Fightnews.com

By Gabriel F. Cordero

In a shocker, little known super bantamweight Franklin Manzanilla (19-4, 18 KOs) busted up and stopped former world champion and WBC #1 rated Julio “El Pollito” Ceja (32-3, 28 KOs) on Saturday night at the Teatro Moliere in Mexico City. Manzanilla claimed the WBC silver belt when Ceja, who suffered a broken nose, didn’t come out for round five.

Unbeaten WBC #4 super featherweight Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez (25-0, 22 KOs) pummeled former 115lb interim champion Drian Francisco (29-6-1, 22 KOs) for two rounds and Francisco didn’t come out for round three. Quite the comeback for Hernandez, who took a bullet in the back in January.

In the main event, female boxer Ibeth Zamora (29-6, 12 KOs) became a three-division world champion after claiming the WBC female flyweight title by ten round unanimous decision over reigning champ Melissa McMorrow (10-7-3, 1 KO). Scores were 98-92, 100-90 and 98-92.

Former middleweight champion David Lemieux (39-4, 33 KOs) scored a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision over Karim Achour (26-5-3, 4 KOs) on Saturday night at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City. The hard-hitting Lemieux pretty much walked through the light-punching Achour and got a knockdown in the final stanza en route to a 119-108, 120-107, 119-107 verdict.

Now expected to move to super middleweight after this, Lemieux scaled in two pounds heavy at 162, and therefore could not win Achour’s WBC International and Francophone middleweight titles, which became vacant with Achour’s loss.

Former IBF super featherweight world champion Argenis Mendez (25-5-1, 12 KOs), now fighting at junior welterweight, scored an impressive ten round unanimous decision over Eddie Ramirez (17-2, 11 KOs) on Saturday night at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mendez showed his skills and experience, dropping Ramirez in rounds two, three and twice in round five. Somehow the very tough Ramirez kept coming for the full ten. Scores were 98-88, 97-89, 99-87.

IBF #7, WBO #8 super middleweight J’Leon Love (24-1-1, 13 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision over Jaime Barboza (19-15, 9 KOs). Love was rocked early, but was otherwise in control as he got back in the win column coming off a technical draw against Abie Han last September. Barbosa dropped his seventh straight. Continue reading “Ex-champ Mendez, Love victorious in Biloxi”

Maybe it’s fitting for a big night in Filipino boxing history that lightweight John Moralde (20-1, 10 KOs) from Davao Del Sur, Philippines, upset previously unbeaten and highly regarded Ismail “Sharpshooter” Muwendo (19-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday night at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Moralde dropped Muwendo with left hooks in rounds one and five and went on to win via eight round unanimous decision 76-74, 76-74, 77-73.

In his first ten-rounder, unbeaten Lomachenko stablemate Alexander Besputin (10-0, 8 KOs) scored a third round KO over veteran Saul Corral (27-12, 18 KOs) in a welterweight bout. Besputin dropped Corral twice in round three to end it. Time was 1:34.

Other Results:
Isidro Ochoa W6 Ricardo Arias (super featherweight)
Bryan Lua KO3 Francisco Camacho (super featherweight)
Piotr Apostol W4 Carlos Castillo (lightweight)
Jose Salinas TKO2 Carlos Apodaca (lightweight)

Unbeaten 2008 Cuban Olympian heavyweight Robert Alfonso moved to 16-0, 7 KOs with a second round TKO over Mike Bissett (14-11-1, 8 KOs) on Friday night in the main event of a fight card presented by Skyy Boxing in conjunction with the Alabama Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 2018 inductees included Evander Holyfield (Pro Boxer), Byron Mitchell (Amateur Boxer), Eugene Tillman (Old Timer), Bill Irby (Manager/Trainer/Promoter) and Flynn Gerald (Support Personnel).

