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More than three years since his last ring appearance, former super welterweight world title challenger Brandon “The Cannon” Adams (24-3, 16 KOs) scored a third round KO against Ismael “Maelo” Villarreal (13-3, 9 KOs) on Friday night at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Adams, last seen stopping current WBC interim 154lb world champion Serhii Bohachuk in eight rounds back in March 2021, took out Villarreal with a brutal left hook to the liver. Time was 2:59.

Adams-Villarreal was a first round match in an 8-man OTX 154lb tournament. In another first round affair, unbeaten Olympian Francisco “Bebu” Veron 14-0-1, 10 KOs) outworked Angel “Relampago” Ruiz (18-3-1, 13 KOs) over ten rounds. Scores were 99-91, 100-90, 96-94.

In the main event, super lightweight gatekeeper Dakota “Lone Wolf” Linger (14-6-3, 10 KOs) upset previously unbeaten Kurt “Scooby” Scoby (13-1, 11 KOs). Linger pressed the action and turned the fight into a brawl. The bout was stopped with Linger punishing Scoby at 2:21 of round six. Scoby was a 50:1 betting favorite.

With several injuries forcing cancellations of several of the title fights planned for Don King’s “Quest for the Best” fight card slated for next Saturday, April 27th at Casino Miami Jai-Alai, the fight card has been postponed to a future date.

“Injuries are part of this game,” said King. “It’s unfortunate, but we’ll aim to get these championship fights together again to bring boxing fans another exciting night of boxing. Ian Green and Ahmed Elbiali will return to defend their respective titles. We appreciate Dan Licciardi and all our friends at Casino Miam Jai-Alai for their friendship and support and look forward to working again with them in the future.”

Fans who purchased tickets for the April 27th fight card can obtain refunds at the Casino Miami Jai-Alai box office.

Unbeaten IBF #13, WBC #14 super welterweight ‘King’ Callum Walsh (10-0, 8 KOs) will return to Southern California to defend his WBC Continental Americas title against Carlos Ortiz (14-5, 14 KOs) on June 7 at the Chumash Casino Resort and broadcast globally on UFC Fightpass.

Fighting in the ten-round co-feature, world-ranked featherweight Omar Trinidad (15-0-1, 12 KOs) makes the first defense of his WBC Continental Americas title against TBA.

The WBA Championships Committee has granted special permission for WBA regular super middleweight champion David Morrell to move up a division and fight for the WBA regular light heavyweight title against #6 ranked Radivoje Kalajdzic in June. The approval was made with specific conditions, among which is that Morrell must vacate his super middleweight title if he wins the 175-pound belt.

The committee also decided that with Morrell’s weight move, Edgar Berlanga will become the mandatory super middleweight challenger.

By Przemek Garczarczyk

All the fire before the fight: Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia weigh-in from Brooklyn.

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Cain Sandoval 139.2 vs. Angel Rebollar 138.8
Daniel Barrera 114 vs. Hector Valdes Pena 112.2
Jaybrio Pe Benito 131 vs. Christian Lorenzo 130.4
Guadalupe Medina 104.4 vs. Sabrina Persona 104
Abel Mejia 131.6 vs. Rodney Mondala 131.4
Brook Sibrian 107.4 vs. Ashley Felix 106.4
Rodrigo Mosquera 132.6 vs. Ryan Mondala 128.6
Eliezer Silva 152.6 vs. Jonathan Moskowitz 153.4

Venue: Commerce Casino, Commerce, California
Promoter: 360 Promotions
TV: UFC Fightpass

WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney weighed in at 140 pounds, while challenger Ryan Garcia came in 3.2 pounds overweight at 143.2. Garcia will now pay Haney $1.5 million ($500,000 per pound). As for the fight, even if Garcia defeats Haney, he will not win the WBC title.

Golden Boy Statement: “Ryan has weighed-in over his contractual weight. He will honor the handshake made at the final press conference yesterday. We have a fight.”

