super lightweight Arthur “The Wolf” Biyarslanov (15-0, 13 KOs) knocked out Elias Mauricio Haedo (14-6, 10 KOs) in round four. A straight left to the body finished Haedo. Time was 2:59.

A clash between female boxers Mary Spencer and April Hunter was scrapped when Hunter suffered an injury.

Other Results:
Shamil Khataev D10 Ramadan Hiseni (middleweight)
Jhon Orobio KO2 Jose De Leon Jasso (jr welterweight)

Callum Walsh 153.8 vs. Carlos Ortiz Cervantes 153.4
Daniel Barrera 112 vs. Christian Robles 111.4
Jorge Maravillo 155.8 vs. Jose Manuel Gomez 157.4
Guadalupe Medina 104.6 vs.Ashley Felix 104.4
Alexander Gueche 119.4 vs. Jonathan Almacen 118.6

Venue: Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California
Promoter: 360 Promotions
TV: UFC Fightpass

Blair Cobbs 145.6 vs. Adrien Broner 146
(WBC People’s welterweight title)

Ian Green 158.2 vs. Roy Barringer 157.8
(WBA Continental USA middleweight title)

Michael Hunter 220.6 vs. Cassius Chaney 262.8
(WBA Gold Continental NA heavyweight title)

Antonio Williams 135 vs. Antonio Perez 134
Travis Floyd 141.8 vs. De Von Williams 143.6
Alejandro Barrera 159.8 vs. Yoenlis Hernandez 158.8
Alan Campa 198.8 vs. Yuniel Dorticos 199.8
Onoriode Ehwarieme 226.8 vs. Christian Thun 275
Ariel Vasquez 158.6 vs. Alexander Hernandez 157.8
Wister Garcia 133.4 vs. Yosdiel Napoles 134.8
Edith Soledad Mattysse 128.8 vs. Kallia Kourouni 131.4
Dakota Highpine 147.4 vs. Montaser Aboughaly 148.4

Venue: Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL
Promoter: Don King Productions
TV: PPV ($39.99, Triller)

Unbeaten junior middleweight Xander Zayas (18-0, 12 KOs) is gearing up to kick off Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend by making his headlining debut against former world champion Patrick Teixeira (34-4, 25 KOs) in the 10-round main event this Saturday at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Xander Zayas: “Somebody is going to have to back down in this fight. And I don’t believe that will be me. I’m ready to go 10 rounds if necessary. I’m willing to go through everything I have to go through to get the victory.”

Patrick Teixeira: “A win in this fight can get me back to where I want to be, headlining in big fights…obviously, every fight is different. I know that. So, I prepared differently and used different strategies. I just hope to come out with the win.”

Report/Photo: Boxing Bob Newman

Oscar Collazo 104.7 vs Gerardo Zapata 104.2
(WBO minimumweight title)

Eric Tudor 146.2 vs Roddricus Livsey 147
Mykquan Williams 139.1 vs Willmank Canonito Brito 140.3
David Stevens 168.3 vs Sergio Nahuel Lopez 167.2
Bryce Mills 141.6 vs Jose Marruffo 141.6
Yair Benjamin Gallardo-Lozano 174.2 vs
Michael Ruiz Portalatin 174
Sasha Tudor 152.5 vs Manuel Moreira 150

Venue: Turning Stone Resort & Casino
Commission: Oneida Indian Nation Athletic Commission
Promoter: Oscar de La Hoya (Golden Boy)
Matchmaker: Javier Razo
Media: DAZN
Doors Open: 5:30 pm
First Bell: 6 pm

Over the last few weeks, Top Rank has added a lot of new talent to their formidable stable.

• The newest member of the Top Rank family is WBA #4 junior middleweight contender Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr., (18-1, 12 KOs), who has inked a long-term promotional contract. The date of Mielnicki’s Top Rank debut will be announced shortly.
• Welterweight prospect Art Barrera Jr., (5-0, 4 KOs) from the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, recently inked a long-term promotional contract. He will fight July 13, on the ESPN+-streamed Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich undercard at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
• Argentinian power puncher Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs), who recently lost a controversial decision to Richardson Hitchins, signed a long-term promotional pact. A world-ranked contender at lightweight and junior welterweight, Lemos will be co-promoted by Top Rank in association with O.R. Promotions. His ring return date will be announced shortly.
• Junior welterweight contender Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez (15-1-1, 13 KOs), previously promoted by Top Rank from 2019 to 2021 has signed a long-term promotional deal. He makes his second Top Rank debut in a 10-rounder on the June 29 Teofimo-Claggett undercard at James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida.

Unbeaten heavyweight Jared “Real Big Baby” Anderson (17-0, 16 KOs) will step up against Martin Bakole (21-1, 15 KOs) on the stacked August 3 Crawford-Madrimov event in Los Angeles. Anderson is rated WBA #4, WBC #5, IBF #5, WBA #13. Bakole is rated WBA #1, WBC #10, WBO #11, IBF #14.

Interestingly, the card also features Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller against Andy Ruiz, so both big babies will see action in the ring and certainly will have things to say to each other at the press events.

The IBF purse bid for the world championship fight between undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and IBF #1 William Scull was supposed to take place today, June 6. However, the Canelo team asked for more time and this request was granted after discussions with the Scull team and the new date is now June 13.

For a while it looked as if Canelo might give up his IBF world championship belt with Scull able to fight for the vacant against someone else. But now there has apparently been another turnaround. Continue reading “Canelo-Scull Purse Bid Delayed”

Former highly decorated amateur Yosdiel Napoles (4-0, 4 KOs) of Cuba will challenge for his first pro title This Friday. Napoles will take on the much more experienced Wister Garcia of Venezuela. (20-3-1, 13 KOs).

The scheduled for 10 round bout will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Hollywood, Florida with a WBA regional title at stake. Napoles is on the face track but his team of Kris Lawrence (Heavyweight Factory Promotions) International Boxing Enterprise LLC, and trainer Rubio all believe he will be up for the task. Continue reading “Q&A Yosdiel Napoles”

By Mauricio Sulaimán
President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán

A very poignantly sad week for the Mexican boxing community, after the loss of two dear people beloved by us all.

Dr. José Luis Ibarra finally lost his battle against cancer, after fighting heroically and having won many rounds, being in the process of recovery; including attending our Acapulco Convention at the end of 2022 to receive an award for his bravery, and then being present at the Saúl Canelo Álvarez fight last year in Guadalajara. Continue reading “Boxing season concluded in Riyadh”