In the co-feature, middleweight Keandrae Leatherwood (21-5-1, 1 KOs) outpointed Julio “The Cuban Lover” Garcia (25-7-2, 11 KOs) over six rounds. Continue reading “Heavyweight Alfonso remains unbeaten”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten Naoya “Monster” Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs), 118, impressively captured the WBA bantamweight belt as he easily caught up with much taller defending champ Jamie McDonnell (29-3-1-1ND, 13 KOs), 117.5, dropped him twice and halted him at 1:52 of the opening session on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

The 112-second destruction showcased Naoya’s pugnaciousness and power-punching, with which he so quickly decked McDonnell with a trademark left uppercut to the side of the belly. Though Jamie, making his seventh defense, very barely resumed fighting, Naoya, 25, swarmed over the fading champ, 32, with a flurry of punches and decked him again, when his chief second Dave Coldwell signaled a surrender and asked for a stoppage on the apron. Continue reading “Inoue-McDonnell Full Report, Photos”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten younger brother of Naoya, WBC#9/WBA#13/IBF#11/WBO#11 Takuma Inoue (11-0, 3 KOs), 119.75, needed just 2:14 of the first round when he polished off Indonesian titlist Waldo Sabu (12-12, 2 KOs), 117.25, with a vicious body shot in a preliminary ten-round bout beneath his brother’s main event on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

Takuma, a 22-year-old talented speedster, sustained a bad fracture on the right hand and was forced to take a long rest for recovery for a year in 2016. Since then, Takuma defeated such veteran campaigners as ex-world challenger Hiroyuki Kudaka (AKA Hiroyuki Hisataka) and former national bantam champ Kentaro Masuda in succession to his credit. Continue reading “Takuma Inoue sinks Indonesian champ Sabu”

Former middleweight champion David Lemieux (38-4, 33 KOs) takes on Karim Achour (26-4-3, 4 KOs) tonight at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City. Lemieux scaled in two pounds heavy at 162, and therefore cannot win Achour’s WBC International and Francophone middleweight titles. He also had to give 20% of his purse to his opponent. Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger Management stated that Lemieux would likely fight in a higher division after this.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten WBC light flyweight champ Shiro Ken (13-0, 7 KOs), 107.5, easily kept his belt when he sank former champ Ganigan Lopez (29-8, 18 KOs), 107.5, a Mexican old soldier at 36, with a single body shot for the count at 1:58 of the second session on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

Ken, making his third defense, had wrested the WBC belt by a majority nod (115-113 twice, 114-114) over Lopez here a year ago. Continue reading “Ken-Lopez Full Report, Photos”

By Gabriel F. Cordero

Ibeth Zamora 111.1 vs. Melissa McMorrow 111.1
(WBC female flyweight world title)

Eduardo Hernández 129.8 vs. Drian Francisco 128.5
(WBC Youth super featherweight title)
.
Julio Ceja 121.7 vs. Frankyn Manzanilla 121
(WBC silver super bantamweight title)

Lourdes Juárez 110 vs. Jacky Calvo 111.75
Felipe Orucuta 116 vs. Ricardo Román 116.3

Venue: Teatro Molier
Promoter: Promociones del Pueblo
TV: Televisa and Claro Sports

Eddie Ramirez 141 vs. Argenis Mendez 141
Omar Escandon 128 vs. Tugstsogt Nyambyar 127.6
Justin Pauldo 135.8 vs. Joshua Zuniga 135
Justin DeLoach 155.4 vs. Jeison Rosario 157.6
Jose Miguel Borrego 143.6 vs. Carlos Velasquez 143.6
Semajay Thomas 144.8 vs. Brandon Aguinaga 140.6
Efe Ajagba 237.4 vs. Dell Long 234.4
Efetobor Apochi 198.4 vs. Cashton Young 199.6
Aaron Pryor Jr 169.8 vs. Dennis Sharpe 165.4
J’Leon Love 169.8 vs. Jaime Barboza 168

Venue: Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi
Promoter: TGB Promotions
TV: FS1

Former heavyweight title challenger Artur Szpilka (21-3, 15 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over 43-year-old American Dominik Guinn (35-12-1, 24 KOs) on Friday night at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland. Szpilka dropped Guinn in round ten, but couldn’t get the stoppage. Spilka ended a two fight losing streak, bouncing back from KO losses to Deontay Wilder and Adam Kownacki. Guinn returned to the ring after a two year layoff following a points loss to Hughie Fury.

In the co-feature, WBC female super middleweight champion Ewa Piątkowska (11-1, 4 KOs) edged Maria Lindberg (16-4-2, 9 KOs) by majority decision over ten. Scores were 96-94, 96-94, 95-95.

Also, heavyweight Izuagbe Ugonoh (18-1, 15 KOs) scored a second round TKO over “Big Fred” Kassi (18-8-1, 10 KOs). Ugonoh rebounded from his first loss against Dominic Breazeale 15 months ago. Kassi is now 0-6-1 in his last seven fights.