Other Weights:
Arnold Barboza Jr. 139.4 vs. Sean McComb 139.4
Bektemir Melikuziev 167.8 vS. Pierre DiBombe 166.6
John “Scrappy” Ramirez 114.2 vs. David Jimenez 114.8
Charles Conwell 153 vs. Nathaniel Gallimore 153

Sergiy Derevyanchenko 167.4 vs. Vaughn Alexander 167.4
Darius Fulghum 167.4 vs. Cristian Olivas 167.4
Jonathan Cañas 137.6 vs. Markus Bowes 140
Amari Jones 159.2 vs. Armel Mbumba-Yassa 160.4
Kevin Newman II 173.4 vs. Eric Robles 177.8
Shamar Canal 135 vs. Pedro Borgaro 135.8

Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Promoter: Golden Boy
TV: PPV

By Jeff Zimmerman

Junior middleweight contender and undefeated rising star Xander Zayas returns to the ring Sat, June 8 to face former interim world champ Patrick Teixeira at Madison Square Garden and live on ESPN. Zayas, only 21, appears to be the next in line of Puerto Rican greats and sees Teixeira as a step-up fight in the process. Zayas talked about the fight as well as the big one Saturday – Haney vs. Garcia. He also gave predictions on Canelo-Mungia, Beterbiev-Bivol and Fury-Usyk as well as his thoughts on Tyson-Paul plus paid respect to fellow Puerto Rican legend Amanda Serrano who gets the long-awaited rematch against Katie Taylor and much more in this Fightnews.com® exclusive interview.

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WBC super lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and super lightweight contender Ryan “KingRy” Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) did not face off at the final press conference for their PPV clash on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Promoter Oscar De La Hoya promised they would face off at tomorrow’s weigh-in.

Ryan Garcia: “I’m ready to kick ass. I’m going in there to f**k this man up. You don’t understand. I’m going to f**k him up. You don’t know what I’ve been training like. You don’t know the vision I have. I’m on fire!”

Devin Haney: “This is not an easy fight, but it is a fight that I will make look easy…all his antics and everything that he’s been doing will betray him.”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

In Japan, a failure to make weight is a crime to be severely criticized and punished logically and morally. Therefore, our boxers endeavor to make weight to have this sports fair and square. So, Luis Nery had been suspended indefinitely by the JBC though lately revoked to materialize his WBC mandatory shot at “Monster” Naoya Inoue as ordered by the WBC. Under our strict circumstances undefeated highly expected prospect WBC#8, WBA#10 featherweight Hayato Tsutsumi shamefully failed to make weight by no less than three and a half pounds against ex-WBA bantam ruler Anselmo Moreno in a 126-pound contracted bout in Tokyo, Japan.

Tsutsumi (5-0, 2 KOs), 129.5, displayed his superior physical power and finished currently WBA#9 Panamanian Moreno (43-7-1, 15 KOs), 125.25, at 2:45 of the third round in a scheduled ten on Wednesday. The audience jeered his overweight scandal rather than praised his victory after he dropped the 38-year-old soldier twice and for the full count. Continue reading “Overweight WBC#8 Tsutsumi finishes ex-champ Moreno”

WBC super lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and super lightweight contender Ryan “KingRy” Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) hosted a media workout at the historic Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn to promote their PPV clash on Saturday night.

Devin Haney: “I mean none of Ryan’s antics has really gotten under my skin. I’m a true professional. When I get into that ring, I am going to do my job. No matter how I feel, no matter what Ryan shows up, or whatever he says. He can say whatever he wants to say. I am going to let my hands talk in the ring on Saturday night…I just want to show how I am levels above this guy.”

Ryan Garcia: “It’s right in front of your face! How am I going to miss weight?! I am just a motherf***er on a mission. I am still here, I am strong, and I am ready to destroy him. If Devin doesn’t land face first, then I did something wrong…the social media is all just noise! I post something and then people think I’m crazy. I know what I am doing, and I’m in the middle of a promotional fight.”

George Arias 228.6 vs. Skylar Lacy 251.9
Roney Hines 247.8 vs. Robert Hall Jr. 240.8
Romuel Cruz 122.5 vs. Robin Ellis 121.4
Erron Peterson 165.3 vs. Raheem Davis 167.3
Kestna Davis 158.7 vs. Abdalla Nagy 153.8

Venue: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Promoter: DiBella Entertainment
TV: bxngtv.com

Former undisputed lightweight champion and current WBC super lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is more than an 8:1 favorite for his upcoming PPV title defense against “King” Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday in Brooklyn.

Haney opened as a -550 favorite, but has been bet up to a -850 favorite in the final days before the fight.

More than three years since his last ring appearance, former super welterweight world title challenger Brandon Adams (23-3, 15 KOs) returns to the ring in a ten-rounder against Ismael Villarreal (13-2, 9 KOs KOs) on Friday night on DAZN from the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Adams was last seen stopping current WBC interim 154lb world champion Serhii Bohachuk in eight rounds back in March 2021.

Adams-Villarreal is part of a 154lb tournament that also features Francisco Veron 13-0-1, 10 KOs) against Angel Ruiz (18-2-1, 13 KOs) in the other bracket.

The fighters are fighing in a compact 18×18 ft ring.

Unbeaten junior middleweight Xander Zayas (18-0, 12 KOs) is poised to kick off Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend by facing former world champion Patrick Teixeira (34-4, 25 KOs) in a 10-round clash on ESPN Saturday, June 8 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Zayas-Teixeira marks 19 years since Top Rank initiated its parade weekend tradition with Miguel Cotto against Muhammad Abdullaev.

In the 10-round featherweight co-feature, Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (11-0, 7 KOs) aims to extend his knockout streak against Jose Enrique Vivas (23-3, 12 KOs).

“This is a great New York City card featuring two young men, Xander Zayas and Bruce Carrington, who are poised to become two of the sport’s biggest stars,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Our Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend cards are always special, and I can’t wait for another raucous atmosphere.” Continue reading “Zayas-Teixeira collide June 8”

Another big card on tap at the Cabaret du Casino in Montreal on June 6, topped by a clash between local middleweights Steven “Bang Bang” Butler (34-4-1, 28 KOs) and Patrice “Vicious” Volny (18-1, 12 KOs) for the WBC Francophone title on ESPN+.

In the co-feature, IBO super middleweight titleholder Osleys Iglesias (10-0, 9 KOs) will defend his belt against Evgeny Shvedenko (16-1-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 12-rounder. Also scheduled are Arthur Biyarslanov (14-0, 12 KOs), Leïla Beaudoin (11-1, 1 KO), Luis Santana (11-0, 5 KOs), and Jhon Orobio (7-0, 7 KOs) in separate bouts.

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

I am in London, England, to participate in a press conference, with an impressive series of news for the world of boxing.

While here, the news of drone attacks emerged and the global alert that this issued, the closure of air spaces, and the great speculation and nervousness that this inevitably generates for the world.

The only thing we can do is pray to God for peace globally. It is tragically ironic that in the middle of 2024 we are experiencing war conflicts. Have we learned nothing? I avoid mentioning the countries, it is not necessary.

Where have the lessons from the terrible events of the past gone? Why is it that the ego and thirst for power of a few is forcing the entire world live in constant trepidation?

If only everything in life was like boxing, it would be something else. Getting into the ring with rules and a referee present, to give everything and in the end, whoever wins, the victory is recognized. The combatants hug each other, their virtues are recognized, and they become friends forever. Continue reading “If Life Was Like Boxing”

By Boxing Bob Newman

Undefeated Swedish cruiserweight Robin Safar talks about fighting in front of a world wide audience on May 18th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the Tyson Fury – Oleksandr Usyk card against none other than former unified Light Heavy king… Sergey Kovalev.