Unbeaten super welterweight Travell “Black Magic” Mazion (12-0, 11 KOs) will face once-beaten Daquan Pauldo, formerly known as Daquan Arnett, (17-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-round fight in the co-main event of the June 8 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. In the main event, Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) will defend his NABF and NABO super bantamweight titles against Jose “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

The show will take place during the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, where “Dr. Ironfist” Vitali Klitschko, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, and Ronald “Winky” Wright will be inducted, along with non-combatants Peter Kohl, Steve Albert, Jim Gray and Lorraine Chargin.

Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (21-0, 18 KOs) was born in New Orleans and became a fighter in The Big Easy. He never returned home to fight. Until now. Prograis, the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim super lightweight champion, will make his homecoming against fellow unbeaten Juan Jose Velasco (20-0, 12 KOs) on July 14 at Lakefront Arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans (UNO). Tickets go on sale today.

In the co-feature, young knockout artist Teofimo Lopez (9-0, 7 KOs) continues his rise up the lightweight rankings against once-beaten William Silva (25-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Former Commonwealth welterweight challenger Jack “Gelignite” Brubaker (14-3-1, 7 KOs) scored a unanimous twelve round decision over Englishman Tyrone Nurse (35-4-2, 7 KOs) in a Commonwealth welterweight elimination bout of Johnny Lewis Boxing Series at the Star Casino in Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday.

Brubaker was the aggressor throughout and visibly hurt Nurse who boxed skillfully to survive the distance. At the conclusion scores 115-113, 116-112, 116-112. Continue reading “Brubaker, Savva, Tszyu Victorious”

History is only two days away, as Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas will defend the IBF junior bantamweight world title in the main event Saturday evening on ESPN+ against countryman Jonas Sultan at the Save Mart Center. It marks the first world title bout featuring two Filipino fighters in 93 years, when Pancho Villa defended the world flyweight title against Clever Sencio on May 2, 1925.

In the co-feature, Great Britain’s Kal Yafai will make the third defense of his World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight title against David Carmona.

Jerwin Ancajas: “For me, Filipino boxers fight with their heart, so I consider a Filipino opponent to be difficult in the ring. It is God’s will that we are here, participants in the main event. I thank Top Rank for the opportunity.”

Jonas Sultan: “I am going to go all out to win this championship. I studied Ancajas’ style very carefully, and now it’s my opportunity to do what I can.”

Kal Yafai: “He’s had three world title fights, so he knows what he’s doing in there. On Saturday, he’s going to come across someone who is very quick. I think I’m just too good all around, and especially when I’m looking to make an explosive performance in my U.S. debut. I think he’s in a little trouble, but I’m going to go out there, box him, take what I can, and go from there.”

David Carmona: “I’m ready to fight. I hope to have a good opponent in the ring. He’s a champion, and we’re going to make a good fight.”

Continue reading “Ancajas-Sultan/Yafai-Carmona Final Presser”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn is recovering after he was rear-ended in a three-car accident on Wednesday in Brisbane ahead of his clash with WBO mandatory challenger Terrence Crawford in Las Vegas on June 9.

“No one was badly hurt but it stunned me,” Horn told Grantlee Kieza of the Courier Mail. “Fortunately I was in the car alone and my wife Jo and baby Isabelle were home. The man in the center of the crash just had his head buried in his hands. He was really upset. Really in shock. I jumped out of the car to make sure everyone was OK. The ambulance people came but thankfully there weren’t any serious injuries. It could have been much worse.”

The accident came right after Horn had finished up a training session with strength and conditioning coach Dundee Kim. “The accident was a shock but nothing is going to derail me from beating Terence Crawford,” Horn added. “I’m very fit. I feel I’m going to peak right at fight time.”

Negotiations for a September 15 rematch between WBC, WBA, IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin and former champ Canelo Alvarez have hit an impasse.

“It’s clear to us that Golovkin doesn’t want to fight Canelo,” Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya told The Ring. “It’s clear to us that after all the demands that they made, after Canelo having to do the hair follicle test, having to enroll in VADA, having to be tested by the Nevada State Athletic Commission randomly even before he was enrolled in VADA, it’s clear that GGG is afraid. So we’re going to move on and I’m going to start making phone calls to (Daniel) Jacobs’ people, to (Billy Joe) Saunders’ people, start making calls to (Jermall) Charlo and (Spike) O’Sullivan.”