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By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten southpaw prospect WBA#14 Yuga Ozaki (6-0-1, 5 KOs), 107.75, looked so impressive as he lopsidedly battered Thailand’s Kittidech Hirunsuk (12-7, 7 KOs), 107.5, from all angles and finally halted him with the referee’s intervention at 2:51 of the seventh round in a scheduled ten on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. Yuga scored his first defense of his WBC youth belt. The vastly talented speedster Ozaki previously made a quick demolition of WBA rated light fly Sitthisak Simsri (then 17-1, 17 KOs) in round two to enter the WBA world ratings last September. Ozaki, formerly an amateur star at 21, may zoom up as his career progresses since he is highly gifted with excellent reflexes and hand speed. Continue reading “Ozaki halts Kittidech, keeps WBC Youth 108lb belt”

By Ron Jackson

One of South Africa’s top welterweight champions Joseph Tsakani ‘Smokin Joe” Makaringe passed away in on Thursday at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. He was 49 years old. Continue reading “Former South Africa welter champion dies”

WBO/WBC/IBF unified champion Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and WBA ruler Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) met face-to-face at today’s kickoff presser in London ahead of their undisputed light heavyweight showdown on Saturday, June 1 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This battle of 175-pound titans will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. as a special one-fight broadcast. The “5 vs. 5” undercard will likely be PPV.

Artur Beterbiev: I just see another belt. I’m collecting belts, and I need one more. I don’t know why {it’s taken so long to make this fight}. He knows better. Ask him. We’ll see {if this is the biggest challenge}. I’m not thinking about it. I’m preparing for it. I will prepare and try to be at 100 percent.”

Dmitry Bivol: “When I signed a contract to be a pro boxer, I had a goal to become undisputed. Everything that I have gone through has been for that. I did it to achieve my goal. Even the fight against Canelo. It was my ticket for big fights. And now I’m happy that I will have this fight on June 1 for all the belts…I believe I can be undisputed.”

The undercard for the June 1 Beterbiev-Bivol clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was announced at a press conference in London on Monday. The fights will feature five matches between boxers promoted by Matchroom (M) and boxers promoted by Queensberry (Q).

Deontay Wilder (M) vs. Zhilei Zhang (Q) – heavyweight
Filip Hrgovic (M) vs. Daniel Dubois (Q) – heavyweight
Craig Richards (M) vs. Willy Hutchinson (Q) – light heavyweight
Ammo Williams (M) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (Q) – middleweight
Ray Ford (M) vs. Nick Ball (Q) – featherweight

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Beterbiev and Bivol didn’t have much to say, but looked dead serious in their faceoff.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman unveiled the special WBC belt that will be presented to the May 18 winner of the undisputed heavyweight title showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

The main event for the May 10 Seneca Fight Night (SFN) was announced Monday morning as undefeated New York native Arnold “AG” Gonzalez (14-0, 6 KOs) of New York City will meet Esneiker “La Maravilla” Correa (15-4-1, 13 KOs) of Los Teques, Venezuela for the vacant WBA FEDECENTRO welterweight title. The ten-rounder will be held at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino Events Center and televised live on ESPN Knockout.

In the co-main event, the Queen of Niagara Falls, Mikiah Kreps (7-0, 3 KOs), faces interstate rival Melissa Odessa Parker (6-2, 2 KOs) of Brooklyn in an eight round showdown.

Sunny Edwards and Adrian Curiel will clash in a 12-round flyweight battle as the chief support bout for the world title clash between Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada and Jesse “BAM” Rodriguez at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on June 29, live worldwide on DAZN.

Both men will be looking to bounce back to winning ways and get back to world champion status, and for Edwards (20-1 4 KOs), it’s an immediate return to the state where he met headline star Rodriguez in a 112lb unification clash in December. Curiel (24-5-1 5 KOs) moves up in weight after two dramatic 108lb world title clashes with Sivenathi Nontshinga.

Sunny Edwards: “Me vs Curiel is a hell of a fight. He is a former World Champion, like myself, and we’re both fighting to get back into world title contention…I’m looking forward to being back.”

Adrian Curiel: “When you lose, you learn, and I will prove it against Edwards on June 29…if they want to make it 112lbs we will take it even though this is not my weight, all because I am thirsty for revenge. Viva Mexico!!”